For centuries, dreams have been used to predict the future, and everyone has their own way of interpreting the signs. However, there’s one dream in particular sets the tone for your luck in the new year.
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The name of George Nakashima is as famous for its contributions to design philosophy as it is for its artistry. But around the world, a separate legacy follows the renowned Japanese-American craftsman: his interest in world peace and humanitarianism through design.
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Here at Rikumo HQ, we look forward to the holidays more than almost any other time of year. In honor of Thanksgiving, we're sharing the things that we're most thankful for this year.
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Zombies, giant skeletons, inkspots that come alive in the night… the bizarre world of Japanese demons is always one step ahead of our imagination.
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Every so often we’ll share a few thoughts on the books we’re reading outside the office. For the first time in the history of Rikumo Book Club, we bring you one story in two forms: a cult video game and its novelization by one of the most important contemporary Japanese writers.
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Anyone who’s ever sat through a bad comedy sketch knows how hard it can be to find someone who is truly funny. In the hands of a gifted storyteller, though, even the dullest story can make us laugh. And no comedian is more studied, intuitive, or gifted than the one who performs rakugo.
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Tokyo is a sprawling, metropolitan city that contains over 30 major neighborhoods, each with its own unique residents and personality. Connecting many of them is the Yamanote Line, a cyclical elevated train line built in 1925. It is considered Tokyo’s most important train line and is arguably, the best way to see the city.
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Until the 19th century, lunar rhythms dictated daily comings and goings in Japan. The phases of the moon were named after what people were doing as they waited for the moon to rise.
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The role of the artist is often a lonely one, full of rejection, self-doubt and alienation. Sometimes, however, you find a collaborator that inspires you in ways you never even dreamed of.
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We talk to Francheska Snyder, Head Gardener at Shofuso Japanese House about the ways in which gardening has changed her life, the challenges and responsibilities of maintaining a historical landmark, and the importance of taking breaks.
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Though it once was the dominant form of literary expression, poetry has since been eclipsed by prose for most of the world. Not so in Japan, where the influence of one particular 13th century collection has inspired works of art and even games.
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Vincent Feldman, an urban architecture photographer and university lecturer, shares his creative journey with us.
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Work, life, and writing lessons from Japan’s most important contemporary writer.
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Jun Kaneko is a prolific Japanese ceramicist who has made large-scale sculptures and even opera costumes. In his latest exhibition at Locks Gallery, “New Work" expresses the complex nature of individuality: celebratory yet also potentially isolating.
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What’s the difference? It’s all in the terroir.
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Sake is Japan’s national drink, with rituals, traditions, and rules of its own. Here’s how to drink it correctly.
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Expat. Intellectual. Writer. As one of the first writers to venture outside of Japan, Natsume Soseki documented the struggle of finding your place in a modern world without losing your identity.
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The making of a Karmi tea canister can take up to a year to complete. Here’s a look inside the mind of its creator.
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