Japan is known for its “Capsule Hotels” but newly opened one in Nara stands out. Often the hotels have very little to do with craftsmanship but the “Nara Forest Hotel” is different. This hotel’s signature is the generous use of Japanese cypress carefully integrated in each guest room, the entrance...
When traveling to Japan most people often visit the big urban areas such as Tokyo and Kyoto, but you haven’t really seen Japan if you haven’t gone to the country side. Over 80% of Japan consists of mountains and woods and the the beautiful 17 room Beniya Mukayu is located...
The Japanese Nikkapokka were inspired by the “Knickerbockers” fashion movements in the early 20th century. Before World War I boys would wear knickerbockers until puberty and then transitioned to long pants. Baseball players still wear a stylized version of Knickerbockers today although they have become less baggy and many players...
If you know about Japanese tea ceremony it’s often associated with being very serious, having to kneel a long time and if you’re interested in learning it, the hurdles seems to be hight since it requires many years of practice. Simultaneously more people all over the world are starting to...
Daitoku-ji is a buddhist temple in Kyoto, one of fourteen autonomous branches of the Rinzai school of Japanese Zen. Currently the the subtemple Shinju-an is closed and preparing to reopen in fall to showcase something that hasn’t been done before. The fusuma (room dividers), usually covered with historical paintings, will...
When it comes to Japanese craftsmanship Kyoto and Kanazawa quickly come to mind. But recently Takaoka in Toyama Prefecture has been putting more effort into promoting it’s crafts. The moment you arrive Takaoka a giant buddah sculpture made of metal welcomes you to the city. This buddah is one of...
Does it ever happen to you that you come across some amazing designs and end up finding out that one person is behind it? In my case that person that captured my attention is Shigenori Uoya, an architect in Kyoto specializing in Machiya (Japanese for “town house”) remodels. First time...
Blue Bottle founder James Freeman has always had an obsession with Japan. You can see his love for the culture in the Japanese flower arrangements (Ikebana) that can be found in every shop in the Bay Area as well as everything they sell in the store being from Japan. “Anybody who’s...
Did you ever wonder why Blue Bottle Coffee sells so many things from Japan? It is because the founder James Freeman was inspired by the Japanese coffee culture which lead him to start the company. The coffee culture in Japan has been around for a few decades now but recently...
If you are a foodie and love Japan, you might have heard of the term “Kyoyasai” which means “Kyoto vegetable” and is used to describe heirloom vegetables from the Kyoto prefecture. According to research the vegetables have more minerals, fibers and vitamins compared to regular vegetable and they also have...
I don’t know how I have never heard about this absolutely impeccable hotel chain Hoshinoya. The hotel pretty much has everything I’d ever want in my future house. No matter where you go you are surrounded by amazing craftsmanship and a perfect blend of old and new. This specific hotel...
Naoto Fukasawa to me is like the Dieter Rams to many designers. He is behind many of the internationally beloved MUJI products and author of Super Normal: Sensations of the Ordinary. Him and Kenya Hara both spend a lot of time thinking about how they could scale their success to...
