There are design stories behind every one of the household items we use on a daily basis. Various creators have shaped them with care and their designs have a polished practicality developed over many years. As we reevaluate the value of objects amid changing lifestyles and new home environments, buyers and creators are spinning new stories out of the design of lifestyle tools.
Hello everyone!
Kitchen tools and kitchen wares, and household items.
In fact, people want designs that speak to them personally.
Their choices reflect their lifestyles, and I find that very appealing.
So join us as we explore these tools for everyday living.
Design stories can be found in everyday household items, infused with incredible attention to detail.
They come in practical shapes that have evolved over years.
Designs honed by ordinary life.
The design of household wares is an important part of today's unique lifestyles.
Join Shaula and me to explore these items.
I'm visiting someone's home today.
Let's meet them. Hello!
How odd to invite you into your home!
- Thank you, Okudaira-san.
- A pleasure!
I feel bad we made it look
like I live here!
You looked good!
This is the famous Okudaira Base?
- And my home, yes.
- It's wonderful.
Okudaira Masashi has spent over a decade recording his daily life in writing and film.
From cooking, to organization and DIY.
Okudaira's thoughtful lifestyle...
...and his genuine pleasure in everyday life has attracted attention!
A major influence on that life are his kitchen tools.
Let's delve into some of his stories.
- You love cooking, right?
- I do.
If you love cooking,
you care about your tools.
Do you have any favorites?
Quite a few.
Take this bowl, for example.
It's for washing rice.
Oh yes.
I've fallen hard for it.
The holes allow the water
to drain after you rinse the rice.
I see.
Oh, it rests like this?
Exactly! So you can leave it to drain.
- I want one for myself!
- I'll give you the name!
And this?
- It's for bread.
- Bread?
- For toasting it.
- It's a good size.
It's from Kyoto. Makes great toast.
- Better than normal?
- It's fluffier.
Those discoveries are so fun.
- Yes.
- Just little things.
It makes breakfast feel more
luxurious, more of a treat.
What matters to you when choosing
a new item for your kitchen?
Whether it suits me.
Function and convenience.
I often find that...
...things that are genuinely easy to use
look refined.
Or they start to feel cool later.
It comes with the functionality.
We've all bought things
because they look good.
Sure.
But then they don't quite work.
And we end up getting rid of them.
I think functionality is the key.
Okudaira keeps many of his well-loved, meticulously designed tools out in the open.
Having them on display like this
turns them into a kitchen design.
Thank you.
I do love these tools.
So part of me enjoys
having them out to look at.
It's useful when I'm cooking.
And it's particularly fun because
I chose each of them myself.
I'd feel bad if I left them to
languish in the back of a cupboard.
I know what you mean.
You pull it out ages later.
Oh, I forgot I owned this!
Exactly.
Okudaira's careful enjoyment of the ordinary began with a single knife.
I began living alone at 18.
I listed up what I needed to buy.
Gathered everything together.
I wanted to be picky.
So I bought this knife.
Well-sharpened!
When did you buy it?
About 12 years ago.
That's a long time.
I've used it for years.
This is where it all started.
It's entirely stainless steel,
easy to wash, and to grip.
And it has a great edge.
I was amazed.
Being choosy was what led to me
enjoying cutting ingredients.
That then led into me enjoying
the process of cooking itself.
Finding one good tool
allowed me to discover more.
I see.
A love for cooking inspired me
to host people for meals.
Now I've taken up photography.
This is where it all began.
Good tools have the power to enrich our everyday lives.
Okudaira now designs his own kitchen tools.
This charmingly avian measuring cup can also be used to make coffee, or as a jug.
Okudaira's designs work off minor observations and frustrations he's had using tools in the past.
His first creation was this wooden measuring spoon.
The key lies in its long handle.
I thought it would be fun to have...
...different measuring spoons
to fit different lifestyles.
You can cut the handle.
Just trim it with gardening shears.
Short enough to fit inside a cup.
Oh, I see!
Or keep it as long as you like.
Everyone gets to choose.
Let's say you have a long jar.
Measuring spoons often
don't reach the bottom.
That's a pain, yes.
But this can scoop the beans.
It's easy to reach the bottom.
Very useful.
I also taste my cooking with these.
Wood never gets too hot.
Oh, that makes sense!
Right? Metal spoons can burn you.
True. The length is great.
This unusually-shaped glass is a container for soy sauce.
It's more than just stylish...
I use it like this.
Let me put a little here.
It's easy to adjust the amount.
It never quite drips!
Like this.
There's a tiny hole here.
Oh yes.
It takes a little practice.
Cover it, then drop.
Interesting! I see.
You always have to pour soy sauce.
That felt a little dull to me.
But it's often in the middle
of the table.
It looks so lonely.
I wanted a container that made
each drop into something fun.
Like chemistry equipment.
A Japanese artisan makes each one.
It takes real skill to make that hole.
It's heated by a flame.
Then the artisan blows
air into it from below.
Not easy!
They have to blow
with just enough force.
This small tool is
a testament to enormous skill.
Truly.
A dropper that ensures just the right amount of soy sauce.
Nothing wasted here!
Okudaira's designs nudge users into noticing the ways everyday items can enrich our lives.
He kindly offers up his kitchen, and we get cooking some mapo tofu!
I notice several other items he's designed.
Oh, I like this.
Such a great edge!
Thank you.
The bowl can handle a naked flame.
It can go straight to the table.
What a great idea!
- I like the spatula.
- It's called "kuki."
It has a straight edge.
- It's flat.
- Exactly.
A wooden spatula perfectly shaped for cooking - I love it.
A curve only moves a little bit of food.
The flat edge is wider.
The curve is for the edges.
- For the edges? I see!
- To make sure nothing gets stuck.
Sorry to disturb your cooking!
Not at all.
Looks great.
Could you cut the tofu?
Thank you.
I'll add these to the bowl.
I don't cut tofu at home.
Yes?
I crumble it like this.
Oh, I see! That's smart.
- A bit much?
- Not at all!
It'll soak up more flavor this way.
- I cook for a crowd, you see.
- That makes sense!
Let's try the spoon.
- Oh!
- Good?
Very good, I like this!
Thank you.
It looks great!
Shall I just dig in?
Go ahead!
I like it on rice.
Oh yeah.
- Is it good?
- Delicious!
I've really enjoyed my visit
to your world today.
Your ideas are inspired by
your own needs and lifestyle.
You've created some impressive,
carefully designed products.
Thank you! That's good to hear.
What are tools to you, Okudaira-san?
Things which make life exciting.
Like my very first knife.
Something which inspires.
A lot of people told me
they didn't enjoy cooking.
But using the tools I designed
has helped change that.
I hope to hear more stories like that.
It's a simple goal, but a big one.
Today, I'm in one of the most historic wholesale districts in Tokyo.
And we're going to a store that specializes in classic Japanese household goods.
Let's see what we find.
Merchants and businesses have been coming to this historic neighborhood on the Kanda River for around 300 years.
So many things.
Hanging from above too.
Such a nostalgic broom.
Hello.
Matsuno-san? Hi!
- Thanks for coming today.
- Thanks for having me.
You have so many items here.
Tote bags.
Woven baskets too.
We focus on "aramono" wares.
That's our business.
Aramono?
Items that aren't mass-produced.
They're made by small workshops
or in rural villages.
We sell simple wares like that.
"Aramono" is a general Japanese term for everyday items used for cleaning, or in kitchens.
Homely but sturdy.
Their sustainable nature is winning them new fans.
Aramono stores first appeared about 400 years ago, during Japan's early Edo period.
Some merchants later sold them on wheeled carts.
Matsuno particularly likes aramono wares that change over the years.
He's hoping the simple, yet functional designs will also appeal to foreign markets.
What drew you to aramono?
My family sold bags.
- Bags?
- For many generations.
I always liked everyday items
that weren't made from petroleum.
I wanted to sell items whose
makers I knew.
I visited aramono makers
all over Japan.
- How many places?
- Almost everywhere.
Almost all!
- This...
- The broom?
Yes, this broom.
An elderly couple in Tochigi
has been making them for decades.
They used hot pink and
bright sparkling colors.
- I didn't like that.
- You didn't?
No, so we cut down the colors
to black and red.
Going from 4-5 shades down
to 2 wasn't hard for them.
I see.
I didn't want to
make their work harder.
Matsuno offers new ideas and product suggestions to ensure such skills don't die out.
Small tweaks can make products more suited to modern lifestyles.
Like these simple boxes.
They're for rice.
- They feel very modern.
- Really?
I visited when people
weren't really buying them.
I asked them to add this name case.
- They didn't have them originally.
- Very simple.
Japanese rice containers used to be made from galvanized iron.
They were popular because the metal doesn't let moisture through, protecting the rice from humidity.
The boxes are made at a small workshop run by a married couple...
...who have been crafting the metal containers for around 35 years.
Almost all of the work is done by hand.
They swiftly and skillfully bend the metal sheets at the perfect angle.
Working by hand is what creates this beautiful curve.
The two pieces are put together and tapped with a wooden hammer.
Each connection takes attention and skill.
A hands-on approach that guarantees a good seal.
It takes many years to really
establish your skills like this.
Your hands know what to do.
That's the nature of the work.
A rise in plastic items has led to fewer people using traditional rice boxes.
Adding the name plate turned the containers into storage cases.
Now people use them for storing clothes or sweets.
It was so new.
We'd never made anything like it.
But I enjoy using it myself.
The lid and name plate are handy.
They really are great.
We even get girls calling it cute!
Matsuno proposed various ideas to ensure their skills were kept alive.
Without the lid, it can serve as a trash can - a versatile item for all kinds of users.
It's a variation on a rice box
so it wasn't too difficult.
Entirely new products are hard.
First of all, you need demand
so you can sell them.
You also need a seller.
We're over 70 but still working.
Past retirement.
Most folks are just sitting around.
It's good to stay busy.
So how do the Matsunos use their aramono wares in their own home?
- Hello!
- Hi, nice to meet you.
- I'm Shaula.
- Matsuno Kinuko.
Matsuno Kinuko runs the store together with her husband Hiroshi.
I can already see several items
from the shop in your kitchen.
The metal rice box, of course.
That's right, with a label.
- Dried gourds and mushrooms.
- Dried foods.
I see. And I can also see
a lot of woven baskets.
How do you use these?
Well, the majority of them are round.
But some of them are open at one end.
I use them for washing vegetables
or to put ingredients into the pot.
Oh, that's how?
Easier to put into the pot.
With a regular shape,
they get caught on the rim.
I just want them to go in!
- I love that you've mended them!
- Thank you.
Part of the design.
Well, it's out of necessity,
I don't know about design.
But the rims do break.
If it starts feeling weak
I'll strengthen it with cloth.
I cut old cloth into thin strips.
Then I wrap that around.
Matsuno also enjoys making cleaning rags from favorite outfits or printed fabric.
She says it makes cleaning more fun!
Does it feel different?
When you make or repair things.
I feel affection towards the items I've made.
I want to use the cloths I sew.
- That makes me want to clean.
- You want to use them!
These cleaning tools are called "hataki."
They're used as dusters.
Matsuno holds a workshop for making hataki with cherished fabric.
It even attracts young participants.
She explains how to use aramono, as well as how to make them.
I'd always worried that hataki end up spreading more dust than collecting it.
Open the door.
Okay.
That's always first.
Then dust top to bottom.
Top to bottom.
Give it a try, tapping it.
That's quite rough.
It's fine.
It doesn't damage anything?
Totally fine.
- So vigorous!
- Not at all.
- Like this?
- Yes, good!
The focus is the dust on these ledges?
Those narrow spots, yes.
I clean with a towel around my finger.
But that's so much work!
It really is!
- A hataki is faster.
- Much faster!
It's over so quickly!
- Right?
- I'm convinced.
Once the dust is on the ground, just sweep it up with a broom.
No need to get the vacuum cleaner out.
Just a quick sweep.
Collect it in a dustpan.
It's very quiet.
You can clean at 6 AM or at 10 PM.
- Like this?
- Easy, right?
I've just had a son which limits
when I can vacuum.
Of course.
Not while he's napping!
It's fast and easy.
Just a quick dust and sweep.
Brooms are so convenient.
Now I've seen aramono in action.
I find them more appealing than ever.
Sustainability and preventing waste.
These have become major trends
in recent times.
But aramono wares tackled those
issues decades ago.
They may seem inconvenient.
But it's all about how you use them.
It's getting harder to ensure
artisans can pass on their skills.
But it all starts with demand.
So that's what we hope to ensure.
They're so easy to use.
If they were expensive,
maybe you'd think twice.
They're easy to get, use,
and look after.
Very convenient tools.
There's a reason we come back
to them over and over.
Beauty in practicality.
Their style, their design.
We're both drawn to it.
Otherwise we wouldn't use them.
- That's key.
- I agree.
It's part of the appeal.
We may not pay much attention to our tools.
But beyond simple convenience, they play a major role in our lives.
I look forward to building lasting relationships with the lifestyle tools that lie in my future.