Takezaiku, or bamboo weaving, is an ancient form of Japanese art that involves taking a strong but inflexible material (bamboo) and making it not only moldable, but beautiful at the same time. It involves slicing the sinuous bamboo into strips, soaking them in water, and weaving them, generally into baskets and other utensils. Japanese tea…
Tag: design
Tokyo Design Week
Today (Oct 26, 2016) is the Opening Day for the annual Tokyo Design Week, held in Meiji Jingu Gaien (not to be confused with Meiji Jingu shrine, which is in Yoyogi Park). Hundreds of designers from university students to celebrated professionals display their work, host discussions and party like only design folks can. Pecha Kucha…
Ginza Itoya
How does a stationery store stay in business for over 100 years even 25 years after email nearly killed the handwritten letter? Ask the folks in charge of Itoya, the venerable stationery shop that recently opened a new flagship store in Ginza called G. Itoya. Innovation is the key, and the eight floors of G….
Asakusa – Bengara
You can’t walk around Japan without seeing the beautiful noren hanging in the doorways of shops and restaurants, but what if you wanted a unique one to take home as a souvenir? The ability to custom order a noren combined with a friendly owner who can communicate fairly well in English makes Bengara the place…
Zori
Called flip-flops, slippahs and other names around the world, the zori have been a fixture of footwear in Japan for centuries. Originally made of straw and perhaps rope or fabric, you can now find zori made of modern materials like rubber or vinyl as well as more expensive materials like silk brocade, which are generally paired…
Kokeshi
The humble kokeshi were said to be invented in the Tohoku region of Japan as souvenirs for travelers coming to enjoy the regional hot springs. The simple design of traditional kokeshi is a round “head” attached to a cylinder body, created from cherry or mizuki wood by an artisan using a lathe. If the faces…
Hotel Okura
The historic lobby and main wing of the Hotel Okura is already gone, in the process of an extended renovation ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. From the time the hotel opened in 1962, it has been an iconic building, hosting U.S. Presidents and heads of states from around the world. The hotel’s Orchid Room…
Moerenuma Park
In the world of man-made parks, few can rival the beauty of Moerenuma Park in Sapporo. Artist Isamu Noguchi designed the park as one huge sculpture, built on the site of a waste treatment plant. Vast areas of green space are broken up by amazing geometric play structures, water features and even a 100m hill that…
Higashi
Higashi 干菓子 are a type of wagashi, a Japanese sweet made specifically for tea ceremony. Though you could eat wagashi without tea, they tend to be very sweet to balance the bitterness of the strong Japanese green tea served at tea ceremony. Higashi are “dry” versions of wagashi, usually made with sugar and rice flour, though…
Nippori Fabric Town
For those with crafty leanings, Nippori Fabric Town is a neighborhood of northern Tokyo populated by over 100 shops selling all sorts of fabrics, ribbons and buttons and as well as over a dozen shops specializing in leather. Fabrics ranging from simple cotton to silk, from plain and printless to elaborate Japanese traditional designs are…
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