Artist: Ogata Kourin 1658 – 6/2/1716 from Kyoto museum

This is a boro vintage kasuri hanten with patches added by Peggy Darnall The kasuri hanten can be displayed or worn as a one-of-kind signature garment.

Celebration of Japan’s new era, Reiwa (令和). Naruhito (德仁), Crown Prince, succeeded to the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1,2019.

Please come to visit us. Lots of tansu, pottery and fabric…

On September 24, 2018 in Japan the harvest moon（中秋の名月）dominates the evening sky. This traditional seasonal event brings not only a full, beautiful moon but also the symbolic Rabbit and Pampas grass. It is always memorable and exciting, especially on a clear night!

Morning glories and puppies painted on a cedar door by Maruyama Ōkyo 円山応挙 (1733-1795)

This special, hand-painted card was given to me by my artistic and youngest customer, Finn, a lover of all things – and old things – Japanese. When Finn was 7, he bought a well-used tofu box from Hana. The card depicts himself carrying the box on his shoulders and probably daydreaming of the Japan of […]

East has finally met West at least when it comes to Halloween. This traditional western holiday of ghosts, goblins, witches and trick-or-treat is now enthusiastically celebrated in the cities of Japan – thanks at least partly to Tokyo Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan both which have had annual Halloween celebrations for several years. These influences […]

I was lucky to find this charming and graceful pair of Oinari san お稲荷さん, the Japanese white fox, during my recent trip to Japan. While old, they depict the strong, pleasing character of these sacred guardians. Oinari san are messengers and servants to the Shinto God or Goddess of rice and food. They always appear […]

Another creative customer has used a Hana product in an unique way: here, an antique obi has been transformed into a bathroom window covering! The dragonfly patter is a perfect touch for the summer season.

Our new arrivals include Japanese antique ceramic pottery, antique tansu, some mid- century tansu, antique fabric and other accessory items.

During my recent buying trip to Japan, I took time off to visit one of my favourite city- Uji 宇治市. The small city of Uji city is situated between Kyoto and Nara. Uji is in a quaint natural setting enhanced by the beautiful Uji River flowing through it. Uji includes the attractions of the famous […]

For Oslo the cat, opportunity knocks! He finds comfort in unusual, farmhouse kitchen shelf from Hana’s latest shipment.

My recent trip took me to the countryside of Japan as usual- but I set aside my last two days for a short and wonderful visit to Tokyo after I finished my work. Two good things happened: On the first day, I discovered a very good sushi restaurant in Akasaka 赤坂, Sushi Midori 美登利 (Imagine […]

There is a serene, understated beauty to Kyoto; it is the one major city in Japan that has avoided massive skyscrapers of metal and glass. The hallmark of that beauty is the Kamogawa (鴨川) running slowly but determinedly through the city. The ducks shown here enjoy the day, happy the river has remained accessible through […]

The West generally considers broken pottery or chinaware as at an end, the completion of its useful life. The Japanese art or concept of Kintsugi, however, gives a new vibrancy to broken goods, making them not only useful again, but also imbued with a wabi sabi beauty. The process involves using lacquer mixed with gold, […]

new shipment has arrived, please come to visit.

My first encounter with Enkuu’s Buddha statues was in Takayama City, Gifu Precture. I was immediately attracted by the distinctive qualities of these wood-carved statues, especially their subtle, enchanting smiles. They also had a natural feel to them, the unpainted wood clearly showing the knots, chips and chisels. Enkuu was a Buddhist monk who widely […]

In Japan, the autumn season is often represented by Japanese pampas grass, the moon and the chrysanthemum.

Kasuri textiles, used for clothing, bedding and other coverings, are remarkable for their beauty and simplicity; they are easily indentified by their trademark geometric patterns with fuzzy, feathered edges and indigo dye.   The hand-spun yarns are dyed before woven and the beautiful patterns are created with the warp and weft techniques. Traditionally, Japanese Kasuri […]

Hana’s good customer used old yukimi shoji doors and a ranma to convert a dingy storage room into an authentic washitsu 和室 (Japanese-style room). Thank you to J and Y for sharing their tasteful designing creation!

Japanese pottery (yakimono), for centuries both beautiful and exquisite, is generally categorized in 4 groups: 1. Unglazed earthenware: This product is made of clay and fired at a relatively low heat, about 800 degrees, centigrade.  The best known includes the ancient, famous Joumon Douki and Yayoi Douki. 2. Unglazed stoneware:  Here, colored clay is fired […]

This beautiful canal, in Japan called “Takasegawa,” runs alongside Kiyamachi dori, a famous and historically important commercial street in Kyoto. This picture was taken in early fall, 2010. The man-made Takasegawa was dug in the early Edo period as a strategic water route for shipping various goods from the countryside to the center of Kyoto. […]