The fair also helps by channeling donations to the Obori Soma Yaki ware production in Fukushima prefecture where the damages are immeasurable.

The key here is “no particular reason”. Kokeshi dolls stand high in the ranking of totally useless, but necessary artifacts of traditional crafts.

Kinakina Kokeshi are white, featureless. I don’t know the name of this one, black, bruised because it has had a life, made shiny by wax now drying.

It all belongs to the same world, the slab of wood on four massive feet that supports your breakfast, you know, that grilled fish and the pickles and the rice at the inn that are so … exotic, and a must-be part of the “we went on to a trip in the countryside, and people were so nice and good natured” kind of me-too saw this done that travel into backyard Japan. If you start shunning at these, you will quickly end up into the contemporary “kawaii” accessory range of cute wares I will try my best in the Daily Kogei not to cover.

Because, as with Mr. Eiji Oka of Shimane prefecture, with whom I spoke in length and relished at his storyteller talents, his workshop of some ten craftsmen have been delivering both the massive table, and the exquisite matcha tea delicate spoon, all from the same good old and sturdy woods, namely, black persimmon, but also chestnut and zelkova, that is, woods that won’t break anytime soon.

Everything at his workshop started in a world of art, charm and exclusive intellectualism. That is why at the core of the Okaya workshop know-how is the carving of wares that belong to the tea ceremony, what with the boxes to keep parchment like letters and poems neatly boxed on a sturdy, bi colored low table.

The problem is that these pleasant activities have been declining way before Astroboy came into the picture. Mr. Oka adapted and is offering everything, from highbrow delicious to down to earth objects you will love to have – and use – everyday, not because they feel cool, but because they oozes of serenity.

The pleasures of daily life here start by noticing how the spoon you grabbed to eat that yogurt, not the metallic one, but that  laquered one, is so smooth and light in the hand. You can have a small, reasonably priced collection of such wares, starting from chopsticks, that warm up the day in tiny touches without notice. It goes down to the shoehorn at the entrance. When you start noticing it with content, it means you’ve come home in Japan.

Okaya web site, crowded like a furniture shop, is here to discover.

Mr. Hatakenaka is a native of Wajima city in Ishikawa prefecture, land among other things of laquer tradition. He is now located in Yokohama though and has been active in art circles since the 80s.

His current focus is washi, Japanese sturdy traditional paper, with a slew of trompe l’oeil like jeweleries and ultra light mural designs that can also be assembled to create huge artistic shapes of paper waxed with laquer. The pictures tell enough.

Another work by Takeshi Igawa was on display until yesterday at the Cavin-Morris gallery in New York, as part of the FLAWLESS:  Contemporary Japanese Lacquer exhibition. To see other examples of contemporary urushi works, go the gallery web site above, look for current or past show at Cavin-Morris.

This feather like box is a beauty, believe me. It is made of washi, of course, lacquered, of course. It absolutely requires delicate manipulation. It allows me to show you a glimpse of Box Prototype 2. Readers already know I am into boxes.

This one ushers so far in unthinkable possibilities. You might wonder or already understand what’s in this see-through box. Yes, it has to do with the olfactory world of Japan. More on this at stage 3.

Next you will head to Isetan department store in Shinjuku for the Isetan Japan Senses and a dazzling show of various contemporary crafts works around the keywords of wood, lacquer and paper. Here is a tantalizing selection. This one is running until April 19th.