“asanoha®,” a Paper Vessel That Evokes the Spirit of Japan, Crosses the Sea to Italy

“asanoha,” a paper vessel that evokes the spirit of Japan by utilizing hemp stalks (ogara), developed by Stylem Takisada-Osaka Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Naniwa-ku, Osaka; President: Ryuta Taki; hereinafter “Stylem”), was selected as the vessel for serving soba noodles at the “Tipicità Festival 2026,” a historic experiential food festival held in the Marche region of Italy from March 6 (Fri) to March 8 (Sun), 2026.

Background of the Adoption of “asanoha” The adoption of the product for this event was made possible after Masayoshi Ishida, Dean of the College of Gastronomy Management at Ritsumeikan University and a former staff member of the Slow Food Italy headquarters, encountered “asanoha” at a study session held in Kyoto. He was deeply impressed by the fact that the product utilizes hemp stalks—a byproduct—as part of its raw materials, its design featuring the traditional Japanese hemp leaf (asanoha) pattern, and the fact that it can be recycled as a resource rather than discarded after use. Consequently, it was deemed a perfect fit for the event.

From Japan to Italy: “asanoha” as a Vessel to Enhance Japanese Cuisine At the event, a session titled “SOBA: L’ARTE GIAPPONESE DEL GUSTO CHE CONQUISTA IL MONDO” (Soba: The Japanese Art of Taste That Conquers the World) was held. With the goal of exploring ancient production methods and artisan techniques through soba—a specialty dish that symbolizes Japanese history and culture—“asanoha” was used as the vessel to showcase these elements. During the soba-making demonstration, Dean Ishida introduced “asanoha” to the audience using leaflets and display panels.

Local food experts and other attendees expressed admiration for the beauty of the vessels. After the demonstration, many visitors expressed a desire to take the vessels home with them rather than throwing them away, serving as an opportunity to convey the product's profound appeal. Furthermore, even in Italy, a country with a history of paper production, attendees expressed surprise, noting that they had “never seen a product like this before.”

About “asanoha” “asanoha” is a paper vessel that evokes the spirit of Japan, born from a desire to share Japanese culture and tradition.

Part of its raw material effectively utilizes “hemp stalks (ogara),” the core part remaining after hemp fibers are harvested, as a byproduct. Additionally, as part of an environmentally conscious initiative to circulate renewable resources, efforts are underway to collect used “asanoha” vessels and recycle them into raw material for toilet paper. URL: https://asanoha-hemp.jp/

【Stylem Takisada-Osaka Co., Ltd.】 https://www.stylem.co.jp/