Preparation and distribution of dwarf bamboo leaves in Kyoto City

In Kyoto City, dwarf bamboo leaves gathered from the northern mountainous area were used until recently to wrap foods and to make yakuyoke-chimaki talismans during the Gion Matsuri Festival. In order to identify factors that played a role in the formation of the social structure that supported the preparation and use of such leaves in the city, the authors investigated how leaves were gathered and processed as well as the methods of distribution used. The results indicated that traditional gathering and processing techniques (i.e., collecting leaves with smooth undersurfaces only in the Hanase-bessho and Momoi village areas and drying them in the sun) increased the quality of the product. This suggests that the formation of the social structure in which dwarf bamboo leaves were prepared and used in Kyoto City was based on local knowledge and techniques related to leaves. However, due to the mass flowering and death of dwarf bamboo seen in Kyoto City from 2004 to 2007, leaves from other regions have now replaced those from the Hanase-bessho and Momoi village areas. Moreover, in rural areas, depopulation and aging are now progressing significantly. To ensure that the leaves are prepared and used again after the regeneration of dwarf bamboo in Kyoto City, it is important to secure a workforce for the gathering and processing of leaves, and to hand down related local knowledge and techniques to future generations.