Preserving Japanese Craft
Recently launched online platform POJ Studio offers contemporary lifestyle products that are sustainable and made to last, in an effort to encourage the revival of dying Japanese craft traditions and celebrate the stories and heritage of the artisans involved
When Tina Koyama and Hana Tsukamoto founded their online lifestyle brand POJ (Pieces of Japan) Studio, one of the things they thought about was what would happen if a customer accidentally broke one of their purchases. This led to the launch of a DIY Kintsugi Kit, which allows users to learn the ancient Japanese technique of repairing broken porcelain with gold-dusted lacquer. ‘All our pieces are handmade by master artisans and we pride ourselves on their quality, but impermanence is also part of their nature. Rather than always buying new, we want to advocate a mindset of using something for many years, decades even,’ Koyama explains.
The brand’s name stems from a blog about Japan’s craft industry that the duo started upon returning to Japan after years abroad, where their shared passion for traditional crafts brought them together. Tsukamoto spent her childhood in California and was an art director in New York before establishing Kyoto- and Kamo-based boutique guesthouse brand Maana Homes, which offers sensitively restored old houses for vacation rental. Swiss-born Koyama’s Japanese mother, a buyer specialising in Japanese crafts, ignited her interest; family meals were served on exquisite Japanese tableware and trips back to Japan included workshop visits. In fact, driven by her desire to help Japanese artisans sustain their craft in an era of mass production, it was Koyama’s mother who introduced many of POJ Studio’s collaborators.
And in the time of COVID-19, products like the Kintsugi Kit are timely, since craft enthusiasts can try their hand at it from the comforts of their homes. Koyama hopes to provide a more genuine understanding of the technique, unlike Internet videos and even workshops in Japan that teach a watered-down version, which may be because authentic methods are time consuming and the urushiol in the lacquer can cause allergic reactions if handled incorrectly.
The modest launch collection — comprising the Kintsugi Kit, matte-black Oryoki nested bowls and Ha Ko incense leaves made from Japanese paper — reflects the team’s thorough research and quest for quality. Future plans include a second urushiol-based set to beautify wood surfaces, objects featuring shibori (Japanese tie-dye), chochin (traditional lantern making) and ikebana flower arrangement, and a limited edition Kuro (‘Black’) range that will spotlight small-scale businesses and individual artisans, like Shuji Nakagawa, one of the last craftsmen skilled in the 700-year-old oke wooden bucket-making technique.
POJ’s holistic approach aligns with today’s mentality of conscious consumption. ‘Many are drawn to the Zen philosophy that is reflected in the artisans’ way of life — a much slower, more aware, more humble life. I believe that people want to feel more connected with the world, with themselves, with true materials and history, now more than ever because of how we live our lives in front of screens, dictated by our notifications,’ says Koyama.
Text / Luo Jingmei
Images / Courtesy of Pieces of Japan
