Furoshiki are a type of traditional Japanese wrapping cloth that was frequently used to carry clothes, gifts, or other goods. The name which literally means “bath spread”, derives from the Edo period practice of using them to bundle clothes while bathing at the sento (public baths). These days Furoshiki are seen as an environmentally friendly, reusable and more attractive substitute to plastic bags. They are remarkably versatile, and with practice allow you to wrap almost anything regardless of its shape or size. Tsuchiya’s furoshiki are made of handwoven cotton silk at her studio in Nara. The patch accent is made of 100% linen.

Material: Cotton Silk / Linen , Dimensions: 70cm×70cm
¥8,400
available here

black glaze and ash glaze cups from sfera

yunomi (teacup) ¥2,000 cup and saucer ¥3,400
available here

Beautifully shaped hand turned bowls in natural oak by Kihachi studio. Kihachi is the oldest producer of wood products in the Yamanaka region of Japan, long famous for its exquisite lacquerware. The perfect, thin forms are created on a rokuro (electric wheel), a technique Kihachi’s craftsmen have mastered over six generations.

dimensions: dia11.0cm H7.0cm ¥3,500
available here

Shigeru Teraji, a Kyoto based artisan skilled in the ancient metalware craft of Tankin, uses his hammer to shape and give subtle texture to these modern copper pots from Sfera.

available here

small dia 8.0cm×H9.5cm ¥12,600 large dia 8.0cm×H14.5cm ¥14,700

Metalware artist Kanehen creates utensils and tableware using tools to beat delicate patterns into the surface of her chosen materials. For a change she created this oversized mobile in brass with leaf inspired patterns.

kanehen’s work is available here

We visited potter Norikazu Oe at his booth at the Matsumoto Craft Fair in Nagano over the weekend. As usual the fair attracted a huge amount of visitors and there wasn’t much time to talk but we did have a chance to see some of his new glazes.

Look out for some of Oe San’s work in the shop in the next few months.

I dropped by Toki no Kumo,  in Nagahama in Shiga prefecture the other day. The gallery /shop always has a wonderful selection of contemporary ceramics, wood utensils and laquerware as well as some interesting antiques.

Although I didn’t have an opportunity to see the interior, the recently opened Toki no Kumo guesthouse looks like it might be quite a nice place for overnight visitors to the area to stay.

Toki no Kumo Guesthouse, Nagahama City, Shiga

A few things I picked up in the gallery.

Oita Prefecture based bamboo artisan Ryozou Ota’s yatara weave baskets for Babaghuri are meticulously woven from thick strips of bamboo in a seemingly random pattern. The basket’s weave is very tight and the baskets very sturdy.

Handwoven bamboo baskets. Small ¥36,000 Large ¥42,000

Western style pot with removable wooden handle by Nobuho Miya.
In the online shop here

Yonabe 28.0×25.0×H12.3cm ¥12,500

We only have a few of TajIka’s Vallican Garden Clippers in the shop and are sad to hear that they are no longer in production. The hand forged iron pruning shears are quite unlike any others that we have seen, and the hand sharpened blades cut very efficiently, but it seems they my have been too much of an effort to produce. Here

Vallicans - Garden Clippers ¥9,500