Tag: Maeda Mitsuru

In today’s all consuming social media age, it feels that people would not pay attention to work that doesn’t look dramatic or eye catching. But often the features that make work stand out in appearance comes at the expense of compromising its function.

Simple and thoughtfully designed wood butter case by Maeda Mitsuru

Maeda Mitsuru’s butter case fits most refrigerator door compartments and carries two sticks of “Elgin-style” butter perfectly. The lid is domed so that it does not warp even in the dry climate of a fridge.

So every time I receive work from Japanese woodworker Maeda Mitsuru, I am reminded about his extraordinary ability to stick to making simple and useful wood items.

It is also clear that Maeda-san spends a significant amount of time considering what might improve the user’s experience.

Coffee measuring scoop by Maeda Mitsuru has a short handle that fits inside the palm for easy scooping

Tray made from Japanese walnut by Maeda Mitsuru. The carving on the surface is not just beautiful, but also prevents the items from slipping during transportation.

Japanese oak kitchen stool by Maeda Mitsuru designed to take up minimal space in the kitchen while providing a little resting space for the busy cook

This fall will mark the 14th year since Maeda-san established his studio called Ki-to-te (which means “wood and hand”) in Tokyo, and I feel that his focus is only getting stronger. If you have a day to spare in Tokyo, I encourage you to visit his gallery, which is open most weekends, to see more of his simple and but exquisitely elegant furniture and to meet him, his wife Yumi, and their adorable Shiba dog Moku.

Ki-to-te gallery in Kunitachi, Tokyo and Maeda-san’s Shiba dog Moku

ENTOTEN’s first-ever brick-and-mortar gallery soft opens in San Diego

July 5, 2018ENTOTEN Gallery Event

Check Opening Dates ->

July 2018 is a super-exciting month for ENTOTEN because after 6 years of being an online gallery, I just moved into an office suite in San Diego for the first time with a small physical gallery and space to hold workshops.

The new office is inside a business park next to the Amtrak coaster track. It is in an area called Bay Ho in San Diego, just east of Interstate 5 and across from Pacific Beach. It is also close to the new trolley line which took 30 years to get approved and will be up and running by 2021. Unfortunately, there is no stop in front of the gallery.

ENTOTEN’s new office (Address is 4907 Morena Blvd. Ste 1402, San Diego, CA 92117) is right by the coaster train tracks. There are also poles being built to accommodate the mid-coast trolley line expected to operate in 2021.

Sure, a beautiful gallery right on the beach or some fashionable retail district would have been ideal, but over the years, I became convinced that location is secondary to the importance of having an opportunity to show the beautiful work in person.

Cherry wood coffee scoops by Maeda Mitsuru in the ENTOTEN gallery. Over the last 6 years, Maeda-san has gradually revised and improved its shape. Next to it is a robot soldier card stand that my nephew gave me as a present after he visited Ghibli museum almost 5 years ago. “This is for you when you open your gallery,” he said. So here it is.

I learned this lesson by visiting numerous galleries in Japan, that are sometimes very small and not in the most convenient of locations. During the visits to these galleries, what stuck with me was the beauty of the items that the owners selected to display and the interesting conversations that I had with them. I hope that I’ll be able to create a unique space where we can share our interest and love for beautiful craft in San Diego.

“Eye opening” of the Tamashima daruma paper doll from Okayama prefcture. An eye is drawn to make a wish. I filled it with the hope to learn to see better, in reference to the “just look now” phrase that Yanagi Muneyoshi wrote to urge people to look at common handmade objects with fresh eyes and to discover beauty in our daily lives. 今見ヨイツ見ルモ ima miyo itsu mirumo. The other eye is only drawn when the wish comes true.

The other benefit of my office location is that visitors will be able to park without the stress of finding a spot in car-crazy Southern California. And who doesn’t love watching the trains go by?

For July, I will soft open the gallery every Wednesday (July 11th, 18th and 25th) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on other weekdays and Saturdays by appointment only. I will focus my display items to things made of wood. If you have specific pieces in my online shop that you would like to see, please notify me prior to your visit so that I can have them out for you.

I’m also planning on having a weekend ceramics event in August when I receive long awaited ceramic works by Hanako Nakazato, who is back in Maine! So stay tuned. In the mean time, please don’t hesitate to reach out and contact me at hello@entoten.com

ENTOTEN Gallery
4907 Morena Blvd. Suite 1402,
San Diego, CA 92117

Current Gallery Hours->

Click to see map->

Please Use Often: The Philosophy of Wood Artist Maeda Mitsuru

November 27, 2012Wood Maeda Mitsuru

Woodwork by Maeda Mitsuru in our shop ->

Wood artist Maeda Mitsuru strongly believes that the special beauty of wood is only achieved after repeated use. He strives to make his designs as simple and utilitarian as possible to encourage continued use by the owner. “I create things that are used everyday so I hope that people grow to love them more as they use them.” He says.

Wood artist Maeda Mitsuru at his studio in Tokyo
Photo courtesy of ki-to-te

As a young boy, Maeda-san spent many hours carving wood at the workshop of his uncle who was a carpenter. His mother also enjoyed making things by hand, so he grew up in this practical and creative environment and it was only natural for him to eventually become a wood artist. Maeda-san has now been working with wood for more than 15 years from his studio in Tokyo.

Maeda-san’s selections of carving knives
Photo courtesy of ki-to-te

Maeda-san’s care for his work is evident in the beautiful lines and slight but elegant curves that he adds to each item with a carving knife. He carves the spoons so they are easy to scoop and extremely comfortable to hold, while the spouts on his bowls never dribble. “Each piece of wood is unique, so I look at their grain and consider their quality before deciding what I make out of them” Maeda-san says.

Carving the spout of the bowls
Photo courtesy of ki-to-te

Mini spouted bowl in walnut wood

I have been using one of Maeda-san’s wooden spoons for a while now to taste as I cook. The spoon never leaves my coat pocket as I move around the kitchen and is ideal because the wood does not slip even when my hands are wet, nor does it get hot when I pour boiling sauce on it to taste.

Ai tasting cream soup with a cherry wood spoon by Maeda Mitsuru

Apart from tableware, Maeda-san also makes custom-made furniture at his studio in Tokyo called “ki-to-te”, which means “wood and hand”. I think it is such an apt name for his handmade work and his wish that his wooden creations never leave the hands of their owners.