From bonsai, an art form which has existed for over 1,000 years as a means of expressing the Zen spirit, to maneki-neko, the beckoning cat figurines which first became popular in the Edo period for their association with good luck, this is your guide to a world of products that show respect for the many traditional arts and crafts which have flourished in Japan since ancient times while sublimating them into new forms that fit with today’s lifestyles.

TOUFU TOKYO / RE BONSAI™

TOUFU TOKYO’s mission is to reinvent the traditional art of bonsai in a new form through the addition of vivid colors and other elements. While bonsai can thrive for decades or even centuries, regrettably some of the trees do die. RE BONSAI™ takes those dead trees and transforms them into works of art. The entire tree is dried, then combined with other leaves and branches （also dried using a proprietary technique） to create something new and different. The resulting creation requires no watering or maintenance and will stay beautiful and fresh forever—another major point of appeal.

For more information, visit their official Instagram!

WHERE to BUY：

TOUFU TOKYO NARITA AIRPORT STORE
4F, Main Building, Terminal 2, Narita International Airport, Narita-shi, Chiba
OPEN: 7:30 AM – 9:00 PM
CLOSED: Open all year round

ACRAFT / DENIM DARUMA

Modeled after Bodhidharma, the legendary founder of Zen, daruma dolls became popular in the Edo period as symbols of good luck because they always bounce back up after being knocked over. Now former pro skateboarder Aoi Shimizu has created daruma out of denim. Inspired by the battered denim he liked to wear when skateboarding, he came up with the concept of “creating something new from the past.” Aiming to carry on an old tradition, he uses discarded denim to produce daruma dolls no two of which are the same.

For more information, visit their official Instagram!

WHERE to BUY :

GOOD EDITION Harajuku
4-27-2 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
OPEN: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
CLOSED: Open all year round

SHIRAKI KOUGEI / TORCHIN

Originating in Yame in Fukuoka, chochin paper lanterns are a traditional handicraft product much loved for the soft light they cast through their shades of Japanese washi paper. SHIRAKI KOUGEI, a company which makes these paper shades, created TORCHIN in conjunction with a young craftsman. The traditional, characterful design is still there, but the lantern itself is far more lightweight thanks to USB charging. Nice and easy to carry around, it creates an oasis of relaxation anywhere.

For more information, visit their official website!

WHERE to BUY:

Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten Shibuya Store
11F, Shibuya Scramble Square, 2-24-12 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
OPEN: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
CLOSED: Open all year round