Tochigi bamboo craft of Otawara, Tochigi Pref. was designated as Important Intangible Cultural Heritage in 1982. At present Katsushiro is the designated bearer. There are a lot of bamboo groves in the city of Otawara, so people have been actively engaged in bamboo craft from ancient days. However it was in 1972 when excellent bamboo of Otawara was selected as food for the pandas presented by the Chinese government as the token of Japan-China friendship that Otawara bamboo came to be known all over the country. In the old days items for daily use such as baskets for agricultural use, backpacking baskets for woodcutters and fishing rods were made, most of which are no longer used but are still made as “articles of folk craft.” Nowadays items suited for modern life including flower vessels, bags and cell-phone cases are also made and very popular among the people who love “real stuff.”