Select Seiro | A Gifu Bentwood Master on the Virtues of Hinoki Seiro and Wisdom for Long Use

Tashinam's Premium Seiro Steamer — Hinoki Cypress is a finest-quality seiro, crafted one by one, entirely by hand, in a workshop in Gifu.

What Tashinam set out to create was a seiro that stays with you for years — whether you are welcoming your very first seiro or searching for one a step above what you already own.
To bring that ideal to life, we developed our seiro together with magemono (bentwood) artisans in Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture.

We spoke with the artisan behind the Premium Seiro — from how he entered the world of bentwood craft, to what makes a hinoki seiro special, and his wisdom for keeping one in service for years.

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The Materials and Construction Behind the Premium Seiro

— Mr. Shimizu, how did you come to work in bentwood craft?

I was originally a credit union employee — I worked there for ten years after university. Around the time I was thinking of leaving, I was wondering what to do with my future.

It so happened that one of the clients I handled in sales was a kamidana (household altar) craftsman.
He had remarkable skills, yet kept saying, "There's no money in it, no money in it" — and he closed his business even though he had a successor.

But looking at his financial statements, I thought, "Surely there's a way to build more sales out of this."
The skills were superb — letting a craft die out simply because "it doesn't pay" seemed like far too great a waste.

So I threw myself into the field, enrolling in a woodworking academy in Mino City, Gifu Prefecture, and began studying wood.
While I was there, a fortunate connection with a bentwood craftsman led me to decide to become a "mage-shi" — a bentwood artisan. That's how it happened.

— What is the single biggest difference between Tashinam's Premium Seiro and other seiro?

There are all kinds of seiro out there, but the difference in price basically comes down to a difference in durability. By material, the strength ranks (from the top): hinoki cypress → bamboo → cedar → plywood.

We only make hinoki seiro.
Hinoki is the finest grade — strong, beautifully fragrant, and highly durable.

What's more, there are fewer than twenty artisans in all of Japan who can make a seiro from hinoki.
It is a genuinely rare skill.

In that sense, I believe the seiro we make for Tashinam is an exceptionally valuable one.

Why the Steaming Results and Feel Are "On Another Level"

— Beyond the fragrance, what makes a hinoki seiro special?

A wooden seiro and a stainless steel steamer produce completely different results.

With stainless steel, the steam condenses into droplets that fall onto the food — so it turns watery.
With a wooden seiro, the hinoki absorbs the moisture from the steam above, so no droplets fall. The food is steamed by pure vapor alone, and the results are entirely different.

A clean, pure finish that never turns watery — that is its greatest strength.

— What care do you recommend for keeping it pleasant to use for years?

Honestly, stainless steel is easier to care for (laughs).
But being wooden doesn't mean it molds easily.

Unlike a bento box, a seiro has no sealed "top and bottom" — steam passes through, so moisture never gets trapped. That makes it resistant to mold.

My recommendations:

• Use it regularly
  The high-temperature steam sanitizes it naturally — in fact, bacteria multiply more easily when it is not being used.

• Avoid direct sunlight (it causes warping and cracking)
  When drying, keep it in the shade, in a well-ventilated spot.

• Do not use detergent
  Hinoki's antibacterial compounds are oil-based, and detergent breaks them down.

• Wash with hot water rather than cold (less moisture remains inside)
  Hot water evaporates more readily, which helps prevent mold.

Remember just these, and you're set.

— Is there a seiro dish you've personally found delightful, Mr. Shimizu?

Cooking isn't my specialty at all (laughs), but there's one I heard from our staff that I found fascinating.
Steaming frozen rice works wonderfully. A microwave strips moisture away, while steaming adds it — it takes longer, but the rice comes out incredibly plump and fluffy.

Put frozen rice and vegetables in the seiro, and while they steam, drop a pouch of ready-made curry into the boiling water below to warm it — and your curry dinner is done in a single go.
The ultimate lazy-day cooking (laughs).

There's almost nothing you can't steam, so I hope people will have fun experimenting.

A Seiro Born of Artisans — Skill, Philosophy, and the Future

— What do you think makes a good kitchen tool?

Regardless of whether it's expensive or cheap, I believe the best tool is one that you find easy and pleasant to use.

So that people can feel even a little of that, we pour our heart into every single piece we make.

— How do you hope people who pick up a seiro will feel about the culture of bentwood craft?

People talk about a "seiro boom," but I think there are still many who don't know about them.

Tashinam's customers have a keen eye and seek out genuinely good things, so it makes me happy to be able to reach them.

You can tell a good thing the moment you hold it.
We make ours with confidence.

If you come to love it, I hope you'll share it with the people around you.
In that way, I hope the tradition of Japan's fine old tools will spread once again.

▼ Watch the interview video here

A Piece of Living Tradition for Your Kitchen

Tashinam's Premium Seiro combines Japanese hinoki cypress with yamazakura cherry wood, each one crafted by the hands of artisans in Gifu.

The hinoki fragrance that rises the moment you lift the lid; food that steams up plump and never watery.
More than a mere "cooking utensil," it may be a tool that turns your daily mealtimes into something a little more special.

And welcoming a seiro into your home is also a choice to carry the artisans' craft forward, naturally, within your everyday life.

• As your very first seiro

• Or as your second — the "truly good" seiro

If you've been thinking of welcoming a hinoki seiro into your kitchen, we would be delighted for you to take Tashinam's Premium Seiro into your hands.

Get the Premium Seiro Steamer — Hinoki Cypress here 👇

The Premium Seiro Steamer — Hinoki Cypress features:

• Full-fledged construction using generous amounts of Japanese hinoki cypress

• Rims of yamazakura cherry wood, uniting strength and beauty

• Careful handwork, each one crafted by artisans in Gifu

• The refined fragrance of hinoki that rises as your food finishes steaming

— the seiro that represents Tashinam.

Make everyday meals a time to look forward to, just a little more.
If that's the seiro you've been searching for, please take a look at Tashinam's Premium Seiro.