Basket-making with Akebia vines is a craft that is said to date back to the end of the Edo period, when people in Aomori Prefecture harvested vines growing in the mountains near Take Onsen and used them to make baskets as souvenirs for visitors to the hot springs. (Akita and Nagano prefectures are also major sources of Akebia vines.) The vines are 100% natural material, and the texture of each vine varies. Before beginning to weave, basket makers therefore take their time, using a plane to remove the nodes and splitting the vines based on the colors of the piece to be created. The finished baskets are strong and durable, and their luster increases as they age.