Hi hi! Jess again!
One reason I love shopping in Japan is that nearly any item used in your day-to-day life is elevated to an art form. There is an abundance of design in almost every category, so much so that at times it can be a little overwhelming (if you need a new phone case, for instance. It takes me forever to pick one because I JUST CAN’T CHOOSE), but it is also a lot of fun to find that one pattern that speaks to you. Every time I use my smartphone stand, my wireless tenkey number pad, or my pen holder, I get a little jolt of joy. If it’s something functional you’re going to use all the time, why not make it special? The hunt is half the fun, too!
Things I use daily that spark joy (Marie’s not throwing these away!)
We took a trip back to the Ota Memorial Museum to take a peek at a specialty shop located down below, known as Kamawanu. They sell tenugui, a traditional hand towel, in almost any pattern or design you can dream up. Tenugui are not like Western-style terrycloth towels; they’re a soft, flat woven cotton, in a set size of 35 by 90 centimeters. This standard size allows them to be marketed as artwork as well – you can buy frames specifically for tenugui to display on the wall, making them a super-affordable source of décor! Kamawanu has a near-dizzying display of designs to choose from, from intricate repeating patterns to large-scale images both traditional and modern.
I’m in awe of the abundance of choice!
