[Pula pula (seedling count) bag

Kumasaka, Kaku

Description

1 bag : cotton ; 13.5 x 13.5 in., tie 52 in.

Pula pula (seedling count) bag made from rice bag. Grey ties on sides extend across waist. Front panel (13.5 x 11.5 in.) is imprinted with "F-60505" and "Z-10-D."

Inscription
Red lettering on back panel is not legible. Written on ribbon tape on back panel: Barbara Kawakami. Written in ink on inside of bag in the front right corner: Donated by Kaku Kumasaka.

History
Pula pula bags were used to keep an accurate count of the number of sugarcane seedlings cut. Usually tied around the waist, the women would place a weed or leaf in the bag for every ten seedlings cut.

All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from materials in this collection must be submitted to the Hirasaki National Resource Center at the Japanese American National Museum (hnrc@janm.org).