Friday, July 21, 2017

Exhibition Featuring Works by Kuroki Taira and Shiho Takada


Our summer exhibition featuring works of the talented husband and wife duo Taira Kuroki and Shiho Takada started last weekend.  On the opening day, we were delighted to have Kuroki-san and Takada-san with us present at our store to talk about their work with our customers and fans.  Our staff had a wonderful time spending time with the lovely couple, learning about their works, and seeing new creations of this year.  We will showcase some of Kuroki-san’s works in the following photos.   
 
 
 

 
These cups are called cylindrical tea cups, but they are probably perfect for a small cup of beer.  The white glaze with smooth, matt finish and the stylish form make this work a refreshing piece just right for a hot summer day.  The sensual form seen in this work is definitely an example of Kuroki-san’s artistry.   

 
 
 

For the highly sought-after oribe (green) glaze series, Kuroki-san created many small items, such as plates and bowls, which are just the right size for putting snacks for sake.   
 



We’ve received many new items from the oribe glaze series.  This new flat plate is a beautiful piece that will definitely go well with chilled pasta and other types of noodles.  





This small pitcher with charming round form can be used as milk pitcher, but also as soy sauce and vinegar pitcher.  
 
 



We received many irresistible items from the ash glaze series and kohiki (white slip) series as well.  

 
The impressions we got from this year's exhibition are that the couple’s works are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also carefully crafted to be functional items that enrich our daily life.  Their works inspire us to want to eat healthy and cook delicious meals for special someone we care about in our life.    
We were only able to introduce a few items from a wonderful selection of items from the exhibition.  Please come see Kuroki-san and Takada-san’s work at our one month long exhibition and get inspired from their work!  

 

Monday, July 3, 2017

Tableware for Noodles


Soba, udon, somen, hiyamugi… Even when we’re a little under the weather here in hot, humid Japan, we somehow are able to find appetite for these mouthwatering Japanese noodles and can’t resist eating them!  For our June event “Tableware for Noodles”, we’ve gathered a collection of tableware for all kinds of noodles to satisfy the need of noodle lovers.  We will showcase some of the wonderful items from the event here.  

 

 
 

We will start off with “Soba Choko”, a type of cup used to serve dipping sauce for buckwheat noodles.  
 

 
We’ve received soba chokos with refreshing green glaze from Kazuharu Adachi, an artist based in the Mino region of Gifu prefecture.  With color reminding us of lush green maple during Summer, these cups are practical pieces that can also be used as beer cups.  
 





These high fired unglazed cups are made by another Shiga prefecture artist Keishi Tanaka.  These cups with simple, classic shaped body is made with clay dug in Tanaka-san’s neighborhood.  Each piece has a unique finish that is created by long hours of wood firing.  



 



Michihiro Domoto and Kumiko Domoto from Echizen, Fukui prefecture, have made us twenty soba chokos with all different carved patterns!  


 

If we’re writing about soba, we must mention Fukui prefecture’s delicacy “Echizen Soba”, which we had the pleasure of tasting when we visited the pottery fair in Echizen.  Unlike cold soba that is usually served on bamboo strainers with dipping sauce in soba choko, Echizen Soba is covered in a light broth and is served in a semi flat bowl called “Soba Bachi” with grated Japanese white radish and bonito flakes.    



 


Fukui prefecture offers one other unique way of eating sobas.  Eaten often in the Aizu region of Fukui prefecture, chicken and burdock soba was a delicacy served at weddings back in the old days. The harmony of chicken, burdock, and bonito broth makes this noodle irresistible! A clove of garlic adds extra flavor to the broth and makes this dish perfect for eating your way through the unbearable Summer weather.  

 

 
Warm soba looks scrumptious when served in a bronze bowl by Kotomi Daigo.  Daigo-san’s bowl is a very versatile piece that can also be used with stews, salad, and Western cuisines.  

 

 

 
Please come join us in our event for “Tableware for Noodles” and have a chat with us noodle lovers about your favorite noodle dishes!   

[Tableware for Noodles]
June 17th (Sat.) - July 9th (Sun.)
Artisans:   Kazuharu Adachi, Momoko Otani, Toyoki Onimaru, Kazuhiko Kudo, Keishi Tanaka, Manabu Tanaka, Kotomi Daigo, Michihiro Domoto and Kumiko Domoto, Mayumi Hiyama, and others.