Tucked among the quiet streets of Kakunodate, a former samurai stronghold in northern Japan, Denshirohas been shaping cherry bark into everyday poetry for over two centuries. The art form, known as kabazaiku, began as a way for samurai to stay close to nature during peacetime. Today, under the care of Denshiro Shirakata’s descendants, the tradition lives on in tea canisters, trays and boxes that seem to glow from within. Each piece is made by hand, the bark harvested with care from wild cherry trees and either polished or left bare. A reverence for material is at play, plus a knack for turning something humble into something extraordinary. The past isn’t just preserved here; it’s burnished to a shine.