I’d love to learn the craft of Ikebana (Japanese flower arrangements) but it’s always hard to find the time to get started. These vases would make it easy to get started with simple “ichirin zashi” (single-flower arrangements). Simply pin the vase to the wall and collect a few flowers /...
Kyoto is seemingly hot these days. On a hilly path near the golden temple Kiyomizu-dera, a new art and tools shop just had a grand opening. The entrance reads “Japan’s Art and Tools Shop Nittodo” on a traditional Japanese shop curtain sign. I get excited with this type of shop typically...
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...
Originally posted on Spoon & Tamago by Johnny Strategy (@Johnny_Strategy). Sanjo City in Niigata has a history of blacksmithing that dates back to the 17th century. Susceptible to flooding, the farmers of the region were struggling to make a living until a local magistrate went to Edo and convinced a number...
When we moved to the US the hardest thing for us to find were beautiful, lightweight table ware. Everything in the US is oversized and extremely heavy. They are obviously made for larger tables and larger portions. We ended up buying most ceramics at MUJI but the most challenging of...
Originally posted on amworkshops.com . Writing and photographs by Adam Marelli (@adammarelli). These days you don’t often see real indigo. In common use today, the dye is almost always synthetic. Producing natural indigo dyes for modern markets is time consuming and expensive. This is why denim, even high end denim, is...
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...
If you’re interested in design or architecture as well as into Japan (which is probably why you’re reading this) the likelihood of you being familiar with the term “wabi-sabi” is pretty high (if not, I highly recommend reading Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers). “Wabi-sabi” is a way to...
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...
My relatives recently went on tea picking / hiking experience via Airbnb in the countryside of Kyoto, Wazuka. That area has been producing tea for over 1000 years which is around the same time as the introduction of tea to Japan itself. You’d often hear about how the tea culture originated...
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...
