One of my goals during this trip to Japan was to try and experience that specific mix of design and craftsmanship for which the Japanese are so well-known.
I was afraid this would not be so easy. You know how sometimes you have this fantasy about a place because you’ve read articles and seen beautiful objects from there, and once you get there you realize this was somehow far from reality and struggle to find the marvels you were promised?
Well, that didn’t happen in Japan.
Craftmanship and efficient design are such a part of daily life there that you can see them everywhere (which leads to shopping issues, ha!). We’ve seen countless beautiful little shops, but the one I’m showing you today was quite special.
We’re in Kanazawa, two hours north of Kyoto, a town renowned for its abundance of craftsmanship.
If you go to the south of the city, walking through the great neighborhood of Shintamachi (I’ll come back to that) and then crossing the Saigawa river, you’ll find the Factory Zoomer, the shop and café showcasing the work of artist Kazumi Tsuji. Here, in that humble white space, you can admire and buy her beautiful glasswork and ceramics, have a coffee and a piece of cake, all in that quiet and welcoming atmosphere that makes Japan so precious.
