Just in time for Halloween, we present a spooky Japanese folktale to keep you up through the night.
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When illustrator Margherita Urbani traveled to Japan for the first time, she captured her travels the best way an artist can: by sketching thoughts and impressions in her sketchbook. The resulting Tokyo Diaryis a 40-page travel guide that showcases the beauty of encountering a new culture as an outsider.
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As the seasons shift, we are feeling inspired by the brilliant display of autumn leaves in Philadelphia. Here we reflect on how this season's colors have influenced Japanese culture.
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Every year, our founders Kaz and Yuka Morihata return to Japan to look for new pieces to bring back to our shop, meet with artisans, and see their family. Here's one memory from Yuka's trip this summer.
Tea has deeply affected Japanese culture and history, inspiring innovations in artistry while also cementing relationships and good manners. Yet the Japanese tea tradition is still alive and vivid, as easy to appreciate as a warm, freshly brewed cup of sencha.
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On Friday the Rikumo team took a field trip to the New York Art Book Fair to scope out new books for our upcoming in-store library. Here are the favorites we picked up along the way.
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Metallurgy as a craft demands much -equipment, skill, patience- in exchange for the opportunity to create lasting art.
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The Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, in its purest, most idealized form, is all about delicate traces of imperfection, showcasing faint evidence of human life at the borders of nothingness.
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We recently had the pleasure of hosting Mr. Toshinori Itoi, Director of the Sasawashi Company. Over cups of fresh-brewed sencha, he shared some of the company's history and design approach with us.
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Modern Japanese architecture emphasizes horizontal lines, simplicity, and reflective spaces. While traditional touches like sliding doors and single-story structures remain popular, contemporary Japanese architecture has found its own particular style in shades of minimalism.
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A variation of traditional Japanese cloth, tenugui textiles have been used in creative endeavors for centuries. Learn how to wrap anything with our step-by-step guide.
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Different dads do different things: perhaps yours was the first to take you camping, or teach you how to draw your first art project. Find a few ideas for your particular kind of dad with our Father’s Day gift guide.
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There is so much one can learn about a culture by the way its children play, and for hundreds of years Japanese toys have marked Japanese identity from its first steps.
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Held at Fairmount Park near the Shofuso Japanese House, Sakura Sunday celebrates not just the return of the blossoms, but also their connection with Japanese identity.
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We take you inside the breathtaking world of ikebana at the Philadelphia Flower Show.
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Learn about the origins of bonsai, the symbolism behind different styles and species, and how to care for your very own bonsai tree.
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On a crisp Friday morning we took a break from preparations for the Flower Show and went on a field trip to the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s “Ink and Gold: Art of the Kano” exhibit for some much needed inspiration.
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See you soon!
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