The Matsubas are to clothes what Alice Waters is to the Slow Food movement. Their 30-year old company, Gungendo, is dedicated to the principle of Slow Clothes, reflected in their strong commitment to supporting sustainable rural communities and retaining important textile-related skills in Japan. Their designs are not about fashion fads, but about timeless personal…

Whenever I wear a Hiroshi Saito Shirt in Japan or North America, I am always asked about it.

Traditional handmade washi paper can be found everywhere in Japan, from name cards to beautiful wrapping paper.  But washi as large format installation art, using paper tapestries up to 50 feet long, brings this ancient process to a new artistic level altogether.

In Collaboration with Photographer, Helen Hasenfeld © Photos by Helen Hasenfeld By Steve Beimel and Rob Schultheis Shigeki and Shihoko Fukumoto are dyeing artists — and husband and wife. They met while in university, traveled and grew together, and now in their early sixties they are known for their innovations in dyeing techniques. These days…

Nakamura Takuo is a contemporary potter who has reinterpreted the Kutaniyaki style of his native Kanazawa, by expanding its traditional 5-color Kutani color palette. He has done this through the application of traditional low-fire, over-glaze enamels to reddish, rough-hewn, unglazed surfaces. In addition, Nakamura-san’s functional pieces give us exciting new ways in which to experience…

Almost completely unknown in the west until about 15 years ago, Japanese artists specializing in one-of-a-kind bamboo baskets have since gained a considerable international following.   I had long heard about one such artist, Yonezawa Jiro-san, and was finally able to meet him the other day, in the city of Oita.  After 17 years living in…