F/style Shina Tote Bag S

Overview Materials Return Policy Description:The F/style's Shina bag is made from the bark of a Shina tree. With natural moisture wicking oils in the tree fiber, the bag is water resistant and will be durable for everyday use. Shina bark is stripped from the tree annually in the month of June and July by the Niigata people. Typically trees that are 8 to 10 years old are chosen. After the bark is stripped, they are boiled and cooked, then laid out in the sun to dry. This process takes many months and is a large community effort. The region of Niigata receives heavy amounts of snow in the winter so the weaving of Shina happens in the winter time when the villagers must remain indoors. As a result, the craft of Shina is year round. The ancient craft of weaving Shina is rarely seen now in modern Japan, and very few craftspeople exist today that know its technique. F/style hopes to revive this craft by giving it a contemporary purpose in the home by applying it to common household prod