STORIES

The Longer Path: Crafting Ceramics Through a Collaborative Process

POJ Studio collaborated with Okuda-san of Oogoya for over a year to get the Shigaraki Collection just right. Mutual respect and creative partnership allowed both teams to translate the tradition of...

Life in Detail: The Marriage of Kodawari and Wabi-Sabi in Japanese Artisan Craft.

Behind the humble objects that make up our every day, there are 100 decisions that went into their creation. We may not think about these pieces more than in the moments we reach for them. They are...

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...

Bringing Stonework of Japanese Gardens Inside Modern Homes

As part of the team carrying on seven generations of legacy stonework at Nishimura Tōrō-Ten, Ishiura Kenji set out to bring stone craftsmanship beyond the garden and into the modern home.

Kazuto Yoshikawa, Reawakening Dormant Techniques

Kazuto Yoshikawa guided a collaboration to revive the traditional wood-bending techniques of a Mie Prefecture multi-generational frame workshop, resulting in a striking interior design element for ...

How to mend breaks: red and black urushi (part 3 of 3)

Once mugi urushi has been used to glue the broken fragments together, and sabi urushi has been used to fill the nooks and crevasses, phase 3 of the repair process is applying red and black urushi t...

How to mend breaks: sabi urushi (part 2 of 3)

Once mugi urushi has been used to  ‘’glue’’ broken fragments together, part 2 of the repair process is making and applying sabi urushi.

How to mend breaks: mugi urushi (part 1 of 3)

When beginning kintsugi-repair, the first question to ask is, ‘‘how is the piece damaged?’’ Is it broken, cracked, or chipped? First and foremost, accurately identifying the fractures is an art in...

What is urushitsugi?

Kintsugi-repair restores broken pieces with urushi tree sap, and often finishes the repair in gold or silver powder. As a restoration practice, pieces repaired with hon-kintsugi are aesthetic, food...

Kintsugi Apprentice Stories: Summer 2023

In Summer 2023, we welcomed our inaugural class to Kyoto for the first ever Kintsugi Apprentice Program.

Repairing glazed and unglazed pieces

Even before repairing a piece, we always recommend Step 0: Creating a Patient Chart. This requires thoroughly assessing the piece in front of you and one of the most important variables to identify...

The Case for Hon-Kintsugi

As kintsugi gains traction and awareness across the world, it is valuable to note that there are two distinctly different restoration methods. It isn't that one method is good and the other is bad....

Our ‘‘Winter in Kyoto’’ itinerary

Japan's winter traditions weave heritage with seasonal transitions. The celebration of Toji,  Winter Solstice, marks the longest night of the year, symbolizing beginnings and the possibilities that...

Examples of Japanese ceramics

Japan’s nutrient-rich, volcanic soil, combined with centuries of cultural influences, have given rise to a wide spectrum of ceramics. Here are a few prominent representations of Japanese ceramics f...

Kintsugi Dictionary Part 4: Keshiki

In kintsugi, the Japanese term keshiki refers to the lines and shapes formed through repair. These lines and shapes tell the tale of who made the piece, where it comes from, the original material o...

All about red and black urushi

Kintsugi may be known for its gold finish, however, gold is only the decorative final touch in the repair process. The functional repair work in kintsugi is owed to urushi tree sap. 

Our “Autumn in Kyoto” itinerary

The autumn season in Japan has an ancient and textured history celebrating nature, the arts, and community.  From local to city-wide festivals known as matsuri, to tsukimi, or ‘‘moon viewing,’’ the...

How to Kintsugi: The 3 Phases of Repair

Kintsugi technique is intended and best suited for the restoration of ceramic and porcelain tableware. Other materials and types of wares are possible to repair, but it all started with one porcela...

Tips to Achieve the Sleekest Gold Finish

It is absolutely no exaggeration to say that gold is synonymous with kintsugi. At least in the perception of most. After all, the repair technique is called kintsugi. Kin = gold, tsugi = joinery. W...

Which In-Studio Kintsugi Class Suits Me Best?

Sometimes there is nothing better than in-real-life learning. If you have the opportunity to visit Kyoto, we offer several in-studio kintsugi class options. However, particularly for first timers, ...

Am I Allergic to Urushi?

Urushi, the sap of the urushi tree, is the base material of authentic kintsugi-repair using all natural ingredients. It is what makes this tableware restoration technique antipest, antiviral, antib...

The Kintsugi Dictionary Part 3: Wabi Sabi

With every decade, wabi sabi has become increasingly more commonplace, while simultaneously increasingly more confusing, as people here and there and everywhere attempt to verbalize the phrase. Per...

All About Hinamatsuri

The 3rd of March is Hinamatsuri Girl’s Day in Japan, expressing gratitude for the good health and happiness of girls everywhere. Leading up to this day, we display small ornamental dolls called hi...

Kintsugi Dictionary Part 2: Hashiri, Shun, Nagori

This edition of The Kintsugi Dictionary is quite the deal. It's three-in-one, as there are three sub-categories of "seasonal" to more precisely describe the evolution of flora, fauna, and the human...

Have the Kintsugi Kit. Now What?

For those who have one of POJ Studio's kits in hand, welcome to the wonderful world, the mysterious world, the fascinatingly deep meditative world of kintsugi-repair. We strongly believe that resto...

Step 0: The Patient Chart

Even before beginning the kintsugi-repair process, I always recommend repairers to incorporate Step 0: preparing a patient chart. It’s a thorough assessment of the piece in front of you. Is it crac...

The Golden Tools of the Trade

While not necessary for the repair to be complete, the last step of kintsugi is to dust the fracture with gold or silver powder if you wish. The two golden tools of the trade are horse hair and sil...

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 ...

Gold is Nothing but Jewelry

Gold is perhaps the most spotlighted ingredient of kintsugi-repair. And justly so. Kintsugi, literally translates to gold joinery. And thus often believed to be metalwork. So many are surprised to ...

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...