Six Japanese brands made in Düsseldorf
Design, treats & Japanese lifestyle
Ceramics, jewellery, home décor pieces and gin, all made in Düsseldorf. We would like to recommend six Japanese brands from Düsseldorf to you. The Dorf – The Market is taking place for the fourth time under the motto: A Day in the Park. And that park is Hofgarten Park. Along Jägerhofallee to the Theatermuseum, 25 designers and high-profile individuals from the Düsseldorf food and creative scene will be selling their products, with a particular focus on Japanese brands and design. Here are six of the best.
Yoshi Nama
Little Tokyo has its own gin, crafted by Yoshi Nama – on the one hand a brand, on the other a kind of alter ego of Max, the brand’s founder. Yoshi is the illustrated character on the gin label. He is a Tanuki, which is a cross between a marten and a dog. An intriguing backstory, and a gin made from the finest ingredients. The most important botanicals are juniper berry, yellow gentian, cranberry and blackthorn combined with lemon and grapefruit peel. Yoshi Nama’s cute Tanuki range now also includes a Mikan gin, Dragon gin and a matcha vodka.
Suzusan
Hiroyuki Murase (see main photo) has been running his design studio Suzusan in Düsseldorf since 2008. He started off with two lines – Suzusan Luminaires and Suzusan Accessoires – and now also has a fashion line. They all have one thing in common: handcrafted, sculptural design. Hiroyuki takes his inspiration from a 400-year-old Japanese textile finishing technique called shibori, which involves the textile’s surfaces first being bound, stitched or folded and then dyed in a second step. This creates colour gradients and structures in a similar way to batik. For Hiroyuki, this is a contemporary way of, as he says, “not only preserving tradition, but also creating it.”
Mittsu
Simple, unique & elegant – these are the three pillars of the Mittsu jewellery label owned by Mitsuyo Oppermann. Mitsuyo’s designs focus on natural stones and her delicate earrings incorporate lots of amethyst, lapis lazuli, freshwater pearls and onyx. Joyful colours and a certain asymmetry bring the jewellery to life. The pieces are all handmade using materials from Japan and Germany.
Amesankoh
Tote bags, shirts and sweaters form the core of Amesankoh’s products. But in a strange way, the products are not the focus – they seem to be a means to an end. If you take a closer look at the brand, you will notice that each product conveys a piece of Japanese culture, starting with the name of the label. In Japan, Amesankoh expresses the idea that even when times are hard or when it rains, you should not lose sight of your three rays of light, namely hope, dreams and goals. The Tsukimi-de-Ippai t-shirt, meanwhile, is based on the Japanese card game Hanafuda and represents a lucky hand that translates as ‘moon gazing with a cup of saké’. If you want to know more, you’ll have to buy a T-shirt made in Düsseldorf.
Jimu Kobayashi
Born and raised in Düsseldorf, ceramic artist Jimu Kobashi has set up his studio in the city’s Flingern district. His works are understated and follow a minimalist approach. They are easily recognisable by the family crest that is branded into each piece. Some people may even have already eaten ramen from one of Jimu’s bowls, as his family runs the Naniwa restaurant on the corner of Oststrasse and Klosterstrasse. Rooted and made in Düsseldorf.
Takumi Ogata
The illustrator and graphic designer Takumi Ogata moved to Germany in 2000 after studying oil painting in Japan. He has lived in Düsseldorf since 2007 and recently exhibited his work at the inaugural Dezain Crush. He says of himself that he is always on the lookout for oddities. His illustrations are characterised by attention to detail and fine lines and his projects include clothing and poster designs.
For further information on The Dorf – The Market, visit thedorf.de.
Photos: Press photos
