Living in“Craft Comfort”

R100 tokyo Curiosity Magazine x Merci Magazine

Text by Miki Numata
Translation by Suzi Yamaguchi
Photographs by Teruaki Kawakami, Takuya Furusue Recipe & Styling by Saiko Hashimoto
Coutesy by R100 tokyo

The Comforts of Home

Each house holds a story of its inhabitants; a real life scene with an underwritten script. The following is from a series of short stories that depict scenes from the enriched lifestyles of the residents of R100 tokyo. In this installment, we would like to give you a peak at the story of our home; the inhabitants are my wife, who is an aromatherapist, and me, an owner of an IT company, along with our treasured Japanese folk art and old household items lovingly exhibited. This first scene is a weekend afternoon where we have the pleasure of entertaining guests. We are surrounded by my wife’s delicious vegan cuisine and enjoying the serenity of the moment. A clock ticks softly in the background while a large MINO, a traditional Japanese straw garment hanging ornamentally in the living room appears to be watching over the gathering.

BALANCE

Balanced Living: Boosting Happiness and Creativity

Weekend lunch with a friend and his wife

My wife inspired, suddenly suggests, "shall we invite someone to have lunch with us on Sunday?" I had not cleaned the house since the traditional end of year learning (in Japan), so I thought it would be a good idea to do so, and at the same time, I could also organize my study, killing two birds with one stone.

My wife has recently started to learn how to cook vegan cuisine. Her hobbies have apparently expanded from aromatherapy, her main business, to include dyeing and weaving with plant dyes, cooking with natural ingredients, and making sweets.

In the past year, I have been working from home more and more, so we have been spending more time together than ever before. Perhaps my wife is getting a bit fed up with this. but I am grateful for the change of pace as it has a positive [and delicious] effect on me.

I have to start with the welcome fragrance," she excitedly announces, talking over the bedroom in the morning to do what is in my opinion a chemical experiment. It is her theory that the first thing to welcome a guest is the fragrance. “There, it’s done! Bergamot, mint and lemongrass for early summer,” she notes. “Wow, that’s refreshing. And it also seems delicious.” I chime in, swept up in her enthusiasm, “Yes, that’s important!” she calls back pleased with herself.

The vegetables we order weekly from the farmer have arrived and they are clearly freshly harvested and fragrant. It was a pleasant surprise for metro be able to really feel the seasons just by the contents of this regularly delivered box, as prior to this time, I was mainly facing a computer in an office in the middle of the city.

"Excellent vegetables! Now I’m feeling inspired, so let’s get cooking,” chirps my wife.

The aroma coming from the kitchen smells wonderful. Vegetables, herbs ,spices and aromas combine to make me feel like I’m in a foreign country.

“I’m going to get some tidying up done. If you need someone to taste test, don’t hesitate to call me,” I tease before tending the cleaning. Surrender your heart to the pleasure of working with your hands.

Surrender your soul to the warmth of handwork

I was born into a family of multi-generational farmers. Our lifestyle was the most part easy going, but after moving to Tokyo for university I became an IT enthusiast and decided to become a programmer. Now, the company I set up with my friends is doing well and has a good number of employees, so I am busy. I am not dissatisfied with this life, and it is fulfilling, but in this digital world that is constantly evolving and moving. I sometimes find myself missing the lifestyle left behind.

It was at that time that I first opened my eyes to handicrafts. Handicrafts made by concentrating on the sensations of the hands, craftsmanship learned naturally by heart, folk art and daily utensils handed down from generation to generation. When I interact with such things, I can feel the presence of people, I feel clam and relaxed. The power of the human hand, the warmth of the hand, has a power that cannot be measured by numbers.

“Would you like a taste of my beans?” my wife calls. “I’d love to” I exclaim. “I like them a little on the soft side, don’t you?” She queries. “They are boiled just right. I like them simple. In fact, I could drink to that.” I chide. “That’s all you think about. It’s only noon!” She teases back easily.

Symmetry

Making Time to Eat Right! Nourish your life and soul.

There was another reason for inviting our guest today. I wanted to show a friend of mine who works with antiques, my recently acquired clock to a friend who deals in antique tools. This watch, called "Yatagarasu," has a timeless story. The Nixie tube was once used all over the world, but was discontinued in the 1990s. Yatagarasu revived this digital display device, which is said to be the oldest in history, and brought it back to life beautifully. It is a work of art created by the skills of craftsmen and technology. As someone who is involved in digital technology, I was shaken to my core when I heard this story.

"How is that clock you’re so proud of doing?" My wife calls out. "It’s perfect, Displaying the time perfectly in a beautiful orange hue." I proudly call back."
"Well, it's almost lunchtime. Will you set the table? She requests ever to deliver a glorious meal. "Yes, ma’am!" I say as I hop to the task".

Today’s menu is focused on colorful vegetables. We begin with ground fava bean soup, followed by spring cabbage (resembling a steak) and steamed carrots marinated in dill, sautéed mushrooms with wild rice and dried tomato sauce, orange lentils and brown rice with azuki beans, A platter of Cobb salad with salted malt dressing and fried tofu croquettes an pinto beans round out the feast.

"Is this all vegan? No meat, no fish?” Our guest inquires. "Yes, it is. I'm a bit addicted these days. Please enjoy it" I respond eager to tuck in.

I’ve known my friend, who runs a small gallery selling antiques and folk art, for about five years. We met when I was drawn to the Mino garment that was on display in his shop when I dropped in, and that’s when I bought it. His wife is a textile artist and also my wife’s dyeing and weaving teacher.

As we enjoyed the meal with my friend commented, "I’m glad to see that you’ve kept the Data Gera (Mino garment) on display. It looks much better than when it was in the shop. You collect a lot of things, don’t you? From folk tools to art, it’s like a gallery.”

"Oh, a compliment from a professional.” I must adit I felt pleased by the remark. “The clock under the Mino is a bit unusual, I hope you’ll take time to have a look at it later."

"Oh, a compliment from a professional," I must admit I felt pleased by the remark. "The Clock under the Mino is a bit unusual, I hope you’ll take time to have a look at it later."

It’s nice to have a relaxed meal with friends who have similar tastes to your own. And I realize the importance of meeting people in person. These days we work remotely and have meetings over the screen. It’s wonderful evolution to be able to communicate in real time with people who are far away, but it’s only when we meet face to face that we can truly interact.

Our guests were full of compliments after the meal. "We ad so much food and it was really delicious. You are a very good cook. I would like to learn from you next time," my friend’s wife graciously exclaimed. "Thank you for the delicious meal, I am so full. It was beyond my expectation for a restaurant." my friend added.

Beaming my wife replied, "Oh, thank you. It was worth the effort then. After dinner let’s have a cup of tea over there. It’s not quite medicinal, but I have prepared a tea what will help your digestion after your meal."

Harmony

A Comfortanle place to live in - There was a time when I spent most of my time at work and only came home to sleep.

I spend most of my time at work and only sleep at home. There were days like that in the past. And while I believe that this is also an important experience, I now truly feel how important it is to have a comfortable home to live in. Whether you are working or living, the temperature and texture of the air created by a place will deeply affect you. When I experience the comfort of living surrounded by things that match my wavelength, I am convinced that this is where I belong, and I feel at ease.

For me, this is living with crafts and folk art that are made by human hands and that speak to me.
I was a little intimidated by that front at first, but now I feel at home. It looks like it's really comfortable.

The gentle light of early summer warmly illuminated our room.

For more story, please visit: https://r100tokyo.com/curiosity/