News

  • The seven herb rice porridge in the favorite ceramic bowl!

    In Japan, there is a tradition to eat seven herb rice porridge on the 7th January. This custom originated in China and came to Japanese royal court...
  • Rainbow colored Khan-Atlas fro Uzbekistan

    The story behind this beautiful multi-colored fabric called Khan-Atlas is very touching. In the old times, a ruler of a city in current day Uzbekis...
  • Hida-Shunkei lacquerware from Gifu, Japan

    Hida-Shunkei is a kind of lacquerware made in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Its characteristic lies in its natural beauty with the base wood patterns com...
  • Bizen ware (pottery) from Okayama, Japan

    Bizen ware is a kind of pottery from Okayama Prefecture, Japan and is one of the six ancient kilns of Japan.  (Photo: white Bizen-ware mug cup) Th...
  • Suzani (Hand-emrboirdered textile)

    I was in Uzbekistan to buy the products for my shop for the first time just before the lock down in March 2020.  (Photo: city of Tashkent, Uzbekis...
  • Kayaori cloth from Japan in your kitchen or elsewhere!

    Kayaori cloth is a kind of cloth that is often used in kitchens from Nara, Japan. Kaya originally was mosquito net, which was made of cotton or lin...
  • New Year's special food and the lacquerware

    In Japan, people often eat special food called Osechi during the New Year's Days. Osechi was originally the cuisine eaten in the turning points of ...
  • Preparation for the New Year

    In Japan the New Year Holiday is the most important event, just like Christmas is for most people in Europe and North America.  Between 13th and 28...
  • Shichi-go-san event

    Shichi-go-san is a Japanese event to celebrate the children's growth when the girls turn three and seven years old and boys turn five years old. Th...
  • Kogin Zashi needle-work

    Kogin Zashi is one of the 3 top techniques of Japanese traditional decorative reinforcement stiching that originated in current Aomori Prefecture i...
  • Japanese pottery - Mino ware

    Mino ware is a kind of pottery produced in Mino region, in Gifu Prefecture in central part of Japan.  Its history started around 1300 years ago and...
  • Chusen dye (dye blocking method)

    Chusen is a kind of dye blocking method using glue, that is often used for dying a Tenugui textile.Using a combination of different kinds of seawee...