Yoshihito Katata Crafts Tojiro Knife Gallery Hanare in Tokyo with Traditional Techniques
Yoshihito Katata, the designer, has unveiled the Tojiro Knife Gallery Hanare, a compact 30-square-metre venue situated in Tokyo's Asakusa area, which opened alongside the Tojiro flagship he crafted in 2023. This space reimagines the traditional Japanese hanare, creating a cozy environment for customers to engage with brand specialists. The entrance features a steel louvre design inspired by senbon-gōshi, while the interior walls are finished with a plaster blend of straw and earth sourced from Tsubame-Sanjo, applied by Ishizuki Plastering Industry. Yasuda kawara ceramic tiles adorn the floor, complemented by stainless-steel cabinetry from Vivaz. Knives are showcased in charred cedar niches, and a central table with a glass top rests on a river stone, reflecting Tojiro's manufacturing heritage. The monochromatic color scheme adapts to changing light conditions.
Key facts
- Yoshihito Katata designed the Tojiro Knife Gallery Hanare in Tokyo's Asakusa district.
- The Hanare is a 30-square-metre auxiliary space separate from the Tojiro flagship, which Katata also designed in 2023.
- The design reinterprets the traditional Japanese hanare architectural concept.
- The steel entrance louvres reference senbon-gōshi, a traditional thousand-bar lattice style.
- Walls were hand-finished with plaster mixed with straw and earth from the Tsubame-Sanjo region by craftspeople from Ishizuki Plastering Industry.
- Floor tiles are Yasuda kawara clay-based ceramics made by Marusan Yasuda Kawara Kogyo, reduction-fired at approximately 1,200°C.
- Knives are displayed on charred cedar dowels in recessed niches, referencing Japanese sword storage.
- A glass-topped table is supported by a massive stone sourced from a river near the Tojiro factory.
Entities
Artists
- Yoshihito Katata
Institutions
- Tojiro
- Tojiro Knife Gallery Hanare
- Ishizuki Plastering Industry
- Marusan Yasuda Kawara Kogyo
- Vivaz
- Azure Magazine
Locations
- Tokyo
- Japan
- Asakusa
- Niigata
- Sanjo
- Tsubame-Sanjo