Ainu, Portrait of the Wind by Photographer Makiko Ui
Many of these different influences bounce around in my head, trying to make sense of them all is full-time work in itself. Usually once I’ve cleansed my mind and let these thoughts settle down, let nature take it’s course, obvious patterns emerge and little details protrude which I can use on th
New Feature with Japanese Designer Oji Masanori
As you may already know, I don't really like to rehash old articles for the website. I prefer to bring you something new and unique that is more of a documentation of someone's work, or working processes, instead of a piece that won't be of any use in a few months time. One designer that I thought w
One Shot. One Life. by Empty Mind Films
I try to bring you a mixture of content here on the website, things that are slightly offbeat for our specific theme, but have an interesting story/concept. I especially enjoy ideas that can be pulled across as inspiration, this post today takes on a spiritual vibe but I feel it can be applied to de
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
Aspirational Architecture by Kidosaki
Aspiration is an interesting subject to explore, especially in the field of architecture. When I saw these magnificent structures by Kidosaki architects in Japan it reminded me of our will as human beings to build homes that are not only necessary to sustain life, but also to represent ambition and
Glazes and Forms at Hibinokurashi
As Charles Eames said, “The details are not the details. They make the design.” This is very true, especially in this case where I’m highlighting a selection of pottery from a Japanese store that I came across online titled Hibinokurashi (or Daily Life). I’ve been searching high and low for
Lighting and Details by Fuse-atelier Architects
I’m very disappointed by the lack of architecture on the site at the moment, usually we’re brimming with inspiration and creativity on that front, but lately I’ve been pursuing other avenues of design. Yesterday I watched a small but concise documentary on a build by a couple that broke throug
Metalwork by Japanese Maker Yumi Nakamura
I’ve been hunting through a selection of different makers that specialise in metalwork for the shop, mainly vessels like bowls and plates since we already stock some brilliant cutlery by Rieko Fujimoto. These goods are generally hard to come by, usually you have a lot of cutlery being produced but
Aesthetics of Everyday Life, Voicer Magazine
It’s not often you come across fantastic imagery like this. Although I enjoy viewing the final objects made by different craftsmen, especially when it falls in to my own hands, I really like to see how they’re made and what processes they go through to get the desired form. It’s also fascinati
Film Photography by I.E.
Although Flickr has had its fair share of criticism over the years, I’m impressed by their tunnel vision in regard to the photographic industry. Much like Vimeo, who’ve been able to capture filmmakers all over the world, Flickr has done the same with photographers. Often something you’ll find
Japanese Glassware by Shotoku Glass Co.
Apologies to all of you who have been looking for good video content. I have come across a few short films on my travels but they’ve not really ticked all the right boxes. Some were in a foreign language, which doesn’t really help in terms of inspiration, well unless the imagery is absolutely su
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,
