Journal

This month at wagumi we have a rare restock of glass by Seiten. You can see the full collection here. In Yomitan, a settlement famous for craft on the southern Okinawan islands, is the glass studio of Kiyoharu Matsuda. Matsuda is leading practitioner in ‘saisei’ glass.  Literally meaning ‘reborn’, saisei in a glass context refers to a process to melt and recreate empty drinks bottles into beautiful forms.  Heavy ramune bottles are sometimes a material, as are others used to drink soft drinks in the island’s hot climate.  Reduced to fragments, the glass is blended for texture and colour, and...

After nearly three months of an online only presence, we reopened the shop on 16 June.In doing this, of course we have been studying closely the government guidelines on becoming a Covid-secure space, and will be in full effect with hand sanitiser, masks and social distancing.We plan to test the water in the first week of opening, and may have reduced hours of business. If you plan to make a specific trip to see us, then it may be worth calling ahead, and in any case we will update our social media channels.Our priority is to deliver the things from...

This month at wagumi, we have a collection of work by Japanese potter Motoharu Ozawa. Based in the traditional Mino-ware pottery region of Toki in Gifu, the work of Motoharu Ozawa is characterised by its glazes that invite pairings with food.   Another characteristic is its popularity.  In contrast to his unassuming personality, and isolated base in the Gifu countryside, are Ozawa’s social media channels and the scrum that forms whenever he exhibits his pottery in Japan and nearby Asia. This is the first time that Ozawa has shown his work in Europe, and we have a small selection of items...

2020.  It should have been a year of Japanese culture culminating in the Olympics this summer.  Instead it is what it is. We want to send our best wishes to all of customers and those who have supported us down the years, and the hope that you are all staying safe. Like all small businesses we are facing our own Annus Horribilis, but we are determined to keep operating within the boundaries of what is safe and responsible. We are completing every online order we receive, and will consider reopening the shop once it is safe and legal to do...