Californian coffee brand Blue Bottle Coffee has a strong foothold in Japan, always positioning its design led stores for the caffeine hungry in less obvious locations. Blue Bottle Coffee has stepped away from its former standard aesthetic of white walls and light wood in its recent opening in the Jinnan area of Tokyo’s Shibuya district and has introduced the work of architect Keiji Ashizawa to their repertoire.
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Looking for Japanese lifestyle or homeware stores in London? unagi life has collated our recommendations on where to buy items from Japan for loved ones or to treat yourself and your home. As the era of the staycation continues, we have compiled our favourite concept stores and lifestyle products that you won’t need to go all the way to Japan to get your hands on.
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Shinrin-yoku, or literally translated as, “Forest Bathing” is the latest craze to take over the wellness world. The practice of forest bathing does not involve getting in the water. This type of nature therapy involves taking a walk in the great outdoors while consciously connecting with the environment around you.
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Future Noodles has disrupted the food market with plant-based instant noodles, that are created with sustainably sourced ingredients and plastic free packaging.
Set over five floors in London’s Belgravia, Pantechnicon is an ambitious new retail and dining hub centred around Japanese and Nordic design. Visitors are able to experience Restaurants, Bars & Cafés, as well as a curated store filled with selected items that showcase both Japanese and Nordic craftmanship.
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Japan House London will be the first destination in Europe to exhibit the internationally acclaimed Architecture for Dogs. The exhibition was created and designed by Hara Kenya (Creative Director of MUJI), Nippon Design Center and the free exhibition features designs by world-class architects such as Sou Fujimoto, Kuma Kengo, Ban Shigeru and Itō Toyō.
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Artist Victor Solomon recently repaired a run down LA basketball court using the Japanese technique of Kintsugi. The transformed basketball court now has the many cracks filled in with gold dusted resin inspired by the ancient process, titled Kintsugi Court. Kintsugi (金継ぎ, "golden joinery") is a technique that emphasises an object’s repair with gold to give prominence to its journey.
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unagi catches up with Kathryn Bagley, or better known online as kitsunekun, on taking ethereal photographs of every day Japan and how she is getting through the Covid-19 lockdown. Kathryn shoots both film and digital photographs capturing the beauty of everyday mundane in Japan and has become endlessly inspired by the infamous Japanese aesthetic, priding herself on her catalogue of great location spots.
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Unagi chats with digital artist, Simon Kämpfer, on creating surreal and dreamy visuals as the world comes out of lockdown. From the digital artist behind Kaeptive and current 3D Designer at Six N. Five, we discuss working outside of a studio and dreams of having art inside a physical gallery space.
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unagi chats to umami journal on how to recreate the perfect Japanese curry [カレー, karē] at home, as well as, a return to more sustainable ingredients and why educating the public on classic Japanese dishes is so important.
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A State of Nature is the creation of the talented Barbara Fidler, who is determined to bring handmade artisanal standards to practical every day clothes. Unagi spoke with Barbara on her background, from a family of tailors, to creating her own brand based in Hackney, East London. A State of Nature focusses on providing unisex pieces with a polished oversized simple silhouette.
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