Ichihara Kaunsai’s reputation among bamboo artists in Kyushu—one of the centers of bamboo art in Japan—is exemplary. Less well-known internationally than many artists of subsequent generations, he was the teacher of Shiotsuki Juran (1948-2016), another artist whose hand-skills were considered remarkable even among this group of preternaturally talented craftspeople. Kaunsai's made baskets of startling originality and structural integrity. His works received special commendations in local, regional and national exhibitions for decades on end.