Kyoto Woodcraft by Nakagawa Mokkougei
Best known for producing traditional Japanese buckets called 'ki-oke', Nakagawa Mokkougei makes these by joining slats of wood together held in place by well-positioned metal rings.
Metal Cans by Japanese Atelier SyuRo
With the holidays arriving in next to no time, it’s been hectic here in the office. We’ve had some big boxes take over the floor space and have re-stocked various items in the shop. I think I’ll be glued to my camera over the next month, hoping to catch any sort of daylight that appears so I c
The Birth of Saké, A Film by Erik Shirai
Usually I have my finger on the pulse, but this time I let it slip a little. Saying that, I never shy away from the chance to learn more about a subject and soak up all the information like a sponge, hopefully you’ll take away something from this piece as well. I came across a project that had rec
Functional Ceramics by Derek Wilson
I’m a sucker for those intricate details, when I see imagery up-close of ceramics for example I get incredibly inspired by the handmade features. It’s particularly appealing for me when what looks quite simple and refined from afar, has real clarity and purity when seen up-close or held. Derek W
Bamboo Baskets by Junko Iwata
A material that’s of high interest to me is bamboo, it’s not something that I have experience with personally, but I have seen a number of craftsman use it to good effect over the years. The Japanese have been able to harness bamboo in a number of ways, it’s played a big architectural role in
Pottery by Yuichiro and Tomoko Suzuki
With our newest feature that released over the weekend with potter Adam Silverman, it seemed a bit rude to post any other pottery as we could be seen to specialise in one specific area. As you know, that’s not the case. But when I homed in on the good work of Japanese duo Yuichiro and Tomo Suzuki,
Yanagiu Washi Kobo by TED x Tohoku
Sometimes the themes I follow are very random indeed, when I latch on to a particular subject I usually get bitten by “the bug”. Most of the ideas have revolved around the shop, as I’m currently working on a redesign, and I’ve been thinking about possibilities regarding shop packaging and ho
Metal Netted Objects by Kanaami-Tsuji
When searching for new and interesting craftsman, I use my knowledge of the internet and some translation tools to find unique creatives from abroad, most notably Japan. I'm drawn to their style for mainly two reasons, tradition and authenticity. I also like the fact that objects, and design in gene
Japanese Lacquerware at TOKI no KUMO
Japanese gallery and craft store TOKI no KUMO has been a favourite destination of mine to visit, in fact I've wrote about them a few times previously here on the site. I usually check back every so often to see their progress as a store and get an eyeful of the interesting selection of products that
Short Film on Lacquer Artist Masaru Nishimura
After an assortment of topics being discussed here on the blog this week, it seemed nice to switch it up a little and watch an experienced lacquer artist at work. I thought it might give some context to the items that we already have in the shop, particularly the lacquerware by husband and wife duo
Utsushi – The Search for Katsuhira’s Tiger
To say I had my mind blown by a short documentary this weekend would be an understatement. I woke up early and this inspiring piece fell right in to my lap, I'm so glad I gave it a chance and watched it all the way through. I've been thinking about it most of the day, so hopefully you'll feel the sa
Innovative Wooden Vessels and Shapes by Shimoo Design
A selection of functional but sculptural looking objects by Japanese studio Shimoo Design, who mainly specialise in making handcrafted furniture. Shimoo was founded in Toyama Prefecture in 1997 by husband and wife duo Kazuhiko and Saori Shimoo. They’ve been experimenting with a variety of differen