Look for the old machiya (townhouse) with a dark wood facade and a single noren curtain bearing the Onoko family crest—a stylized hammer inside a circle.
Buy the copper kettle. Sleep with the kiri wood box at the foot of your bed. Use the tenugui every day. You are not just buying a thing. You are buying a century. Have you visited Onoko Honpo or own one of their pieces? Share your experience in the comments below. To support traditional Japanese crafts, check the official Onoko Honpo Instagram for their next open workshop day. onoko honpo
Unlike mass-production giants that emerged during Japan's post-war economic boom, Onoko Honpo took the opposite path. At a time when plastic and synthetic materials were celebrated as "modern," Onoko Honpo doubled down on natural materials: wood, copper, tin, hemp, and Japanese washi paper. Look for the old machiya (townhouse) with a