… but our independent journalism isn’t free to produce. Help us keep it this way with a tax-deductible donation today. Banana leaves, elk bark, nettle fiber and fish skin are just some of the ...

It’s the details that matter. That expression probably applies to nowhere more than Japan, where crafts are art forms, and their creators given the time to make their magic. Take, for example, the ...

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Picture foam-flecked sea waves, springtime peach blossoms, leafy bamboo and geometric chrysanthemums: these are among the dozens of motifs that make up some 20,000 traditional obi patterns in the ...

For centuries, Japanese farmers repaired worn clothing using a handsewing technique known as sashiko, with textile surfaces punctuated by rain-like patterns of countless single stitches. This practice ...