Beppu bamboo basketry is a traditional handicraft made in Beppu City, Oita Pref. The making of bamboo baskets in this area was first recorded in the Muromachi period (1392-1573). During the Edo period (1600-1868), demand for bamboo baskets abruptly increased as the hot spring of Beppu became well-known all over the country. In the Meiji period (1868-1911), when hot spring tourism in Beppu developed and a lot more tourists visited this hot spring town, which was called “Asakusa of Kyushu,” bamboo products were favored as souvenirs or daily necessities for people staying at a spa to cure diseases. The craft had been made as a by-work of farmers until then, but some workmen who specialized in making bamboo craft appeared during this period, which made Beppu the known-place for the production of bamboo basketry and the craft developed into a local industry. The main variety of bamboo used is madake (Phyllostachys bambusoides). Some other varieties such as hachiku, kurochiku, gomadake and medake are also used. There are eight fundamental techniques to bring out inherent beauty of bamboo as a material.