We all know wasabi as that spicy green condiment that comes with our sushi and sashimi. Yet little do many know that in most cases what we’re eating is just a mix of horseradish, Chinese mustard and green coloring. Real wasabi, also known as Wasabia Japonica, is rare to come...
Within the Kyoto University of the Arts, T5 (Kyoto Traditional Culture Innovation Laboratory) jump started by students is introducing a new perspective on fashion and design. Integrating Kyoto’s time honored traditions with modern twists, this project bridges the gap between old and young, as well as East and West. Hoping...
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...
One of the staples of Japan known in western culture are paper lanterns, and for good reason. Paper lanterns bring a beautiful warmth, a sense of peace and safety to the atmosphere. That is difficult to achieve with common lightning. This is especially remarkable in the streets of Kyoto. A...
A little over 2 years ago I was sitting at a table in the countryside of Japan, specifically Hida Furukawa, whittling chopsticks out of a “Hamidashimono” aka wood left-over with people on my left and my right people who gave me the courage to pursue Pieces of Japan and who...
“The people who built those machines are not here anymore,” says Osamu Yamamoto, who speaks deferentially of the cast-iron collotype printers at Benrido Atelier in Kyoto. Yamamoto is the manager of Benrido, a printing establishment that uses some of the last, traditional collotype machines in the world to create richly...
At this year’s Milan Design Week, the Spanish fashion label Loewe’s annual showcase of global craftsmanship veered into a world as yet unexplored by most luxury brands, that is, the world of woven baskets. Loewe issued a challenge to master weavers around the globe: use leather, and create something new....
A popular YouTube channel Guy Jones recently posted video footage of life in Kyoto in 1929. While it isn’t uncommon to find video footage of that time, it is rare for them to include sounds. There are various scenes during the video that you can skip to: 0:07 – Street...
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...
Japan is one of the oldest countries in the world with a median age of 46.5. A big percentage of the older population can be found in rural areas where the average ages are even higher and the younger people usually leave for one of the big cities and never...
When I was younger I didn’t listen too closely to my grandfathers stories which I regret deeply. He used to be held prisoner in Russia during the second world war. I only remember pieces of his stories that he would repeat often the older he got but we never thought...
