Japanese Cranes Patterns

Cranes are lucky symbols in Japan as they are supposed to live for thousand years. There are many beautiful crane patterns and arts in Japan wishing for a good luck.


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September Table

September's table is decorated on the table cloth using Japanese furoshiki cloth in the autumn theme chrysanthemums and colored maple leaves patterns. Cutlery rest is a rabbit to reflect "Full Moon Festival". Other tablewares are coordinated with warm-colored Japanese laquerwares.
This beautiful laquerware with lid (size: 24.5cm/9.65 inches) is available at our "Japan"ese Boutique
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SMAP Concert

As we live in the central Tokyo, sometimes there is a good advantage in the neighborhood. This past Saturday and Sunday, SMAP, Japanese one of the most popular music groups, had concerts at the National Arena in Sendagaya.
On Saturday, September 3, we could have their rehearsal as BGM while working out in the gym downstairs of the National Arena.
On Sunday, September 4, we could enjoy their live music while walking and enjoying the beautiful lightened "Kaiga-kan" view and later from our balcony relaxing with wine and beers.

Yanaka Festival and Jingu Fireworks

One of the big summer time fun in Japan is summer festivals and fireworks all over Japan. Of course in Tokyo, the big metropolitan city, we have much fun to do in the summer time. This summer, we enjoyed Yanaka Festival on August 28 Chofu Fireworks on July 23, and Jingu Fireworks on August 1. Festivals and fireworks viewing are the time for men and women to enjoy traditional Japanese yukata fashion.
Yanaka Festival for year 2005 is the big regional festival celebrated only once in three years (other years only the local festivals on each shrine). They start to walk around the local area carrying the minuture shrines and parade floats in the morning. Various food stalls are built along the narrow street towards the major regional shrine of Yanaka which is 800 years old. After thanking for the divine aids locally at each shrine, all the miniture shrines carried by local guys gather at the entrance of approach to the regional shrine and switch to the large miniture shrine which makes appearance only once in three years. When the large shrine is carried over the narrow street toward the major regional shrine, it is full of excitement !!!! Full of people and the summer festival goes to the grand finale!

Cana Miyata who creates "Hopper Cana" Brand

Cana Miyata is a very talented young top designer of Hospitality Japan.com (http://www.boutique-hospitalityjapan.com/) featuring "Hopper Cana" Brand. Cana creates beautiful tabletop fabrics and pillows from the Japanese fabrics such as "Nishijin", "Ise-ori" and Japanese Indigo.

Hakocho Kiri Incision "kimekomi"

Hakocho, one of the Edo artizan workshop located in Asakusa, Tokyo, is specializing in Kiri Incision called "kimekomi". Hakocho is run by Miyata family in Edo/Tokyo for years.
Shinji Miyata creates and inlay kimono cloth coated with Japanese paper into the carved grooves. The beautiful fabrics include unevenly dyed fabric using a method called shibori mixed with cotton.

Hakocho's kimekomi features the traditional Japanese patterns such as butterflies, cranes and handballs.

Shimayu washi/chiyogami paper shop and "Eiko" washi artist

Shimayu is located in Matsumoto, Nagano, featuring beautiful Japanese washi and chiyogami papers.

Eiko, a very talented washi paper artist, is also the owner of Shimayu. She creates beautiful dolls of traditional Japanese heroes and heroines out of Shimayu washi and chiyogami papers. They are all hand-made and a work is one and the only for you as the same product can never be created.
Eiko introduced her arts broadcasted in TV Tokyo in September, 2005.

Nishiyama Laquerware

Nishiyama is one of the oldest laquerware speciality wholesaler in Kappabashi, the famous kitchen and tabletop wholesalers area in Tokyo.
Beautiful Japanese laquerware (Japan) is great to add a Japanese hospitality taste in your table decorations.

Funokei Daruma

Funokei is a family-run "daruma" manufacturer located in Matsumoto, Nagano, making traditional daruma dolls all by hand-made.

A Dharuma (Daruma) doll is the speciality of Matsumoto, Funokei's home town, and this is made in the workshop owned by relatives.
A Daruma doll is named after a Chinese priest (a Zen Buddhist) who lived in the 6th century. He sat cross-legged in silent meditation for nine years, and finally became enlightened. The doll shows what he looks like.
It has weighted bottom, so that is always comes back to an upright position when it is tipped over. It symbolizes good luck because it never falls down.
People paint one eye when they buy it and paint the other when their wish is realized. With the help of this Daruma doll your wish will be fulfilled.