About

Torii Ippo (1930 – 2011) began his career in bamboo arts at the age of 20 after his father’s death. He didn’t have much of a choice as his father’s bamboo business was his family’s only means of support. He taught himself the craft by making copies of his father’s tea ceremony baskets.

In 1959, Torii visited the Tokyo National Museum at Ueno Park where “Treasures from the Shoso-in” were being exhibited. Shoso-in is the treasure house that belongs to the Todaiji Temple in Nara, one of Japan’s most famous and historically significant temples. At that time, Torii felt unsure of whether or not he …