Arts and crafts movement

Trina O’Hara goes in search of the Japanese creative spirit.

Many tourists and expatriates in Tokyo quickly identify one or two shops, like Oriental Bazaar in Omotesando, as their favorite places to pick up Japanese-style souvenirs, gifts or interior decorations. Often it’s guidebooks that help them choose these stores based on how easy they are to access, the range of goods displayed, and foreigner “friendliness.”

But Tokyo has many other crafts shops just waiting to be discovered. And as recent media reports suggest, the country has become a “cultural dynamo”—a creative powerhouse of artists, fashion designers, animators and avant-garde architects. This means that us lucky residents get to choose from even more intriguing, groovy, and satisfying handmade and traditional goods. Read on for five places to start your search.

Corazón and Corazón
A short walk from Oriental Bazaar is this small, funky store attached to the Hiko Mizuno College of Jewelry. It’s a must-visit for anyone wanting to take home a wearable reminder of the exuberance and color to be found in Harajuku, the heart of Tokyo’s fashion experience. The college offers the only jewelry education program in Japan, and is recommended by the likes of De Beers, Platinum Guild International and the World Gold Council.

Corazón and Corazón stocks all manner of contemporary jewelry and “wearable art” designed by students. Items include rings, pendants, bangles, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, hairpins, hatpins and brooches. You’ll find delicate rings made from antique kimono fabric, knitted wire necklaces with a Harajuku twist, sinister Gothic-looking brass knuckles, and even plastic rings with what appears to be the sketch of a diamond ring etched into them. Those on a pilgrimage to find the ultimate gift should jump in before an undiscovered talent becomes an overnight sensation. Many graduates go on to have their own studio and gallery exhibitions. Most items are priced within the ¥3,000 to ¥20,000 range.

5-29-2 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku. Tel: 03-3499-0300. Open Mon-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat 11am-5pm, closed Sun and hols. Nearest stn: Harajuku (opposite Freshness Burger on Cat Street).

Minami Aoyama 291 (Fu-Ku-I)
A short walk in the opposite direction, behind the well-known Spiral building, is Minami Aoyama 291. In a city known for its intense, crowded shopping experience, this shop will help slow your pace to a relaxed heartbeat. Whether it’s the spaciousness, the delicate presentation of products, or the warm glow of paper lanterns, this attractive space radiates harmony.

Minami Aoyama 291 is in fact a business support center for the promotion, exhibition and sale of artistic and cultural talent from the Fukui region (which gives rise to the pun in the shop’s name). Items on offer include traditional products, including Wakasa agate handiwork and Echizen lacquerware, beautiful collections of bowls, plates, hashi, and hashi-oki for those wanting something different. Shoppers can also find stunning examples of traditional paper, knives and china. Other interesting items include frames for glasses, umbrellas, sake and sweets.

The strength, dignity and superb craftsmanship in all the pieces make Minami Aoyama 291 well worth a visit. Most items are between ¥300 and ¥20,000.

5-4-41 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku. Tel 03-5778-0291. Open Wed-Mon 10am-8pm, closed Tue. Nearest stn: Omotesando, exit B3.

Bingoya Folk Craft Shop
Bingoya lies further afield—past Shinjuku on the Oedo subway line—but if you’re looking for the quintessential Japanese gift, it’s the most impressive, enjoyable store for traditional crafts in all of Tokyo. All six floors pay homage to the simple, handmade things at the heart of Japanese culture and everyday life: pottery, dyed and woven fabrics, bamboo and woodwork, lacquerware, straw items, metalwork, paper and glassware, dolls, folk toys and folk art furniture. It’s hard to know where to look first.

As a result, everybody will enjoy this store. Children will love the toy floor, while ceramics enthusiasts can head to the pottery level to enjoy shapes and patterns seen only here. Cultural explorers will go for the eclectic mix of items on the top floor, and interior decorators will revel in a host of fabrics, cushions and curtains.

Bingoya selects the best traditional handicrafts from all over Japan. It’s a must-see for those who appreciate mingei (the people’s art) and Japanese aesthetics. A trip to this store will revitalize an appreciation not only for old Japan but for new Japan—did you know that fashion designer Issey Miyake receives inspiration for his designs from mingei?

Bingoya ships items overseas and credit cards are accepted.

10-6 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku. Tel: 03-3202-8778. Open Tue-Sun 10am-7pm, closed Mon. Nearest stn: Oedo line, Wakamatsu-Kawada stn.

Tsuchi No Hana
Near Minami Aoyama 291, towards Aoyama Gakuin and behind an all-glass faÁade that makes it instantly recognizable, is this gallery and shop, whose name means “flower of the earth.” A great place to find exquisite, Zen-like ceramics, Tsuchi No Hana has a front window displaying beautiful ceramics on giant slabs of wood. Inside, shoppers will find pure white sake vessels wrapped in delicate glazes, elegant sushi platters, porcelain bowls, plates, dishes, cups and vases. Upstairs is a gallery exhibition space. The shop’s two floors pay attention to “quiet” ceramic forms that might get lost in any other store but this one.

Terrace Minami-Aoyama, 5-11-22 Minami-Aoyama. Tel: 03-3400-1013. Open Mon-Sat noon-7pm, closed Sun and hols. Nearest stn: Omotesando (on Aogakukaikan, the street running off Aoyama Dori beside Aoyama Gakuin).

Yamada Heiando Lacquerware
Located in fashionable Daikanyama, Yamada Heiando Lacquerware is a retailer famous for having served Japan’s imperial family.

In the past, Japanese lacquerware was purchased as gifts for weddings and other social occasions. The range of items was fairly limited and traditional. Standard prices fell between ¥3,000 and ¥5,000. Recently, though, designers have developed lacquerware for a wider range of uses, and their work has taken on more contemporary forms while utilizing modern techniques. In turn, price ranges have broadened. Yamada Heiando sells the very best examples of bowls, cups, plates, spoons, boxes, trays, and utensils from the lacquer centers of Wajima, Echizen, Yamanaka and Takaoka. Yamada Heiando’s items make excellent corporate gifts.

1F G Block, Hillside Terrace, Daikanyama. Tel. 03-3464-5541. Open daily 10:30am-6:30pm. Nearest stn: Daikanyama.

Credits:Courtesy of Corazón and Corazón/Hiko Mizuno College of Jewelry

top