Among the many things that Japan is well known for, one of them is handmade crafts. When friends travel to Japan, they are bound to bring back delicately handcrafted goods as souvenirs.
Inspired by individually handcrafted goods, Elizabeth Tan and Glen Podiono founded Komagoma, an online shopping site that features some of best made-in-Japan handmade crafts.
“The story of Komagoma began on a cold winter’s day, in a small home of Central Tokyo where we discovered our love for all things individually handcrafted by Nihonjin (???) artisans.
It is such a gift to be able to enjoy the intricate and delicate Japanese craftsmanship in our everyday lives while being constantly reminded about the wonderful stories that lie behind the product. It was not only something we love, but our guests too.
So we thought to ourselves: Why not share the love for these Japanese Handmade crafts with the people back home? This moved us to share Komogoma with our friends, family and you!”
Currently, Komagoma features four Japanese design brands, and according to Time Out Singapore, the founders personally scouted these brands at flea markets and design events around Tokyo. The first one is the SIWA series, created by renowned Product Designer Naoto Fukusawa (±0, Muji and other brands) and Japanese Washi maker ONAO, the Noritake Series, the Imabari Towel brand as well as selected items from Yumiko Iihoshi.
“We hope to offer something special and rare to people unexposed to Japan and, likewise, a marketing and distribution channel for Japanese designers in Asian markets,” said the creators of Komagoma. “We’d also like to share the stories behind the products and designers.”
Customers can also arrange a meet up with Komagoma to view the products at their showroom.
“We would love to meet with you and share more with you about each product, its story and its designer. Sometimes, photographs can’t do these products justice, and because all our products are handmade, no two items are ever the same. Feeling it and seeing it in person can sometimes make you feel even stronger for the brand story.”