STORIES
Offbeat Wajima Lacquerware to Benefit Today’s Users-208/16/2018
ISHIKAWA – A New Series of Wajima-nuri Lacquerware “Urushi-Coated Cloth Plate” (Continued from Offbeat Wajima Lacquerware to Benefit Today’s Users-1) Along with the Makiji series, which features strong and rough surfaces, Wajima Kirimoto develo…
Offbeat Wajima Lacquerware to Benefit Today’s Users -108/03/2018
ISHIKAWA – What if it rains all day, every day? Wouldn’t you feel depressed? But to those who live in regions of abundant rainfall, cloudy weather might be better than clear, sunny skies. “It rains so much here that little children say sunlight…
Why is This Hiroshima Guy’s Glass of Beer So Superb?07/14/2018
HIROSHIMA – Yutaka Shigetomi is the owner of a small liquor store in Hiroshima, Japan. The city has been well-known for its A-bomb dome for decades, and the peace memorial attracts many tourists from all over the world. In this city, Yutaka’s t…
Soaring Creativity of Byobu Folding Screens -206/20/2017
TOKYO – In this part, more unconventional works will be introduced. This byobu uses a stole that a real nun brought in. She wanted to use her own stole for her byobu. Parts of her stole are cut out to paste onto the façade, unaltered; the parts…
Soaring Creativity of Byobu Folding Screens -106/12/2017
TOKYO – What do you imagine when you hear the word “byobu?” If you are Japanese, you will probably imagine a big golden folding screen standing in a huge room with a tatami-mat floor. A byobu craftsman conveys the strong image of an old man wea…
What Makes Aizome Dyeing Authentic?04/24/2017
TOKUSHIMA – In Japan, there is a proverb: “Although blue dye comes from the indigo plant, it is bluer than indigo.” This means that the student has surpassed his master. Japanese people learn this old saying at school; however, not many people …
Master Gives Tips for Amateurs to Enjoy Noh03/18/2017
TOKYO – Japan’s important intangible cultural asset, Noh, has a 650-year history. If you are Japanese, the word “Noh” would probably bring to mind the theater filled with a mysterious atmosphere, a dignified stage against a backdrop of large pi…
Home-Made Malted Rice to Create Natural Condiments03/05/2017
GUNMA – Thick snow completely covers Showamura village, one of the most beautiful villages in Japan in mid-February. The graded green fields of summer have been repainted pure white with powdery snow. This snowy scene could easily be mistaken for tha…
Muddy Lotus Roots Turn into Colorful Flowers02/16/2017
TOKUSHIMA- Spanish artist Joan Miro (1893-1983) drew flowery and rhythmical abstract paintings. They were like embodied music. A female designer who admires Miro wanted to realize his abstract painting with lotus roots. This motivation gave birth to …
Crazy About Sanuki Udon Noodles! – 202/02/2017
KAGAWA – I would like to proudly introduce the following udon restaurants. If you visit Kagawa Prefecture and have a chance to eat udon, don’t miss them! Two are located in the back alley and the other is along the arterial road. Each udon plac…
Crazy About Sanuki Udon Noodles! – 101/29/2017
KAGAWA – Food for sick people in Japan is usually rice porridge, since it is gentle on the stomach. But, I choose udon noodles when I am worn out or sick in bed. It has be udon for me because I am originally from Kagawa Prefecture, known as the…
Tasting Japanese Regions in the Middle of Tokyo01/14/2017
TOKYO – There are 47 prefectures in Japan. If you travel from Hokkaido to Okinawa, you will cross 3,400 kilometers*1. Someone did an interesting calculation: How much would it cost to travel from Sapporo to Naha by taxi? Sapporo and Naha are th…
