Japanese gold crafts & great old-new Japan craft-design shops
Gold has always been a big deal in Japan. And yes, Japan had extremely rich gold deposits. They are basically all gone now but what a wild ride Japanese gold was and still is. During Japan's gold-rush economic boom, 1980-1990, when Japan was buying buildings in NYC and gold courses in California, impressionist paintings became a super fad. At one point, a cafe in Tokyo's tony Ginza district was selling cups of coffee sprinkled with gold flakes for 500 US dollars a cup! Why? Well, you were paying for a gold-spice coffee (likely Blue Mountain Jamaican coffee) whilst seated less than 1.5 meters (or yards) from a real Monet or Manet. But that's just a gold fad that never really took off. How could it? The two Japanese gold crafts or traditions that get the most attention today from the Japanese and abroad are: kintsugi (repairing old ceramics with gold), kirikane gold leaf crafts (covering things in super super thin gold foil).
Kintsugi (translated as gold repair or gold joinery) is a Japanese art form that is used to repair broken pottery or ceramics using lacquer filled with gold, silver powder. In traditional kintsugi, urushi lacquer (from poison oak) is used as the glue and also the liquid that holds the fine particles of gold (or silver). The result is a thick paint that can be expertly used to repair ceramic cracks and for reattaching broken pieces of precious vessels and objects. Instead of trying to hide or mask the cracks and fissures, kintsugi emphasizes and celebrates them. Frequently, for very old ceramic objects the kintsugi repair effect raises the value and price of the item in antique shops and art galleries. ften making the repaired object more valuable than its original state. Kintsugi is rooted in the wider Japanese philosophy that beauty also can be asymmetrical and imperfect and that patina should be celebrated. Afterall old things, really old things, have a life of their own. One that so many human beings cherish. Aesthetics, in the face of concrete landscapes and technological intrusion, are so important in modern and contemporary life. And kintsugi like the broader wabi-sabi aesthetic also has a philosophical basis and message. Namely, beauty also lives in the scars of life's experiences and these scars or imperfections celebrate the transient nature of things and life itself.
Gold leaf or gold foil work or kirikane has been used for over 1,500 years in on Buddhist statues and paintings. Literally translated, it means cut gold. Beyond Buddhist and Shinto decorative uses, Kirikane can also be used in other ornamental ways by cutting gold, silver, copper, tin or platinum in lines, triangles or squares and applying them in patterns. Gold leaf used for kirikane is only 10μｍ (0,00001 mm) thick! It is made of 24 karat gold with the addition of silver and copper. The standard gold leaf squares are about 11 x 11 centimeters in size. Each leaf is carefully handled with a pair of special bamboo tweezers. Obviously, this is an expensive tradition. The material being cut into micro-strips is gold, really gold! Cut into almost-hair fine strips with a bamboo knife, super-fine pieces of kirikane gold leave are applied to wood and other materials with glue (usually made from lacquer, animal bone marrow, or rice). Each separate little piece in these intricate patterns is applied by using two brushes: one held in the left hand and used as a guide; and one held in the right hand that is soaked with glue. Though the technique has historically been associated with Buddhist art work, it is also used (generally since modern times) to decorate architectural spaces, transoms, folding screens for the tea ceremony, low room dividers, as well as small household decorations such as tea caddies, incense containers, square trays, cylindrical boxes, and Hina dolls. One of Kyoto’s leading practitioners of the art, Mrs. Sayako Eri is a master of both Buddhist decorative and modern kirikane. She has been active in the Buddhist work for over 25 years: putting the final decorative touches on statues created by her husband, Mr. Kokei Eri, is a master Buddhist carver (my interview with him is here). Born and raised in a family of professional Kyoto embroiders, Mrs. Eri studied Japanese painting and dyeing design in high school and college. This classical training in traditional Japanese art and design has given her the unique sensibility required to produce superb kirikane decorations on modern pieces and in the work she does on the statues that her husband is commissioned to make. The beauty of her work lies in the deceptively simple nature of her designs, and the harmony of the colors and the materials she works with. Her work can be seen in the lobby and the Japanese restaurant at the Brighton Hotel, and on the Amida Nyorai statue at Higashiyama Jo-en in Yamashina.
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Content by Ian Martin Ropke, owner of Your Japan Private Tours (est. 1990). I have been planning, designing, and making custom Japan private tours on all five Japanese islands since the early 1990s. I work closely with Japan private tour clients and have worked for all kinds of families, companies, and individuals since 1990. Clients find me mostly via organic search, and I advertise my custom Japan private tours & travel services on www.japan-guide.com, which has the best all-Japan English content & maps in Japan! If you are going to Japan and you understand the advantages of private travel, consider my services for your next trip. And thank you for reading my content. I, Ian Martin Ropke (unique on Google Search), am also a serious nonfiction and fiction writer, a startup founder (NexussPlus.com), and a spiritual wood sculptor. Learn more!
Tokyo & Kyoto modern craft, design & specialty shops
For me, Japan is equal to Italy for handicrafts, design, minimalism, and use of space. Steve Jobs was, in a way, a product of these Japanese aspects of excellence. Japan is also the most exotic or weird or zany or unique country on planet Earth. Of course, there are other societies across the globe that garner the same praise, and it is a praise. Remember Steve Jobs coined the slogan: "Think different." And Japan is a cultural and society that is different in pretty much all ways. But not so fast . . .
On the surface, at first glance or just in general, Japan appears to be a Western society. The French bakeries that dot Tokyo really look French. However, the pastries are almost always only almost French. Japanese people are all wearing western clothing, mostly sleeping on western beds and living more and more with western furniture. But that is really just a superficial perspective and one driven mostly by the enormous impact western culture has had on every place on earth.
As a Group of 7 or 8 nation, Japan ranks as the 3rd or 4th or 5th largest economy in the world. It was 3rd after the US and China for decades. The Germany bumped Japan to 4th for a while. And in 2025, California all by herself also surpassed Japan. All the same, Japan is an extremely busy economy. It exports heaps of things that are household brands and is an industrial powerhouse. Inside of Japan, you get to see how old Japan has become new Japan and popular domestic Japan in countless ways.
Old lanterns have been used as models for new street lights. Handmade washi paper continues to thrive. Japanese architects and builders & carpenters still do pretty well by blending old ideas with new materials. The kimono and obi industries aren't thriving but they are farm from dead. All these craft traditions have been adapted to contemporary life because the design origins are impeccable. And connecting with the past in daily life is clearly important to the Japanese people, young and not so young. Here are a few shops in Tokyo and Kyoto that are quintessentially Japanese craft & design businesses. Their clients are 95% Japanese domestic shoppers but more than a few foreigners find these incredible shops with intention or by accident (the human eye + personal aesthetics + the subconscious mind make it impossible to miss something you have a passion for!).
Tokyo craft & design shops of note
Amahare: Collecting handmade tableware is trending among young Japanese people. Amahare, which opened in 2015 in the stylish residential Shirokane neighborhood, caught the wave early and began selling crafted tableware. Amahare's stunning handmade goods are displayed in minimalistic modern, gallery-like setting. A wide range of tableware interpretations by artists from across Japan. Details: shop.amahare.jp .
Casica: Casica, a trending minimalist spacious store and café, sits on a Tokyo Bay canal. The goods range from intriguing jewelry and soaps by international brands to baskets, vintage reproduction lighting, and Japanese-made limited-edition tableware. Details: casica.tokyo .
The Cover Nippon: The Cover Nippon offers a wide range of traditional crafts that fall into the luxury shopping category. They sell a wide range of selected items for gifts and souvenirs, and some can only be found at their shops. Everything from tableware, and Japanese Kimonos to antiques and furniture. Their wrapping techniques, handmade Japanese paper or furoshiki cloth wrapping, are equally fancy. Their main store is located in Roppongi's Tokyo Midtown complex in Roppongi, but they also have a "secret shop" hidden in the Imperial Hotel, near the Tokyo Imperial Palace. Details: thecovernippon.jp .
Tendo Mokko: The Tendo Mokko showroom lies in Tokyo's non-touristic Hamamatsucho neighborhood not far from Tokyo Bay. This shop specializes in world-class high-end bent plywood furniture. Their iconic butterfly stool is one of their best sellers but there are others. Details: tendo-mokko.co.jp .
Tsutaya Books: Ginza and Daikanyama shops: Tsutaya was Japan's version of Blockbuster and the go-to place to rent DVDs until streaming destroyed most of their market. But Tsutaya was also a book and design focused shop that has remained very popular across Japan. Kyoto has a super popular outlet just south of Heian Shrine. Tokyo design lovers go to the Tsutaya bookstore in Daikanyama and also the Ginza shop (which is smaller and less overwhelming). Go to Tsutaya Books to buy great Japanese coffee table books and also art books and art. Details: store.tsite.jp .
Pejite Aoyama: Pejite Aoyama, hidden on the back lanes of Aoyama east of Harajuku, is a time-travel shop because they sell old-world or traditional handmade goods from the famous (but hard to get to) pottery town of Mashiko NE of Tokyo. And because they deal in antique and vintage wooden furniture from the Meiji (1868-1912), Taisho (1912-1926), and early Showa (1926-1989) eras. Details: pejite-mashiko.shop-pro.jp .
Haibara: Haibara has been making top-class handmade washi paper since 1806. Their stunning and varied washi paper and stationery products include letter paper, notebooks, and envelopes. And some of their paper is based on old designs with modern touches by up-and-coming Japanese artists. Details: haibara.co.jp .
Kyukyodo: Kyukyudo, which I have been recommending to Japan private tour clients since 1990, is outstanding for its stunning selection of traditional Japnese stationery items, calligraphy tools, tea ceremony bowls, and some of the finest incense in Japan. My favorite items include red woven boxes and washi paper postcards with real leaves in the cards. They’ve been in business since 1663 (the Kyoto shop) and their Ginza store is over two hundred years old. Details: kyukyodo.co.jp .
Ginza Kikunoya: This famous cookie shop wraps its cookie boxes in traditional Japanese furoshiki cloth. Ginza Kikunoya was founded in 1890 and began as a popular shop located adjacent to the Ginza Kabuki Theater. It became famous for its Kabuki Sembei crackers. At the end of the Taisho period (1912-1926), Ginza Kikunoya invented the idea of Fukiyose dry confectionaries for tea time. These include more than 30 types of Japanese-style dry sweets, including cookies made without butter, konpeito hard candy, wasanbon sugar, and coated peanuts. They also sell desserts or sweets that look like gold and silver coins containing sweet chestnut paste or sweet azuki red bean paste. Their Kuzumochi rice cakes are made from premium wild arrowroot are garnished with with brown sugar syrup and kinako roasted soybean flour. Details: www.ginza-kikunoya.co.jp/english/ .
Yakumo Saryo: The tearoom at Yakumo Saryo in the leafy old-world suburb of Meguro, is unique because you can experience tea ceremony here using chairs and tables (instead of being on an uncomfortable tatami mat). Details: yakumosaryo.jp .
The Old Imperial Bar: From a design perspective, the Old Imperial Bar is worth a visit to see the Frank Lloyd Wright–designed interiors preserved from the original 1923 hotel, which was demolished and rebuilt in the 1960s. Details: imperialhotel.co.jp .
Sumida Hokusai Museum: Katsushika Hokusai, a world-renowned ukiyo-e artist, was born in Honjo-Wari-Gesui (presently the Kamezawa area in Sumida Ward, Tokyo) in 1760 and spent almost the entire 90 years of his life in Sumida Ward where he created a large number of masterpieces. In honor of this outstanding artist whom many local citizens are truly proud of, the Sumida Ward opened the Sumida Hokusai Museum in 2016. The collection features exhibits related to the artist's life and Sumida Ward. Hokusai is world-famous for his woodblock prints of waves and mountains. But his woodblock prints cover nearly every aspect of daily life in the Edo period when the merchant class rose and the samurai class fell. The highly modern museum building was designed by Pritzker-prize-winning Japanese architect Kazuyo Sejima. Details: hokusai-museum.jp .
21_21 Design Sight: 21_21 Design Sight is a design museum in Roppongi, Tokyo, designed by architect Tadao Ando and founded by fashion designer Issey Miyake. It opened in 2007 and aims to promote understanding and interest in design through exhibitions, workshops, and other programs, focusing on "everyday life" and the design of everyday objects. The foundation's aim is to promote an understanding and interest in design by involving designers, business people, engineers, craftsmen, and the general public. The museum is located on the edge of Tokyo Midtown and features two gallery spaces. Details: www.2121designsight.jp/en/ .
Kyoto craft & design shops of note
Hosoo Kyoto: Kyoto's legendary Hosoo Kyoto textile business was founded in 17th century. Today, they are known as one of Japan's most successful combiners of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary design. Hosoo Kyoto's luxurious textiles blend Kyoto’s ancient Nishijin (also known as the western end of the Silk Road) weaving techniques with modern aesthetics, creating materials used by renowned designers worldwide. The showroom is minimalist and elegant and all their textiles seem to jump from the wall into your being. For those passionate about design and craftsmanship Hosoo Kyoto is a must see. Their showroom is 100 meters SW of the Karasuma-Oike intersection, where Kyoto's north south and east west subway lines intersect. Details: http://www.hosoo.co.jp/en/ .
POJ Studio: POJ Studio is known for its contemporary perspectives on Japan's stunningly rich and broad interior living accessories. They sell kintsugi DIY kits or gold glue repair tools and materials for fixing broken ceramics. They also sell tableware, decor items, incense, furniture and gift items. POJ functions more like an artist or craft collective where the emphasis is on the slow, meticulous processes involved in making the arts & crafts they sell. Whether you're shopping for home interior deco goods or something the Japanese craft scene is know for, the studio offers an intimate experience where craftsmanship and design seamlessly merge. Details: https://pojstudio.com/ .
Kyoto Museum of Crafts & Design: At the heart of Kyoto’s historic district, the Kyoto Museum of Crafts & Design offers a deep dive into Japan’s revered craft landscapes. The museum presents a rotating collection of exhibits, from ceramics and textiles to metalwork and lacquerware, that showcase traditional techniques. They offer hands-on workshops related to washi paper, lacquer and more. If you value authentic craftsmanship, then this shop is a must see looking and buying location. Details: https://kmtc.jp/en/ .
Kyoto Loft: For someone who is looking for something remarkable or very unusual: Loft is the place! They have over 80,000 imported and domestic things that are unique, attractive and fun: everything from interesting stationery and bathroom accessories to mini bonsai, incense, Japanese roll up window curtains, and a stationery section to rival any in the world! Details: https://www.loft.co.jp/en/ .
Ichizawa Shinzaburo Hanpu bags: Ichizawa Hanpu simple but strong canvas bags are a Kyoto original. The design is classic early 20th century but, like jeans, continue to be extremely popular with young people and people who are passionate about their should bags and backpacks. And like many Japanese handmade things these bags will last almost a lifetime, almost. Ichizawa Hanpu canvas bags are known across all of Japan for their simple, strong, attractive and practical features. They only sell retail and their is only one shop. They do catalog shopping but don't sell online. My kind of craft shop! Details: https://www.ichizawa.co.jp/ .
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Content by Japan travel specialist & designer Ian Martin Ropke, founder & owner of Your Japan Private Tours (YJPT, est. 1990). I have been planning, designing, and making custom Japan private tours on all five Japanese islands since the early 1990s. I work closely with all of YJPT's Japan private tour clients and have a great team behind me. I promote YJPT through this content and only advertise at www.japan-guide.com, which has the best all-Japan English content & maps! If you are going to Japan and you understand the advantages of private travel, consider my services for your next trip to save time & have a better time. Ian Martin Ropke (unique on Google Search) is also a serious nonfiction and fiction writer, a startup founder (NexussPlus.com), and a spiritual wood sculptor. Learn more!