Akiyamago in Nagano Prefecture receives the heaviest snowfall in Shinshu and has many natural forests full of horse chestnut and beech trees. Accordingly, materials for woodworking can be easily obtained. Since the end of the Edo period, craftsmen have used the area’s abundant horse chestnut trees to produce everyday items such as wooden bowls for kneading udon and soba noodles. Many of the products made are large, made possible by the availability of large-diameter trees. The process involves rough finishing with a hatchet and plane, then finer chiseling with a long-handled chisel. The ripple-like marks left by the chisel harmonize beautifully with the grain pattern and luster of the horse chestnut wood.