Japanese hospitality

Billy's Bootcamp Elite

2007-06-27T19:21:00.001+09:00

Let's work out and be fit.

Cherry blossoms in Tokyo 2007

2007-03-31T14:50:00.000+09:00

Japanese Indigo Color – Feel of the Cool Summer Breeze

2006-08-03T19:15:00.000+09:00

Japanese style summertime decoration can be created by the collection of the Japanese indigo colors. Japanese indigo dyeing uses the ecological natural colorant made of the igusa plant. The deep and beautiful indigo colors are created by the repeat of dyeing and drying work process for 15 to 20 times manually. Japanese indigo tie-dyeing fabric is used in this display as a table cloth. Matching “Hopper Cana” obi pillows are made from the Japanese obi. The same tie-dyeing technique is used for this obi pillow to create the beautiful flower designs.
In the hot summer season, cold drinks served by the Japanese kiriko cut glass are the best refreshment. Indigo color is one of the most popular colors of the kiriko cut glass. Beautiful seasonal flowers are arranged in the Arita old hibachi (antique Japanese brazier) of indigo and white. Cool and nice summer interior décor is created by the collection of Japanese indigo color items. Japanese indigo color collection is the perfect items to decorate your room in a nice and refreshing Japanese style.
Collection of the Japanese indigo items from the Hospitality Japan.com Boutique
"Hopper Cana" Obi Pillow #19
Kiriko Cut Glass
Tengoqoo Indigo Sake Cup

From Cecilia

Hospitality Japan.com "Japan"ese Boutique

Hospitality Japan.com

Edo Furin - Japanese Glass Wind Bell

2006-07-19T14:47:00.000+09:00

Name of Edo Furin derives from that Mr. Yoshiharu Shinohara, Jr. made a factual survey on a glass wind-bell and started the name of Edo Furin.
A certain Senryu – short humorous verse says:
Many people gather at street corners without any peddl-er’s cry,
That is because inherent charms of the wind-bells by the gentle wind attract the people.
In the late Edo period (1603-1867) soft and comfortable sounds of the glass wind bell were heard at every corner of the town of Edo. The peddlers were carrying the bells on a pole and it was unnecessary for them to offer the bells for sale by shouting their wares, because the ring of the bells in the breeze was the best way of shouting for sale. The foregoing short verse shows the town’s atmosphere of Edo.

At present, it seems that hardly any craftsman is at work but Mr. Yoshiharu Shinohara, Jr., manufacturer of this Edo Furin, who can hand down the technique of manufacturing the traditional wind-bell to posterity. He has designated his eldest son as his successor and is making his efforts to keep the fire of a melting pot alive. In 2005, Mr. Yoshiharu Shinohara, Jr. was given the title of honorable citizen of Tokyo Metropolitan City for his contribution to develop the skill of the craftsman of Edo Furin.

Now, Yoshiharu produces the bells together with his sons, Yutaka and Masayoshi.
An Edo Furin made of glass is more colorful and comfortable in sound as compared with a bell made of iron. Various kinds of the glass wind bells resonate and are in harmony and change in sound as wind blows. Even in the modern era, the sound of wind bells is still a summer feature and the clear sound makes us feel cool.
The real Edo Furin is hand-blown and painted from the inside which is only created by the special artisans of the wind-bells.
Maruyoshi is established by Yoshiharu’s 2nd son, Masayoshi in 1990 preserving the prescious tradition of Edo Furin but providing a fresh breeze with new ideas to the family business of craftsmanship. Maruyoshi sincerely wishes that you could enjoy the delightful sounds of Edo Furin and the bell would be kept carefully in your home for many and many years to come.
Signed by Masayoshi Shinohara.

From Cecilia

Hospitality Japan.com "Japan"ese Boutique

Hospitality Japan.com

Japanese style summertime sensation

2006-07-03T15:32:00.000+09:00

Japanese style life enjoys the change of four seasons. Seasonal traditions are often considered to value the best of the season and integration with the nature. Therefore there are many wise feature of summer to stay cool without being inside of the air-conditioned rooms.
Nodate parasols are originally used for the tea ceremony. They provide a good shade from the sunshine. Host prepares the tea in front of the guest sitting on the bench under the parasol. Guests enjoy viewing the seasonal flowers and freshly whipped green tea.
Nodate set is a very handy Japanese tea ceremony set for outside serving. In a very pretty Japanese basket bag, tea cup, bamboo tea spoon (folding type), tea whisk, and natsume green tea container are contained. Size of the Japanese pottery tea cup is 9.5D cm x 6.5H cm (3.74 x 2.56 inches).
Japanese fans are handy as they are usually folded into a small piece when not in use. You can get the natural breeze by opening the fans. In addition, you look very elegant by using these beautiful fans.
Decoration fan looks great for both as an interior décor as well as a practical item. This pine tree design traditional Japanese fan is 28.8cm (11.39 inches) wide when it is open.
This beautiful Arita Japanese pottery ware with floral branches design is a beverage serving container with tap. Ice container to chill the wine or other drinks without diluting with water is placed inside of the stand. Server contains 2,350cc liquid. Size: 30.2x9.5x17.7cm (11.89x3.74x6.97 inches).

To check price in your currency, please click here. Variety of Japanese items is also available in the Hospitality Japan.com Boutique.
From Cecilia
Hospitality Japan.com "Japan"ese Boutique

Hospitality Japan.com

Japanese Vintage Fabric Belt

2006-06-15T16:47:00.000+09:00

Japanese traditional patterns and design motifs are deriving from nature (botanical, floral or creatures), symbols, geometric, and family emblems. With the combination of the traditional Japanese colors used for Japanese kimono and obi, thousands of different variation of Japanese traditional designs is available. Every design is beautiful and precious traditional pattern to preserve for the future generations.
Nowadays, Japanese wear kimono and obi only for the special occasions, so the production of these beautiful Japanese fabrics is very limited. It also applies to the kimono accessories. Bags or geta sandals for kimono robe attire are handmade by Kyoto or Asakusa (Edo) craftsmen. It is a pity that the number of the artisans with special techniques is also decreasing and it is very precious to find a artisan works of conventional hand-crafts.

A2ZEN’s French designer who devotes passion to the Japanese vintage fabrics looks for the beautiful Japanese fabrics sleeping in the old tansu chest of drawers in the private houses. He goes hunting for the vintage fabrics throughout Japan. Each fabric is rare to find. A2ZEN carefully selected only about 30 very special vintage fabrics to create the hand-made belts made by belt artisan in Asakusa. Only 21 belts are made from this particular vintage fabric and each of belts is slightly different in design. The one brought to you is the one and the only belt made for you.

Dog Collars and Leads of the traditional Japanese fabric patterns are made of "geta" sandal straps manufactured by Edo Asakusa craftsman belt factory, Transit. President of the company, Michinori Imai, loves both dogs and Japanese festivals. Imai-san carries the miniature shrine called "Mikoshi" at Asakusa Sanja Matsuri Festival every year. Imai-san got an idea of making dogs' collars out of "setta" sandal straps which he wears to carry "Mikoshi" and matching leads with the traditional Japanese patterns. All items are hand-made. This particular adjuster dog collar and matching lead is the traditional Japanese Kanoko (dappled cloth) pattern and red, pink, green and blue colors are available.

From Cecilia

Hospitality Japan.com "Japan"ese Boutique

Hospitality Japan.com

For the June Bride

2006-06-02T14:46:00.000+09:00

The month of June is named after the Roman goddess, Juno, wife of Jupiter. As Juno is the guardian goddess of marriage life, there is a legend that couples who get married in June will have a married life blessed with happiness. “June bride” derives from June = Juno wishing this legend becomes truth by getting married in the month of June.

If you are looking for a wedding gift for the June bride, how about considering a very special handcrafted and personalized Japanese gift. Your heart-warming gift will impress the bride and groom on their very special day.

For example, personalized “Kotobuki” daruma is often used as a wedding gift praying for the long and happy marriage life. With the couple's names hand-painted on daruma in the Japanese kanji character, it will be the unique and eye-catching decoration of the newlyweds' room.
Otherwise, Japanese calligraphy art on the washi paper and placed in a lacquered frame would be nice to decorate together with the wedding photoes. The Japanese character means "love" congraturating the newly married couple.
Another idea is to present a custom made Japanese pottery clock with your special message to the couple for their happy time together.

In the traditional Japanese style wedding, bride wears a pure white silk kimono and head set. After the ceremony is over bride wears a beautiful Uchikake kimono over the white wedding kimono. Uchikake kimono is made of Japanese silk with hand stiched Japanese embroidery of happy motif designs such as cranes and turtles (long life) or pine, plum and bamboo (lucky symbols). If you want to give something very special to the new couple, Uchikake kimono will be the center decoration of the newly weds' sweet home.

All the items are available at the Hospitality Japan.com Boutique.

From Cecilia
Hospitality Japan.com "Japan"ese Boutique

Hospitality Japan.com

Furoshiki & Fukusa

2006-05-26T15:59:00.000+09:00

Furoshiki are traditional Japanese wrapping cloth. They can be used as a garment bag, for gift wrapping, or just to carry items. As they can be folded into a thin and tiny size, they are handy to keep in your bag to use for many different purposes.

Fukusa is anothe square fabric item used for the tea ceremony. We use them for the ritual cleaning of the tea scoop and the tea caddy before start making the tea and serving to the guests. Otherwise smaller size fukusa are used by the guests to protect the beautiful tea cups when they examine. Fukusa are also handy to wrap letter envelopes or tickets. In Japan, fukusa is also used to present the formal monetary gifts in the enveropes when attending wedding ceremonies or funerals.

As the Japanese traditional items are in fashion again, these Japanese fabric items are frequently requested as the favorable Japanese gift items.

Hospitality Japan.com Boutique presents beautiful furoshiki and fukusa items. They are not only handy for wrapping items, but also as a beautiful tabletop fabric to decorate your table in the Japanese style.

From Cecilia

Hospitality Japan.com "Japan"ese Boutique

Hospitality Japan.com

Great Shinshu Soba - Zenkei-an

2006-05-22T02:42:00.000+09:00

There are many things we enjoy visiting the Yatsugatake area and one of the many are great food and sake. Because of the pure spring water, there are many great sake brewmaster, bakery, and soba noodle shops etc. in Nagano.

Zenkei-an is a small local soba noodle restaurant run by a local couple in Shinano-Kawakami, Nagano where our mountain house is located. Husband grows soba grains in his field and wife organizes hand-kneaded soba noodle shop. Even it is located in a quite isolated location, reputation spread from the repeated visitors and by the nearby resort villa residents, and it became a popular soba restaurant. During the Golden Week, they had 150 visitors a day!

Menu is simple with just soba noodle and sake. But you will be served some great free daily appetizer and soba is 100% hand-kneaded 10-wari soba.

Phone: 0267-97-2660

From Cecilia

Hospitality Japan.com "Japan"ese Boutique

Hospitality Japan.com

Great Italian Restaurant in Kiyosato, Morimoto

2006-05-21T19:14:00.000+09:00

We found a great Italian restaurant in Kiyosato! Very close to Kiyosato Station, and they are open for lunch (11:30-15:30) and dinner (18:00-24:00). Good food and great selection of wine and shochu.
We shared lunch set (salad, choice of today's pasta or pizza and coffee or tea) and grilled lamb. Even base is Italian, chef Morimoto adds some

Japanese touch to the taste with seasoning or with local vegetables. For example the pasta we selected was fresh ham and local natural bracken.

When you are in Kiyosato, don't miss this restaurant, Morimoto. It is closed on Thursdays but no holiday during the summer time. Phone: 0551-48-2118.

From Cecilia
Hospitality Japan.com "Japan"ese Boutique

Hospitality Japan.com

Weekend in Yatsugatake Resort

2006-05-21T18:08:00.000+09:00

Since we were busy with the opening of Boutique Motai, we went to the mountain house this week-end for the first time in 2006. I have been visiting Yatsugatake resort area often for more than 20 years. As I love this area so much, we are featuring Yatsugatake area as the special recommendation in our website (Japanese local hospitality section).

We thought we missed cherry blossoms this year but they were in full bloom now. Lucky us, usually we can view cherry blossoms three times every year. First in Tokyo, second in Kiyosato area, third in our mountain house area!! Even we missed the Kiyosato cherry blossoms this year, we could enjoy cherry blossoms when we walked in the morning.

We left on Friday night after the shop closed at 8:00p.m. and arrived in our mountain house before 11:00p.m. As we take Shuto Expressway from Gaien continuing to Chuo Expressway, it takes only 2 hours door to door if the traffic is empty. As we usually travel late at night or early in the morning, traffic is usually very smooth.

Whenever the weather is fine, we walk in the morning for about 1.5 hours. We can really feel the change of four seasons. We could not only view cherry blossoms but "mizu-basho" in May.

We had a relaxing morning and light breakfast as we were planning to have an Italian lunch.

Even it was a day trip this time, we enjoyed the visit to our mountain house very much! We all had a good siesta and came back on Saturday night when the traffic is very smooth. The only thing we missed from our usual routine is that we did not go to the hot spring bath (which is the end of the full course) as we had some business to do in Tokyo.

Cecilia

Hospitality Ja pan.com "Japan"ese Boutique

Hospitality Japan.com

Boutique Motai Kick Off with all staff

2006-05-16T02:22:00.000+09:00

We had a kick off staff party of Boutique Motai at Copa Tokyo.
Now the shop is open and we are ready to promote our shop! Gambari masho!

Hospitality Japan.com "Japan"ese Boutique

Hospitality Japan.com

Thank you all who came to the Boutique Motai Opening

2006-05-15T16:41:00.000+09:00

Boutique Hospitality Japan.com's shop in Aoyama, Tokyo, Boutique Motai, opened on April 29. We would sincerely appreciate and say thank you to all of you who came to our opening week. Taking that opportunity, we could meet some of the old friends and reunion and parties every night!!

Now the party is over! We have to make a big effort to promote the Boutique Motai and meet the expectation of those artists who supported to make our dream come true!

We also want to say special thanks to Cate Midorikawa, who came to our shop and introduced Boutique Motai in her blog page, "Hopper Cana" family who are the greatest supporter of our shop, and to Tengoqoo who introduced us to Nobeyama-san and other great people and helped a lot in shop designs!

Millions of thank you again to all of you who came to the shop opening.

Love from Cecilia

Hospitality Japan.com "Japan"ese Boutique

Hospitality Japan.com

Today is the Mother's Day

2006-05-14T17:41:00.000+09:00

Last night, our friend Mota and Sazuka-san came to the shop and we had some fun chat with wine, soup and tea! As we sat outside, it was so cold after dark! Temperature was dropped to the end of March average!
Yesterday after our shop is closed, I went to my Mother's house and stayed there and came back this morning. Since the shop is now open until 20:00, we cannot leave Jingumae before 20:30 so earliest I can go to my Mom's is around 9pm. Even late I wanted to give the mother's day gift to my mom. This year's gift is "Hopper Cana" cotton cushion with Japanese umbrella design.

This morning, we needed to come back to Jingumae early. I was very sleepy as I was working on the Japanese blog until 4am so I slept about 1 hour then did the stepper workout before coming to the shop. As I didn't have time to go jogging around Gaien & Akasaka Gosho, I just did work out at my apartment. I had a good sweat in about 40 minutes exercise! My resolution for exercise
1. Early morning walk/run & radio gymnastics on week days
2. Aerobix on Wednesday, Friday, and Sundays
3. 10 k jogging around Gaien and Akasaka Gosho on week-ends
from Cecilia

Hospitality Japan.com "Japan"ese Boutique

Hospitality Japan.com