Many people might be interested in traditional Japanese crafts like indigo dyeing and pottery. Being in Japan for travel or work is a great opportunity to experience these crafts. You might want to meet the artisans and visit their workshops instead of just buying online, but it can be hard to know where to start. That’s where the online shop japanese-arts-crafts.com comes in. Today, we spoke with Seiichi Koizumi, the CEO of Goodies Co., Ltd., which runs japanese-arts-crafts.com, about their services and the traditional crafts of the Hokuriku region.
– Moving beyond online to experience the real Japanese crafts
Thank you for your time today. First, could you please tell us about the services offered by japanese-arts-crafts.com (JAC)?
Thank you as well. JAC is an e-commerce site that sells traditional Japanese crafts. We focus on high-quality products from the Hokuriku region, highlighting the background of craftsmanship—such as the artisans’ stories and the unique characteristics of each area. Unfortunately, you can’t fully experience the texture or weight of the products online alone. That’s why we encourage customers to visit these places, see and touch the crafts themselves, and truly experience the tradition. As partners with artisans, we also promote their products through physical stores and events, creating more opportunities for foreigners to engage with traditional crafts. Customers can purchase items in physical stores or conveniently through JAC, whether they’re on a journey, returning home to New York, Paris, or Tokyo, for example.
– Easily experience an unfamiliar Japan
What kind of partners do you have?
We have various partners primarily located in Ishikawa Prefecture, such as sake stores, dyeing workshops, and museums where you can experience traditional “ozashiki-taiken”. This is a sitting room experiences at tea houses and traditional Japanese restaurants, enjoying games with Geiko.
I’m sure the “ozashiki-taiken” experience is a very special event. Places where Geiko are present often have an exclusive feel, making them seem off-limits to first-time visitors.
Yes, that’s right. Typically, tea houses (geisha agencies) have an exclusive policy when inviting geisha, so that’s why places like this are created. Our partner, Kanazawa Asanogawa Enyukai Hall, offers experiences such as making traditional umbrellas and sitting room experiences with geisha. It’s a museum where you can experience history. You can also purchase traditional crafts from there on JAC.
You can also check the latest event information on JAC. In the future, we plan to offer various event registrations through the JAC website.
After leaving the trading company, I founded my current company. At that time, we were based in Sumida Ward.
Sumida Ward is known for having various artisans, including those skilled in traditional crafts, right?
Yes, indeed. There are many companies in Sumida Ward that have been continuing their craftsmanship for over 100 years. We’ve supported cases where young second or third-generation artisans challenge overseas expansion, assisting in their export operations. Understanding the greatness of Japan’s traditional techniques firsthand and wanting more people overseas to enjoy Japanese craftsmanship led to the creation of JAC. While the traditional crafts of Hokuriku may not be as well known internationally as those in Kanto or Kansai, there are various traditional crafts. We’re starting from Ishikawa Prefecture, which includes Kanazawa, well-known overseas, but we plan to expand our partners to include Toyama and Fukui in the future.
In March 2024, the Hokuriku Shinkansen extended to Tsuruga City in Fukui Prefecture, improving access from Tokyo and making the region even more attractive. Lastly, please share a message to those looking at belongingJAPAN.
At JAC, we introduce various charms of Hokuriku that major travel agencies do not offer. We encourage you to explore before your trip and consider using our online shop to gift Japan-inspired presents to your family or loved ones abroad. We hope you’ll experience the profound depths of Japan through our online store.
Hokuriku offers a charm distinct from Kyoto and Osaka. Whether offline or online, why not experience a new Japan with JAC? For more details about JAC, please visit the link below.
Details:
Official Site: View Website
- Inquiry: View Website
