[Announcement] The tsunagu Japan Crafts Project

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Bringing You The Finest Projects From Throughout Japan!

There are many products in Japan made using long-established traditional Japanese crafting techniques. Especially recently, artisans have been going beyond the conventional boundaries of their crafts to create excellent modern products, but sadly, information about these innovative creations rarely reach a wide audience.

Therefore, we have taken it upon ourselves to discover excellent products from all over the country and showcase the cream of the crop to our readers!

You can receive the latest product information in your inbox by submitting the form below!

Past Projects

Traditional Japanese Ceramic Craft!

For the first installment of the tsunagu Japan Crafts Project, we were proud to introduce the works of potter Masako Niimi, whose ceramics continue to make us look at the world a whole new way.

The artist applies thick, uneven layers of glaze to the ceramics, making sure that no two of her works ever come out the same. You can even see a skilled fusion of different textures, tones, and properties within one single dish. Only Masako Niimi is capable of producing wares as mesmerizing as these, hence why we decided to introduce her works. It was that very same uniqueness that led to the success of the project!

The Japanese Tatami Yoga Mat

In the second installment of our project, we introduced the Tatami Yoga Mat by IKEHIKO, a company that has achieved great success producing high-quality Japan-made tatami mats from soft rush straw that they grow and harvest themselves.

The Tatami Yoga Mat’s soft rush straw eliminates bad odors, absorbs and releases moisture, is stain resistant, and has a pleasant, soothing smell. Because IKEHIKO’s tatami products are made by seasoned craftsmen, and thanks to the mats’ versatility and design, we managed to reach our goal four times over.

Four Seasons of Japanese Color-Changing Cups

For our third project, we showcased this new twist on Mino ware, a nationally designated traditional Japanese craft. These cups showcase the four seasons of Japan with a design that can bloom into bright colors depending on the temperature of the liquid! The resulting colors are magnificent. Much like our first project, this was chosen by Kickstarter as a "Project We Love," and we were able to almost quadruple our initial target!

Our Next Steps

We are planning to introduce, from left to right:

・An ultra-thin and ultra-light ceramic frying pan that makes the most of traditional Japanese engineering.

・Sakai Knives, well loved and used by some 90% of professional chefs in Japan and possessing 600 years of history.

・Imabari Towels, the most popular variety within Japan that possesses an excellent absorptive capacity and feels comfortable against the skin. Among the selection are hand and bath towels specially customized with Western customers in mind.

The project presents the most fascinating products, as carefully selected by tsunagu Japan’s editorial staff, that showcase the best that Japanese craftsmanship has to offer. Instagram is one of the ways we have chosen to spread the love for traditional Japanese crafts.

If any of these projects interest you, we encourage you to put your email address in the form below! We'll send you information about the unique products being created by traditional artisans that you can only find in Japan.

If you want to give feedback on any of our articles, you have an idea that you'd really like to see come to life, or you just have a question on Japan, hit us up on our FacebookTwitter, or Instagram!

The information in this article is accurate at the time of publication.

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About the author

G.
G. Ohara
I am one of tsunagu Japan's main editors.
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