Kuma Bokko: Exploiting Material Properties with Craft to Turn Offcuts Into Adorable Toys

Asahikawa, Hokkaido has been a furniture-producing center for Japan for decades. The furniture industry produces a lot of wooden offcuts. How can you turn those offcuts into more revenue? Since 1955, the Tomiya company has been producing these Kuma Bokko*, tiny carved bears made from otherwise useless scraps of wood. The grain is cleverly exploited to produce a contour-line-like effect, further accentuating the skilled hand-carving and burning. Image: Shokunin (*In Japanese, "kuma" means...