Extracting the essence of each season, Higashiya Ginza brings traditional Japanese confectioneries back into the day to day scene. In looking at the history of confectionary shops, there was once one for the upper class associated with the Imperial Court called Onkashitsukasa, and ones for the general public called Omanyasan...
Housed in a 90 year old building registered as tangible cultural property, Kaikado Cafe is a hidden gem in Kyoto, displaying parts of Japan’s rich cultural history and appreciation for long lasting craftsmanship . Originally a brand specializing in handcrafted canisters from tin plates imported from England following the Meiji...
Chisoku, written as 知足in Japanese, is a combination of kanji characters meaning to know and to have enough. This zen concept of feeling fulfilled in the current moment is the central theme of Kishi-ke Guesthouse, located on the coast of Kamakura. Perfectly in tune with the hints of salty air...
Redefining luxury as a state of mind. That is exactly what founders of Maana Homes, Hana and Irene are doing in the heart of Kyoto, Japan. With the intention to have guests rethink the meaning of luxury and travel, Maana homes captures the refined essence of Kyoto for all guests...
Certified as a Living National treasure, Kinzaburo is an aging incense craftsman based in Sakai in the heart of Osaka prefecture. As a one-man operation, he spends his time producing and selling his incense sticks in a small studio-shop. Despair in the face of the near complete disappearance of his...
Nestled in the hills of Kyoto prefecture lies the village of Miyama, known mostly for its traditional thatched roof buildings and also for being the home of Hiroyuki Shindo and his prodigious work with indigo. Equal parts gallery, workshop, and residence, the Little Indigo Museum is more than meets the...
Built in the 1960s, the Aoyama Building has weathered some of the more swift-moving winds of modern history. The 13-story tower is planted on a block corner in Tokyo’s Minato ward, in a thicket of skyscrapers, parks, embassies, and palace grounds. In the 1970s, it housed the headquarters of the...
This year was the 4th year of the “Lexus New Takumi Project” where young crafts people across the country are challenged with creating the “next-generation traditional crafts”. 150 young crafts people and designers participated and their work was showcased in the basement of the Kyoto Shimbun (Newspaper) Building, the Heian...
About two years ago I visited Echizen with my parents, specifically to buy lacquerware from Shitsurindo (漆琳堂). Talking to the owner and successor of the family business we heard about all of the other crafts people in the region and I remember how it felt like a movement was about...
The rise of supermarkets in Japan changed the landscape of many smaller downtowns all across the country. Smaller mom and pop shops would go out of business one by one and once vibrant shopping streets would turn into “shutter streets”. The company Owan has been trying to counter this movement...
Founded in 1984, the museum focuses on collecting, preserving, and contextualizing woodworking tools, playing a key role in connecting the appreciation of Japanese wood-based architecture and furniture with the trans-generational knowledge, techniques, and tool-making traditions that are concealed at its roots....
While depopulation is a problem in many countries the issue in Japan is more imminent due to the large population (around 30%) of people above the age of 60. “NIPPONIA Kominato Genroku Village” is one of the projects trying to battle this problem by creating a “decentralized hotel” which is...
