Japanese Brands

Taro Horikoshi’s house-shaped wooden chopstick rest, with four roof pieces stacked to form a small house

A Little House Made of Chopstick Rests: Taro Horikoshi and the Space Left Open in Everyday Life

Four wooden roofs become chopstick rests, then stack back into a little house. Meet Japanese woodworker Taro Horikoshi and the everyday objects of Kurashi no Dōgu Yohaku o.

Japanese Crafts

7 min read

A Japanese factory worker representing the shift from subcontracting to factory brands and direct-to-consumer manufacturing.

The Next Meaning of Made in Japan: Factory Brands, Support-Based Crowdfunding and the Remaking of Local Production Regions ｜TOKOWAKA

Japanese manufacturers are moving beyond subcontracting through factory brands, D2C, crowdfunding and open factories. See how regional production centers are reclaiming their names, pricing power and direct relationships with consumers.

Japanese Brands

12 min read

Japanese mineral makeup moto's signature Mineral Rich Powder and Foundation made with rare Tōei sericite.

A Foundation That Begins in a Mine: How moto Turns Tōei’s Sericite Into Light on the Skin

Some base makeup doesn't begin in a department store. Discover how Japanese mineral makeup brand moto uses rare Tōei sericite to create foundation that brings a natural, silk-like light to your skin.

Japanese Brands

9 min read

YUJINART Japanese craft kimekomi daruma doll created with Nishijin-ori textile

The Light in a Piece of Cloth, the Stillness of a Human Form: Inside YUJINART’s Century of Craft｜TOKOWAKA

See how YUJINART translates century-old Japanese craft into modern spaces. Tokowaka explores their use of Nishijin-ori textiles and Kimekomi techniques for contemporary interiors and fashion.

Japanese Brands

7 min read