Mr. Koji Yamane is from Kumamoto Prefecture. From a young age, he was fond of arts and crafts and interested in the work of craftspeople. After graduating with an engineering degree, he had worked in various fields but his desire to be a craftsman still remained. Subsequently, he joined Takemata as an artisan of bamboo craft. Having been fascinated by the natural beauty of bamboo and the flexibility of the material which can be formed into a variety of shapes depending on the processing method, he continues to develop his skills. One of the advantages of working in Takemata was that the company takes on many landscape works such as making bamboo fences, in addition to production of small bamboo crafts and therefore he was able to acquire a wide range of techniques. Mr. Yamane usually completes a job independently from the selection of materials to the finished product. He splits the bamboo effortlessly at equal intervals with a chopper. However he used to have fear. Working with bamboo exposes the craftsman to the risk of injury because of the nature of the material with its round shape and nodes which makes it difficult to handle. “I believe a craftsman should do a job that will be appreciated by others, rather than for the sake of his personal fulfilment. In order to achieve this I need to hold on to this thought while being mindful of my natural self when I am doing my job” says Mr. Yamane. His seventeen-years of experience had orientated him towards a discipline mind, while upgrading his skills.