浮玉 — The Glass Balls That Came Ashore
A smooth glass sphere in an antique store. You don't quite know what it is. It's a 浮玉 — a Japanese glass fishing float. An object that arrived where it...
Wabi Sabi Journal
The Retirement of The Head Craftsman at Shirokiya Denbei Broom
The Head Craftsman at Shirokiya Denbei, recently retired after more than 60 years of dedicated service. The news is a reminder of the importance of preserving traditional artisanal skills, which are...
日本のデニム — Denim That Gets Better With Use
I grew up wearing Levi's. It was only as an adult that I found Japanese denim — and understood why the people who know it feel so strongly about...
燕三条 — Tsubame-Sanjo, The City That Made Its Own Way
燕三条 is a name made from two cities. Tsubame was a city of craftsmen. Sanjo was a city of merchants. Over time, the names merged — and so did the...
The Knife Shaped Like a Whale
The kujira knife began with a practical request: a knife without a sharp point that children could safely use to sharpen pencils. When the prototype was finished, someone noticed it...
江戸箒 — The Broom That Has Moved With Us
My daughter is almost 22 now. The broom I bought when she was a baby is still in daily use. This is not a metaphor for anything. It is simply...