It's a very gentle plant — a kind of grass, actually — and not at all scary, unless you happen to be in a large grove of it on a dark and stormy night:

"Bam!" A band of bandits explodes from the inky shadows, giving you barely enough time to draw your sword and slash them down like so many, uh, bamboo stalks.

Imaginations are stirred by bamboo, somehow. Poets and filmmakers find mystery in it. Cultures throughout Asia have attributed deep and powerful symbolism to their native plant. And artist and craftsmen are more inspired by the beauty and versatility of bamboo than by any other single material. Not surprisingly, since Oita Prefecture in Kyushu produces more of it than any other part of Japan, bamboo plays a very important role in the local arts and crafts scene. A lot of the credit for this goes to a man who, in addition to being one of Japan's first "Living National Treasures," did much to raise the making of bamboo baskets and other simple objects — once a lowly, common job — to a high form of art.

Shounsai Shono was born in Oaza-Uchinari, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture in 1904. He dreamed of becoming an engraver when he was young. Poor health hampered his studies in that field, however, and instead he began to experiment with simpler crafts. Happening upon a particularly beautiful flower basked of ancient Chinese origin, he was inspired to polish his skills in bamboo weaving — eventually recreating, and eventually surpassing, the rhythmic form and delicate style of the original.

The talents of Shono, along with other bamboo masters such as Chikuyusai Sato, Kounsai Iwao and others, became widely known thoroughout Japan and other parts of the world. At the same time, Oita and the Beppu Union Industry School, where many advances in the discipline were refined, earned a reputation as the center of bamboo crafts, which in turn were designated as an official "Traditional Art of Japan" by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in 1979.

By the way, bamboo masters in Oita and elsewhere often are highly specialized, and fall into one or another of three major groups. Aomono-shi (Blue Masters) make kitchen utensils, such as rice cups or bean-paste filters, using aoi or greenish-blue bamboo. Trays meant to hold towels, tea cups and the like are crafted by Shiromono-shi (White Masters) who use special varieties of light-colored, oil-free bamboo. And the gorgeous flower baskets and delicate utensils for the tea ceremony, etc., often are made from rare kuroi or black bamboo by Kuromono-shi (Black Masters).

Black, white or blue — or just plain "bamboo colored" — the bamboo grown, harvested and shaped here has become an important element in the economy of Oita. And more importantly, from the gigantic mandake, or timber bamboo to the tiniest forms of sasa or low-growing species, bamboo continues to inspire the imagination and enrich the roots of culture.