If you haven’t seen those videos titled ‘Reasons Japan is living in the future’ then I suggest you do a little internet searching ‘cause they’re not wrong. I’ve encountered much thoughtful design since we’ve been here, from space-efficient hotel rooms to clever car parking solutions and beautiful glassware that you long to hold in your hand.
Walking through the numerous high-end department stores, I linger in the homewares section, touching all that I dare. More than once I thought to myself “ooh, that’s nice,” only to swiftly remember that I really don’t need any more glasses/bowls/serving ware in my life. Let alone, will it get home unbroken? There were two deep bowls that almost came home with me. At first glance I thought the glaze was black but when I carefully lifted it off the shelf and brought it closer the glaze was revealed to be deep, deep blue, like staring at the night sky. An uneven rim only added to the tactile nature of the bowls and the desire I had to run my hands all over them.
I silently told myself that if we found ourselves near that particular store again this trip, that was a sign that I should buy the bowls for that perfect noodle/donburi meal. We weren’t; I didn’t. As I sit here waiting for the next leg of my flights home, I have a little internet search and find the store quickly.
Akomeya Tokyo is a produce and homewares store with multiple branches around Tokyo. On Akomeya’s About Us page – “In order to deliver happiness in everyday life, Akomeya Tokyo offers a wide range of gifts that add richness and bring delicious smiles to your dining table.” I also discover they ship overseas via a third party. Hmmmm.
Oh, and I have yet to mention Japanese toilets. It’s a guarantee that anyone you speak to after their first trip to Japan will at some point speak high praise of these wonders of Japanese toilets. We may have gone further and begun serious internet research into getting one installed at home on our return. In fact, my partner was probably sitting on said piece of plumbing paradise whilst undertaking this research. Multi-tasking and all that.
Wander all along any Japanese side street and you’ll also notice how the buildings take up every inch of their allotment, angles and elevations all accounted for. You’ll also soon notice how neat and clean the streetscape is. With no parked cars on the street itself – save for a taxi or compact van delivering parcels or passengers – every foot of the road is easily navigable. Many houses and stores and restaurants feature a small, tidy garden of clipped pot plants devoid of weeds. It’s a downright pleasure perambulating along these streets.
All this to say, can we do that? Can we have clean and tidy streets, smartly designed architecture, quality homewares that give Danish design a run for their money and the bum-washing, music-playing, self-flushing toilets? Who should I speak to about making that happen?
We live in a small apartment with a very small kitchen, so I run a tight ship. Anything that earns space in there has to punch above its weight. Products have to prove themselves. If they don’t earn their keep, they’re out.
This is a hug in the shape of a loaf tin, reassuring in only the way an old-school reliable pantry cake can be. I say pantry cake because mostly I have all the ingredients in the pantry, even if that is a set of drawers in my small, city apartment.
Last weekend I gathered a handful of friends at someone’s house and we cooked together. Not a dinner party where one person does the work and everyone else arrives with a bottle. Not a formal class in a commercial kitchen. Just a group of curious eaters in a real home…