PROFILE

 Mariko KAWABATA

​Green woodworker & Spoon carver

Founder of HÖBAL SPOON

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Born in Ojiya, Niigata, Japan
Based in Ogaki, Gifu, Japan

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Graduated from the Department of Industrial Design at Nagaoka Institute of Design, specializing in Textile Design.

After working as a company employee and later as an interior coordinator, I moved to Motosu, Gifu, in 2017 and began making cutlery from dried wood.

In 2019, I encountered greenwoodworking for the first time, quite by chance.
From 2020, I shifted my practice to working exclusively with freshly cut, green wood.

In 2022, I established HÖBAL SPOON.

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Making with Trees from the Forest

I create one-of-a-kind handmade pieces, primarily spoons, using locally sourced green wood from forest maintenance activities.

Each piece is carved entirely by hand using traditional hand tools such as axes and knives, without machinery, templates, or sandpaper.

The wood comes from small-diameter trees removed during forest management. I introduce each piece together with information about where the tree grew, when it was felled, and photographs of the original log, allowing the user to trace the journey of the wood from forest to table.

My aim is to create “spoons that make people want to care for and use them for many years, while keeping the forest in mind.”

I hold exhibitions, demonstrations, and workshops both in Gifu and in other parts of Japan.

A portion of the proceeds from my online shop is donated to the Green Fund, which supports forest conservation and environmental education in Japan.

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Living with Greenwoodworking

I practice a lifestyle that incorporates green woodworking into everyday life, sharing my work and experiences through Instagram and YouTube.

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Forest Conservation Activities

As a member of the Motosu Monju-no-Mori Satoyama Club, I have planned and organized public events combining green woodworking with forest education.

• Public green woodworking and forest education event, 2022
  Supported by the Hino Motors Green Fund

• Founded the club's Green Woodworking Section

Teaching & Outreach

I conduct green woodworking workshops, demonstrations, and activities related to forest conservation with the aim of encouraging more people to “grow trees in the forest and make use of them in everyday life.”

Selected activities include:

• Lecture and hands-on green woodworking experience, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Gifu College (2022)

• Spoon-making workshop at COSA Otsuki, Otsuki, Kochi (2023)

• Small-group traveling workshops (2022–present)

• Other workshops and demonstrations​​

Media

Web magazine NIIGATA SLOW LIVING HAKKOJIKAN.

Interview article ① (2023.2)

Interview article ② (2023.4)

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