Inspiration

The POJ Studio Gift Guide

When each piece is crafted by Japanese artisans, every gift you give will be meaningful. From foodies to self-care gurus, find the perfect present to slot into the lives of the people you care ab...

A Casual Tea Experience In Nara

茶論, read 'Chalon' or Tea Theory, is a play on words of 'Salon.' A recently opened tea house in Nara, it is the newest venture of Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten, a company that has played a big role in ...

A Tea Stand Merging Old and New

A new and casual way to enjoy Japanese tea. Located on a street corner, it gathers people to have a ippuku or cup of tea in the form of matcha, genmaicha, and more.

A Taste of England in the Tea Capital of Japan

A new tea house called Uji-Kochakan recently opened in Uji, the green tea and matcha capital of Japan. Enjoy a taste of England here, where they offer 30 varieties of black teas, scones, cookies, a...

Porcelain Ware that Bridged Japan and the World

The iconic Arita ware, distinct for its blue and white color, gained international recognition in the 17th century. 400+ years later, people all over the world are seeing it evolve with contempora...

Daitoku-ji Temple Collaborates with Contemporary Illustrators

The room dividers of Daitoku-ji, the 14th-century Buddhist temple, served as canvases for contemporary illustrators. On a rare occasion, the exhibition brought together two distinct Japanese cultur...

The Tsuchiya School Bag For Grown Ups

Tsuchiya has been making Japanese school bags, randoseru, since 1965 and the way they make them hasn’t changed since. Every single bag is handcrafted and made to last. Now they are offering a vers...

Inspiring Ways of Dividing a Space

There are many inspiring ways that Shoji (room dividers) are used and made. Whether they are made of rice paper and wood or kumiko latticework, the beauty of it is that the structure itself can ope...

Bar Owner Reviving A Rural Town

It is only a matter of time until nature reclaims the land entirely in many of the rural regions of Japan - as younger people move out to bigger cities. After training as a cook in Tokyo, Takahiko ...

Issey Miyake Store in a 132-year-old Machiya

Naoto Fukasawa converted an old Kyoto townhouse, machiya, into an Issey Miyake store. Keeping the original structure intact, with its exposed timber, the facade and interior have a cohesive tone of...

A Rooftop Farm in Kyoto City Center

Find the lush rooftop farm amid Kyoto city center in a building with a grocery store and a few restaurants with a farm-to-table concept.

Tea-picking in the Birthplace of Matcha

My relatives recently went on tea picking via Airbnb in the countryside of Kyoto, Wazuka. That area has been producing tea for over 1000 years which is around the same time as the introduction of t...

Biodegradable Paper Plates For Parties

Made of paper and beautifully designed, not only are they biodegradable, but they are also perfect for parties!

An Architect Transforms Kyoto Townhouses

Shigenori Uoya is an architect in Kyoto who specializes in remodeling Japanese townhouses called machiya. A master of incorporating light in moody and dark machiyas, he is behind many projects we l...

100+ Years of Continuous Glassware Innovation

Kimura Glass, founded in 1910, continues to iterate and innovate while staying true to its heritage of hand-blown glass by collaborating with designers from various backgrounds.

Japanese Garden Tools to Get a Green Thumb

For the past 100 years, Kondo Seisakusho, based in a historical blacksmith town in Niigata, has been specializing in handcrafting tools for farming and agriculture.

Distinct Style of Construction Site Workers

The Japanese construction workers have their uniform, which is an adaptation of the western 'knickerbockers.' While the style has continued amongst workers, it has evolved to suit the construction ...

Japan’s Art and Tools Shop

From carpet cleaners to other everyday items, Nittodo offers Japanese tools with simple designs and functionality made with new and traditional craft techniques.

The Little Indigo Museum, the World of Hiroyuki Shindo

Nestled in the hills of Kyoto prefecture lies the village of Miyama, famous for its traditional thatched roof buildings and, most notably, for being the home of Hiroyuki Shindo and his prodigious w...

Continuous Renewal: Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum

The museum in Kobe focuses on collecting, preserving, and contextualizing woodworking tools and architectural models in an effort to showcase the renowned building traditions of Japan.

Smallest Ryokan in Japan

Sakamoto Ryokan is a tiny inn on the Noto Peninsula in the Japan Sea. With only three guest rooms, one of the smallest ryokan in the country is run by a couple with exquisite taste in interior desi...

Craftsmanship for Babies

With a belief that coming into contact with craftsmanship from an early age expands a child's sense of values, Aeru, collaborates with Japanese craftspeople to create unique products catered to chi...