Junichiro Tanizaki’s essay In Praise of Shadows, published in 1933, is one of the books that introduced Japanese aesthetics to the world. Written in a unique style, the book highlights the importance of dim light and shadow in the Japanese lifestyle. It has become a must-read for foreigners interested in Japanese aesthetics, as well as students of art, design, and architecture, and philosoph...

Since its establishment in Nishijin, Kyoto in 1688, HOSOO has inherited the history of Nishijin-ori and has continued to preserve the tradition of Kimono culture. In 2010, HOSOO utilized its unique technology and succeeded in producing new textiles using Nishijin weaving techniques and materials with a 150cm width, the standard fabric width worldwide. Currently, the in-house textile brand of HOSOO...

The “Kōgei Creativity: Living National Treasures Exhibition,” now in its 8th year, will be held at SEIKO HOUSE GINZA Hall (formerly known as WAKO Hall) from April 6 to 23, 2023. The “Important Intangible Cultural Property holders,” widely known as “Living National Treasures,” are the leading figures in their respective fields, having spent many years honing their craft and creating their original ...

Known for their reliable quality, usability, and a wide range of designs, many of Sugahara’s products are designed and developed by craftsmen who have an in-depth understanding of the characteristics and beauty of glass. New designs born from challenges to techniques, feedback from users, and insights gained from everyday life are being introduced this year, with a total of 75 items across 15 seri...

Tsubame in Niigata Prefecture is known as a town of metalworking. It all began with the production of traditional Japanese nails, which was carried out as a side business for farmers in the early Edo period. Since the Meiji era, the city has developed into a major metalware production area in Japan, and this tradition continues to this day. “SUSgallery” is a titanium ware brand that embodies the m...

Japan Creative Centre in Singapore, part of the Japan Embassy, aims to introduce Japanese culture to its host country. From January 31 to February 4, 2023, it featured “POST-WABI,” an exhibition of around thirty ceramic works by artists Yukiharu Furuno and Takanao Todo. Their works provided a new perspective on the widely known traditional Japanese aesthetic of “Wabi.”

The 17th Art Fair Tokyo will be held from March 10 to 12, 2023. Art Fair Tokyo, which started in 2005 and boasts as one of the largest art fairs in Japan, features a wide range of exhibited works – from antiques and crafts to Japanese paintings, modern art, and contemporary art. The exhibition will occupy 2 floors of the Tokyo International Forum, including 3 core exhibitions – Galleries: the main...

Collect, the leading international fair for contemporary craft and design organized by the Crafts Council returns to Somerset House from March 3 to 5, 2023. In addition to the physical fair in London, all works will be available for viewing and purchase online via Artsy.net from March 1 to 12, 2023.Collect is a unique fair for collectors and craft enthusiasts to discover outstanding work from inte...

In 1983, textile artist Noriko Tsuiki came across a piece of scrap cloth in a small antique store in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture. It was a Kokura-ori children’s hakama fabric with beautiful stripes that gave it a three-dimensional feel. After this fateful encounter, she began to work to revive  Kokura-ori, which had been out of production since the early Showa period (1926-1989), finally ...

“DESIGN WEEK KYOTO 2023 in Tanba, Kyoto, Yamashiro” will be held in Kyoto Prefecture for four days from February 16 to 19, 2023. The main event would be the “Open Site,” where many manufacturing sites are open to the public all at once. In recent years, open studio events have been held in many creative cities around the world. Design Week Kyoto is one of them, launching in 2016, making this year ...

Yamanaka Onsen (hot springs) is said to have been discovered by Gyoki, a renowned monk of the Nara period (710-794). It is a picturesque town nestled in the bosom of the Hokuriku Mountains (a region west of Tokyo on the Japan Sea side of Japan), with onsen ryokan (inns with hot springs) scattered along a valley with beautiful bridges. The famous poet Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) visited the area and w...

We want Arita’s craftsmanship to be more widely known. “Go Forward 2022 – The Future of ‘14P’ Related to Porcelain Manufacturing,” an exhibition and hands-on event driven by this desire of a group of people in the industry who go by the name “14P” to introduce this region where porcelain is made, was held from November 3 to 5, 2022.NEXTRAD, the organizer of this event, is a team of fou...