Ryouta Ebitani grew up following the example of his father and grandfather. As he had been raised at the factory since he was born, he gained firsthand experience.
However, he had no intention of taking over his family business. He loved motorbikes very much and worked at a motorbike shop in my early 20s.
Ryouta Ebitani participated in motorbike races, but then he had a serious accident when he was 23. He fractured one of his ankles and his skull.
At the same time, his father was considering closing the factory since Ryouta Ebitani had chosen a different career and there was no one to take over the business.
Due to his injuries, he could no longer work at the motorbike shop. After taking some time to think about his own future, he decided he wanted to take over his family’s Oumi-Ikkanbari business.
After his decision, it only took his a few years to learn the necessary skills because he had been involved in the procedures since he was a child. However, he decided to try something new and create some original products. The family is currently expanding their markets overseas in countries such as Taiwan and Italy.
—About Oumi Ikkanbari—
Oumi Ikkanbari is the original craftwork invented by their founder Ebitani Kinsuke.
Bamboo is traditionally used in ikkanbari, but they use paper strings. This makes it possible to produce different kinds of shapes.
Paper strings adhere easily to washi paper (handmade Japanese paper). Therefore, the paper will not come off while you use their products.
They have developed their own method to glue washi paper, and no air is able to enter the space between the base material and the washi paper. This enhances the strength of the products and gives them a beautiful finish.
Their products are coated several times with kakishibu (persimmon tannin), which gives them a natural antiseptic quality and also repels insects and water.
Ryouta Ebitani says “Our goal is to make products suitable for a modern lifestyle. We at Oumi Ikkanbari start each day with a clean slate.”