The Secrets of Pearl Harvesting in Japan
Look closely through the translucent sheen of any Akoya pearl and you’ll see a rainbow of colors—a joint gift from the growers, the oysters, and the sea itself. But how are they produced?
The Ultimate Wedding Cake Knife
Swords have been forged in this Gifu Prefecture town since the late Kamakura Period. Now the same traditions are being applied to some of the best knives you can hope to find.
2 Modern Masters of Woodwork & Lacquer
Working by hand at scales that can at times only be seen with a magnifying glass, these two artisans are heirs to a 400-year-old legacy of woodworking in Ishikawa Prefecture.
The Organic Beauty of Kaga Lacquerware
A mountainous land dotted with hot springs, Yamanaka in Ishikawa Prefecture is a major center of lacquerware production, thanks to woodturners who emigrated to this area 400 years ago.
The Hand-Dyeing Specialists of Sumida-ku
If you're looking for custom, hand-dyed fabrics, these three specialists in Sumida-ku, Tokyo, are dyeing to set you up!
For Custom Fabric Colors, Go to Sumida-ku
Place an order with a swatch or color chip, and shops in this Tokyo district will delve into a formidable databank of colors amassed over the history of the craft to instantly dye your fabric to the exact color of the sample.
Japanese Painter Creates Photo-real Portraits
Yasutomo Oka’s oil portraits are so lifelike you'll swear they were captured with a camera.
A Home Embracing the Art of Clutter
An Osaka-based designer created a house to showcase the beauty of having a personal hoard.
