Straw bag (kamasu)

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Straw bag (kamasu)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Non-seasonal Topic
***** Category: Humanity

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Explanation

straw bag, kamasu、かます　、　 叺
(the kanji was made in Japan, also written 蒲簀)


©　PHOTO : kagawa museum of tools


It kind of bag was used to transport many things, from salt to rice grains to goods used during warfare in the Edo period. Also for collecting mulberry leaves to feed the silk worms.


"Straw bag" does also have the meaning of bribes and corruption.

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Among packages that are made of straw, there are bales ("tawara") and straw bags ("kamasu") that were most familiar to people's lives. "Kamasu" is a bag which is made of matting by folding it in half and sealing both sides, and it was used to preserve rice and vegetables like bales.

At that time, the quality of rice was said to be determined by the quality of the straw that was used for its straw bags and bales and the method by which they were woven. It is said that people selected fine quality straw and tried to weave and construct each bag and bale very carefully. Straw was without a doubt one of the best materials to use to preserve carefully grown crops for as long and as freshly as possible.

Read more about the history of straw packing in Japan
... /www.tetrapak.co.jp/

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Cocoon of the Mountain Moth (yama kamasu)
山かます


©　Photo: at.webry.info


"straw bag of the mountains", yama kamasu 山叺
hanging straw bag, tsuri kamasu 吊り（釣）叺

One more photo

©　takao-san



. WKD : Straw (wara) and related KIGO 　


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way

Tobacco pouch

This word was also used for a small waterproof pouch to carry cut tobacco during the Edo period, sometimes made from animal skin or waterproof paper.



Kamasu and Tobacco


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HAIKU

木がらしやかます着て行く箱根山
kogarashi ya kamasu kite yuku hakone yama

winter wind--
wearing a straw bag
on Mount Hakone




としの市かますかぶって通りけり
toshi no ichi kamasu kabutte tôri keri

year's end fair--
a straw bag on her head
she passes


©　Haiga by Nakamura Sakuo


Kobayashi Issa
Tr. David Lanoue


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Related words

***** Pacific Sandeel (ikanago イカナゴ（玉筋魚、鮊子)
sand lance, Pacific barracuda, Ammodytes personatus
this fish was also called "kamasu" or "kamasugo" カマスゴ（加末須古).
kigo for late spring

shiwa ikanago しわ鮊子（しわいかなご）、
boat for fishing, ikanago bune いかなご舟（いかなごぶね）
drying sandeel, ikanago hosu 鮊子干す（いかなごほす）




sand lance in frost, shimofuri kamasu
霜降かます (しもふりかます)
kigo for early winter



いかなごに　まづ箸おろし　母恋し　　　

to eat sand lance
first I put my chopsticks down -
I long for mother
　　　　　
Takahama Kyoshi 高浜虚子



いかなごや　凪浪遊ぶ　磯馴松（ソナレマツ）　　　
Nomura Kibune 能村喜舟


鉄枴の下に　いかなご　すなどれり　　　　　　　　
Awano Seiho 阿波野青畝


いかなごが　烏の嘴に　生きてをり　　　
ikanago ga tori no shibashi ni ikite ori

a sand lance
in the bill of a bird
still alive
　　　　　
Hoshino Tatsuko 星野立子



一舟そこに　さすらうごとし　こうなご漁　　　　　
Kaneko Tohta 金子兜太



一網のいかなご　まざりものあらず　　
hito ami no ikanago mazari mono arazu

one net full of sand lance
there is nothing better than this
　　　　　
Ibaragi Kazuo 茨木和生


ikanago haiku and senryu
Tr. Gabi Greve



. Hakone and Haiku .

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