Koji Nakamura
Shikoku, Japan

Koji Nakamura is a farmer and a hunter, but when it rains, he makes brooms.  He grew up seeing his grandfather make brooms with shuro fiber.  The shuro trees can be spotted at every shrine in the Shikoku region, legend has it that Kobo Daishi brought them from China.  The trunks of the trees are very strong and used to ring enormous shrine bells.  Their fiber contains natural oil, traditionally used to make brooms.  Nakamura’s brooms are each made with their own character woven differently for their intended purpose.