Kyoto Denim started as a Kimono manufacturer dating back to the Edo period, specifically 1688. While many of their competitors have gone out of business in the the past few decades, Kyoto denim is going strong. Toyoaki Kuwayama, the successor of this family business took the company in an unexpected...
Kawara are the roof tiles that define the historical cityscapes of places such as Kyoto. Yasuhiro Ichinose, the successor of a family business specializing in traditional roof tiles that has recently celebrated it’s 100th anniversary, is looking to expand the scope of kawara products beyond roofs. Yasuhiro has been involved...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
