Osaka大阪
Food from across Japan was bought and sold in Osaka's markets, and the city came to be called “the nation's kitchen” (天下の台所).
Source · Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Japanese objects · brought to California
SAY-WAH · STUDIO SAEWA
We look for Japanese objects made with care, and bring them to California with the names and stories of the people who made them. We are starting in Kansai.
Stories worth keeping, and the objects that carry them.
How it moves
One cycle, repeated with each maker- MakerNamed, in a named place
- Object + storyDocumented at the workshop
Curation, editorial, retail- CaliforniaCustomers and the shops that carry us
- InsightWhat resonates, and why
Credit, and what we learn, go back to the maker. Then we go again.
Where we're starting
Kansai 関西
Within a day's train ride of Osaka are towns that have made the same things, and made them well, for generations. We haven't chosen our makers yet. These are some of the places and traditions we are starting with.
What we're looking forTextilesBags and accessoriesHome goodsDesign objects
Sakai堺 · 大阪府
Sakai's traditional crafts include chūsen dyeing and wazarashi bleached cotton, alongside its knives and incense.
Source · Sakai CityNara奈良 · 奈良県
Ink-making in Nara is said to have begun at Kōfuku-ji temple in the Muromachi period. By the Edo period, Nara was one of the best-known ink-producing towns in Japan.
Source · Nara City
December 2026 · The first trip
This December,
This December,
we start in Osaka.
Our first sourcing trip to Kansai, for workshops, introductions and a lot of listening. We'll write down what we find, and share the first field notes when we're home.
Write to us →
CALIFORNIA KANSAI
Saya has spent her life going back to Japan, and bringing others along. Studio Saewa is how we share what we find.
Saya's story →