Backstory

Industrial designer Makoto Koizumi and his works are well known in the world; however, when Steve from Nalata Nalata told me that his personality and the path he has taken are not familiar, I agreed. As a consumer rather than an insider…

It was early February when I received an email from Steve at Nalata Nalata. The email was about the following; about 3.5 years ago, Steve and his wife Angy were chatting with Koizumi-san over coffee in NYC…

A lively, outgoing and naturally energetic woman who laughs cheerfully. A tender-hearted dog lover. A mentor who listens to my pointless talking carefully and gives me thoughtful advice. Likewise an honest interviewee who answers the…

We have represented the works of the Iwatas for a while but have waited too long to formally introduce them! Above is Michiko Iwata and Keisuke Iwata – an artist couple who live by the sea…

Stepping into Ryuji Mitani’s studio and home in Matsumoto for the first time was a profound experience for us. After observing an urushi demonstration, we had a chat…

One of our biggest blessings came in the form of a gift from our friend Noriyasu for our wedding in 2016. He had given us an original framed painting –…

My conversations with master woodworker Ryuji Mitani across the years of our acquaintance have revealed him to me as a truly extraordinary person. His work holds both great beauty and…

Our love for Makoto Koizumi comes from a place of respect, a heavy admiration of his works that embody every aspect of what we consider good design. We’ve been communicating…

We have an exhibition coming up with Takayoshi Narita of Studio Tint – a rare kind of artisan, his mastery in wrought-iron is practically a dying art. For this reason…