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...
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...
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...
History courses through the work of Shizuka Tatsuno, though some would never think to say so. Her product designs often beckon us with their modern forms — their streamlined silhouettes and clean blocks of color — but they end up compelling us most when their crisp outlines dissolve, revealing artistic...
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...
“An object has to be functional but has to be fun,” explained designer Oki Sato in a recent interview, “because the word ‘fun’ is inside of ‘function.’” Such wordplay speaks to the spirit of the work produced by Sato’s iconic design studio nendo. Sato’s search for the playful in the...
This summer, Japanese furniture maker Time & Style showcased a selection of furniture designed by architect Kengo Kuma. Like a compilation of rare B-sides, the exhibition, titled “Furniture that blends into the surroundings,” represents years of creative output and celebrates a facet of Kuma’s practice that has thrived quietly in...
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...
What is the “Japanese aesthetic”? That, in essence, was the question posed by designer Naoto Fukasawa and the furniture manufacturer Maruni Wood Factory in 2008, when Fukasawa partnered with the nearly one-century-old furniture company to help rediscover its essence. Since then, the wish to design chairs, tables, and other staples...
Hiiro is a modern, ceramic water carafe made from traditional bizen-yaki. It’s the result of a joint-effort between product designer Shizuka Tatsuno and Daikura, a pottery studio specializing in bizen-yaki....
