by Bianca Bosker from New York Times article, April 3, 2017 WITHOUT WARNING, the Japanese artist Hiroshi Sugimoto begins to sing. Moments before, he had been guiding me through his minimalist penthouse loft in a verdant neighborhood of Tokyo, explaining in a voice barely louder than a whisper why white Japanese shikkui plaster is the…

NEW YORK TIMES:   The tidying guru is heir to a long tradition: Japan marketing itself as spiritual foil to a soulless West. By Christopher Harding Mr. Harding is a lecturer in Asian history and an author. A diminutive Japanese woman kneels, eyes closed, caressing a rug with open palms. She appears to be praying…

by Amy Katoh After 43 years of Blue & White, my eyes only see BLUE. And it may well be that BLUE is taking over the color spectrum. From the skies, to the rivers to the bridges, and even the netting that surrounds them under repair, BLUE is the reigning color The autumn skies in…

by Steve Beimel Hiroshi Sugimoto inspires me. He is an artist of many forms and his exceptional eye and minimalist Japanese sensibility help to elevate our standards of beauty. I recently visited the Odawara Art Foundation Enoura Observatory, Sugimoto’s latest installation located about an hour south of Tokyo. The project combines his vision as architect,…

Jun’ichirō Tanizaki, the famous novelist, wrote an essay entitled In Praise of Shadows. He laments the passing of the somber and refined Japanese sensibility he loves. He delights in “the moment of mystery, the moment of trance” He speaks of the warmth of paper… enveloping light “like the soft surface of a first snowfall” He…

by Amy Katoh                                                                                                                                                 Blue &White has lived in Tokyo’s Azabu Juban district for the past 43 years. See how much is going on in the world outside flying kites, trimming trees, smokey moons Our world spins in blues and whites:   Previous page: Tenugui roosters drying at Asahi Dye Works Woman modelling kimono at O…

Matsumoto Sachiko: Bringing Japanese Crafts to the World by Elle Murrell “The only thing I took to Canada from Japan was pottery. I still remember holding that cup in both hands and experiencing a profound sense of comfort,” she recalls. “My roommate pointed out that I looked quintessentially Japanese, cradling the cup as I drank…

Kawai Kanjiro By Robert Yellin In the wake of the great tide of industrialism in the early part of this century, something of the human touch and spirit was lost in everyday articles of use. It was with a sense of urgency that Yanagi and his lifelong companions, the potters Bernard Leach, Hamada Shoji, Tomimoto…

by Mora Chartrand A shared homemade meal is a fine way to offer gratitude for friends and family and participating in the actual act of cooking the meal together makes it even more special. Shabu shabu (swish-swish) is the Japanese onomatopoeic equivalent for the name of a popular nabemono, a simple and delectable Japanese hot…

Wrapping Rap by Gail Rieke ’Tis the season… so perhaps you are thinking about gifting and wrapping… I first learned about the Japanese art of packaging from a wonderful book called How to Wrap Five More Eggs by Hideyuki Oka from which I quote ”…the art of Japanese packaging has been disappearing almost as fast…