Wooden spatulas and spoons by Okubo Kotaro in our shop November 25-> A few years ago, a friend gave me a wooden cooking spatula that I’ve used almost daily since. Shaped like a pirate’s cutlass, the spatula is now my go-to utensil for sautéing any kind of chopped vegetables, frying rice, and cooking minced meats.…
Tsuki mireba chiji ni monokoso kanashikere Wagami hitotsuno akiniwa aranedo Looking at the moon myriad of things fill me with sadness As though for me alone Autumn came Oe no Chisato (late 9th-early 10th Century) Poet Calligraphy by Chieko (1942-2023)
Tea bowls by Satoshi Yoshikawa in our shop -> Nothing is more satisfying to me than finding out that crafts and makers are connecting cultures and traditions. So when I discovered that Japanese potter Satoshi YOSHIKAWA was making tea bowls in Toronto, Canada, I immediately asked him to make a few for me. Like a…
Nosé Kikusumi by Kotani Yoshitaka in our shop -> “This is hard work, but we need to keep it alive,” charcoal maker Kotani Yasuyoshi often said to his son about their profession. Sumiyaki, or charcoal-making, is a regional tradition in the town of Nosé where they lived. The charcoal from Nosé (pronounced “no say”) and…
To understand the story of the Saint John’s Pottery in Collegeville, Minnesota, it is worthwhile going to the studio in person. In July, I visited this legendary pottery studio located inside the serene Benedictine environment of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University (CSBSJU), accompanied by my photographer friend Tomoko Matsubayashi. “It’s slightly…
Koreya kono yuku mo kaeru mo wakaretewa Shiru mo shiranu mo Ousaka no seki It is here, going and returning parting and meeting Acquaintances or strangers all converge, at Ousaka gate Semimaru (b. unknown. Early Heian period? Around 9th~10th Century) poet musician
Today I’m very excited to let you know that we have new quilts by Sarah Nishiura in our shop-> Right around the time I received these much-awaited quilts, Sarah was announcing her hand quilting workshop in Chicago that begins registration on June 21st through her Instagram account. “What’s the best way to learn to…
Did you know that June 16th is Wagashi Day? Wagashi means Japanese sweets, with ‘wa’ meaning Japanese and ‘k(g)ashi’ meaning confections. The origins of Wagashi Day are unclear, but according to multiple Japanese sources, its history began in the Kasho (aka Kajo 848-851) era in the mid-Heian period. It is said that the sitting Emperor,…
Haru sugite natsu kinikerashi shirotae no Koromohosucho amano Kaguyama Spring has passed and summer has come White robes are hung to dry in amano Kaguyama mountain Empress Jito (645-702)
Today, I finally finished adding many new colorful nerikomi pots by Sakai Mika in my shop that you can browse from the link here->. Mika’s cheerful ceramics are a perfect antidote to the gloomy weather that we have recently been experiencing here in San Diego. The locals call these spring months “May gray” and “June…
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