Bunako is a woodworking craft invented in the 1950s as a result of trial production and research at the Aomori Prefectural Industrial Research Institute. Using beech wood from Aomori Prefecture, Japan’s largest source of the wood, craftsmen carefully make each item by hand. They start by making a thin wooden “tape” from the source material and winding it in a spiral to create three-dimensional objects. This technique allows them to create shapes that would be very difficult to achieve with traditional woodworking methods and also takes full advantage of the wood's water absorbency. Today, Bunako techniques are being used not only to make tableware but also to create highly designed interior items such as lamps and speakers.