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INSPIRATIONS

Japan and Korea know-how, travel and art of living in your mailbox.

INSPIRATIONS

An invitation to linger over the details, to feel the passage of time, and to find beauty in imperfection. To share our poetic and subtle vision of Japan and Korea — through their artisans, way of life, and culture — and to offer you a few insights for journeys rich in emotion.

Le mouvement Sōdeisha : une révolution silencieuse de la céramique japonaise

The Sōdeisha Movement: A Silent Revolution in Japanese Ceramics

The Sōdeisha movement revolutionized postwar Japanese ceramics by freeing them from any utilitarian function. From Yagi Kazuo to Kumakura Junkichi, this silent revolution continues to inspire a ne...

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Sung-mi Kim et l’héritage cousu main de la Corée

Sung-mi Kim and Korea's Hand-Sewn Legacy

In Seoul, Sung-mi Kim perpetuates the forgotten techniques of traditional Korean sewing. Ramie, hemp, natural dyes, ancient techniques… Each hand-sewn piece embodies a discreet and refined textile...

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Hansan-ramie : la finesse inégalée d’un textile coréen ancestral

Hansan-ramie: the unparalleled finesse of an ancestral Korean textile

Handwoven using ancestral techniques passed down by the women of Hansan, Korean ramie boasts unparalleled lightness and finesse. Discover the history of this rare textile, a World Heritage Site.

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Comment entretenir un objet en laque japonaise urushi : le guide expert

How to care for a Japanese urushi lacquerware object: the expert guide

A few simple steps are enough to prolong the deep and immutable beauty of Japanese lacquer, provided you understand its nature and requirements.

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Laque urushi japonaise : reflets du temps et de la main

Japanese urushi lacquer: reflections of time and hand

Why, when faced with an object made of Japanese urushi lacquer, does the gaze linger with this moved curiosity , almost meditative? There is in these deep surfaces, in this subtle dialogue between...

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Sur les routes du Tōhoku : un Japon paisible, loin des foules

On the roads of Tōhoku: a peaceful Japan, far from the crowds

Autumn trip to Tōhoku: personal travel diary and practical advice for discovering a calm, discreet, rural Japan.

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L’école Rimpa : l’art de la stylisation poétique au Japon

The Rimpa School: The Art of Poetic Stylization in Japan

Among Japan's great aesthetic movements, few have left such a singular mark as the Rimpa school. Neither an academy nor a hereditary lineage, Rimpa is a movement without a manifesto, born in Kyoto...

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Sous la neige, la porcelaine - un voyage au Japon et en Corée

Under the snow, porcelain - a journey to Japan and Korea

In the snowy countries, immaculate whiteness covers everything, ephemeral and silent. Like it, the white porcelain and ceramics of Japan and Korea capture the light in a rare purity.

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Kōgō et nerikō : la rencontre entre la céramique et l’encens japonais

Kōgō and nerikō: the meeting between ceramics and Japanese incense

Little-known treasures of Japanese incense art, kōgō and nerikō are precious objects offering a unique sensory experience.

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Natsume, la poésie des motifs dans la cérémonie du thé

Natsume, the poetry of patterns in the tea ceremony

In the Japanese tea ceremony, the natsume is much more than a simple container: it captures the evanescence of the seasons through the finesse of its patterns created with gold powder on the deep ...

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De la Terre et du Feu : Introduction à la Céramique Japonaise

Of Earth and Fire: An Introduction to Japanese Ceramics

A Millennial Tradition and a Timeless Art Japanese ceramics are much more than just a craft. They embody the essence of Japanese culture, a silent dialogue between man and nature. Each piece is...

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Nos salons de thé préférés à Kyōto : une immersion dans l'art du thé

Our Favorite Teahouses in Kyoto: An Immersion in the Art of Tea

Tea rooms in Kyoto: a personal selection to discover the soul of the city through its tea rooms, contemporary experiences, havens of calm and refinement.

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Les Vases en Céramique Japonaise : Symbolique et Usage

Japanese Ceramic Vases: Symbolism and Usage

Ceramic vases in Japan play a key role in the aesthetic and spiritual culture of the country. Beyond being extremely decorative objects, they are supports for an assertive artistic expression, not...

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Les Boîtes Japonaises en Laque : Objets d'Art et de Tradition

Japanese Lacquer Boxes: Objects of Art and Tradition

Japanese society is renowned for its meticulous attention to detail and rituals, which explains the diversity and beauty of precious Japanese boxes. Among these treasures, urushi lacquer boxes st...

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Laque, or et cérémonie du thé : dans les secrets du natsume japonais

LACQUER, GOLD AND TEA CEREMONY: THE SECRETS OF JAPANESE NATSUME

The beauty of exceptional Japanese craftsmanship is concentrated in a single object that fits in the palm of your hand: jet-black urushi lacquer with a multitude of layers applied week after week, ...

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L’ART DES FEUILLES DE SUNGWOO CHOI

SUNGWOO CHOI'S LEAF ART

Sung Woo Choi's leaf spoons, made from wood patiently carved in his workshop in the north of Seoul, fill us with wonder: they touch something deep inside us, a graceful object that doesn't even nee...

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L'ÉLOGE DE L'OMBRE : LE JAPON DE JUNICHIRO TANIZAKI

IN PRAISE OF THE SHADOW: JUNICHIRO TANIZAKI'S JAPAN

In Japan, the main aim will be to block out natural light, which will then only be indirect, diffused, attenuated, precarious and transformed by the 'obstacles' it encounters along the way.

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Pojagi, l'art de l'emballage coréen

The art of Korean pojagi wrapping

Atelier Ikiwa is committed to skillfully wrapping your purchases in delicate fabrics that we bring back from our travels to Seoul, thus allowing the subtle and wonderful art of pojagi, Korean wrapp...

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MONO NO AWARE, L’ÉMOTION NOSTALGIQUE DES OBJETS

MONO NO AWARE, THE NOSTALGIC EMOTION OF OBJECTS

Have you ever been moved by the spectacle of ephemeral nature or by the nostalgic contemplation of an object that brings back precious memories? Then you're familiar with the Japanese concept of mo...

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CARNET DE VOYAGE À SÉOUL

SEOUL TRAVEL DIARY

It seems that Seoul is one of those cities that doesn't at all resemble the image we have of it. It's not a city whose beauty is obvious. And is it beautiful? Well, not really, by my own standards....

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