Spiders scurried away as I pulled open the privacy screen in the telephone booth. Shielding my eyes from the rain, I attempted to fit my luggage and myself inside the impossibly tiny space. The 10-yen coin in my pocket bought me about one minute to talk. “Moshi moshi?” I heard on the receiving end moments…

Kumihama Bay. Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Visit with Atsushi Toyoshima: oyster farmer and innovator. After arriving in the Kyotango Peninsula I suited up in a bright rubber-duck yellow rain slicker alongside Atsushi in his modest blue one as we geared up to head out into the Kumihama Bay. Bringing around the skiff tied behind several larger…

As published on THE KINDCRAFT.   Set in the Tokushima Prefecture of rural Shikoku, Awagami Factory creates some of the most stunning indigo washi seen in Japan. Eight generations of the Fujimori family have helped to preserve this beautiful Japanese traditional craft. Last Autumn I had the honor of meeting the overseers of Awagami, master…

As published on THE KINDCRAFT. My second trip to Kyoto was a whirlwind of art, design, and tradition: I didn’t stop moving for the few days I was there for, taking in everything I could within that short expanse. One moment I was walking through the Nishijin district and in another I was zipping through…