Tatami Mats

When I used to live in Japan we had a room with tatami mats in the house.

I did not think it was anything special because everyone had one.

Now that I am living in the states,  I miss it.  I miss laying around and smelling the dried tatami plant.

It reminds me of my grandparents' home.

It reminds me of the calligraphy class I used to take.

It reminds me of old Japanese life which I just know from films.

I just feel so calm when I'm on the mat.

It's like sunbathing in woods by a lake listening to birds singing.

Photo -  Tearoom next to the shop

Bizen Tsubo

This is my favorite tsubo.  I'm in love with the color, shape, size, and texture.

This lovely piece would compliment any style of furnishing from traditional to modern.

I enjoy pretty things that will fit with any style so I don't get bored of it :)

Sukiyaki

I did not like sukiyaki at all when I was a child.  I just couldn't stand non desert food that tasted sweet.  I thought cakes and chocolates should be sweet, but I could not understand meat, especially with rice...

People say that your taste buds change as you grow and for me it did.  I actually like sukiyaki now.  It's not my most favorite food, but I like it.

When I was in Matsuzaka, Japan I had some amazing sukiyaki.  Matsuzaka is known for their great beef and how it really melts on your tongue.  So I guess good sukiyaki has to do with the quality of beef.

A Bowl of Matcha

Why is it so good?

I love my matcha time.

Tonight after we had sukiyaki for dinner, we had a bowl of matcha with a Japanese sweet.

I feel very Japanese.

It's a very indulging time.

I just don't really have high tolerance for caffeine...

I might have to stay awake late tonight...

Recommended in early in the day...

Photo - matcha in Raku Yaki bowl at the shop

Pottery Studio

This is the pottery studio of Taketoshi Ito's in Mashiko City, Tochigi Prefecture in Japan.  My uncle took this photo and I really like it.

It rains there a lot especially around this time.  I did not like it at all when I used to live there.  Your shoes would get soaked wet and they get worn out easily.  You want to protect all the paper works from water so you put umbrella on your bag, but not on yourself.  For some reason it smells like sewage in the city more in rainy day.

Now, I live in this nice dry weather and I really appreciate it, but sometimes I feel like walking in the rain.  It makes all shiny.  Trees and flowers look happier.

Well, you realize it when you lose it.

By the way, his works are amazing :)

Event and Food

Our featured event, Beauty in Nature, is coming up.  I am so excited!!!

Every time we have an event, I cannot sleep deeply.

It's like being an elementary school kid going on a school trip.  That's what we have in Japan every year in spring time.

I was always so excited for not only being away from school, but the lunch box my mom made and snacks.  I did not like the bus ride so much though since I got sick easily.

Well, we are having my mom's homemade food at the reception.  This is an authentic Japanese mom's recipe.  We also are going to have something we did not have on school trip.  We are making this special amazake.  It is a traditional sweet Japanese alcohol made by sake rice, but we make it special.

I hope to see a lot people :)

First Blog!

Hello everyone!

I created this blog because I felt every culture might be interested in learning more about  Japanese way of life. 

To give you some background about me, I was born in Japan and moved to California when I was in high school.  I had a chance to work on musicians touring Japan. I traveled all over the country there and encountered beautiful art, crafts, and foods. It was during this time that I decided that I wanted to share the Japanese lifestyle with the rest of the world.  So then I got inspired to open up a shop in Newport Beach, California where we sell Japanese handmade ceramic works, garden ornaments, books, and teas.

I hope to meet many new friends and show you what I have learned from my experiences in Japan.