Gods, Deities, and Saints
Sometimes understanding Japan begins not with a new idea, but with a better word.
The Noh Mask’s Other Face
Looking into the hidden interior of a Noh mask, I had the unsettling impression that I was seeing its truest face.
Sado: Japan’s Other Island
A return to Japan's historic island of exile reveals why Noh remains woven into everyday life—and what it has to teach about living with memory.
Noh: Accomplishment of Presence
It took me years to discover that Noh is a practice of attention through which the hidden beauty of life becomes perceptible.
Gari Pickled Ginger: Thinking Pink for Hanami
Made with fresh new ginger, gari is a crisp, peppery, naturally pink pickle that brings the colors of spring to the table.
Cherry Blossom Time in Tokyo
In Tokyo, cherry blossom season is about being fully present to each day as it comes.
A Bowl from Yamanaka
Finishing a lacquer bowl in Yamanaka revealed how beauty emerges through making.
Yamanaka Onsen: A Cultural Retreat in the Mountains
In Yamanaka Onsen, a historic hot spring town informed by samurai aesthetics, nature, craft, and community remain central to everyday life.
The Kubo Family’s Shibazuke Pickles
At Shibakyu, a small family shop in Ohara, the Kubo family continues to make shibazuke as they have for generations, offering a deeper look into one of Japan’s most distinctive pickling traditions.
Tsukemono: What’s Going On With Japanese Pickles
In Japan, pickles are not an accompaniment but a vegetable dish in their own right—an art of texture and tang.
Yubeishi at Takyo Abeke: A Winter Recipe from the Mountains
Yubeishi still made the traditional way—whole yuzu filled, steamed, and slowly dried through the winter months.
Yubeishi: Preserving the Perfume of Yuzu
An ancient preserve shaped by necessity, craft, and time, capturing what is usually fleeting.
Takyo Abeke: A Way of Living in Omori
In rural Shimane, an historic mountain inn reveals how purpose, carried through materials, food, and gesture, shapes everyday life.