Blogs

A Small Tool, and the Spirit of Mottainai

A Small Tool, and the Spirit of Mottainai

A small reflection on mottainai, and the quiet story behind one humble kitchen tool I love.

A Small Tool, and the Spirit of Mottainai

A small reflection on mottainai, and the quiet story behind one humble kitchen tool I love.

Sori Yanagi Milk Pan used over 20 years

Designed for Use: Living With Sori Yanagi

Living with Sori Yanagi’s milk pan and stainless steel tools for over twenty years — a reflection on design that quietly reveals itself through use.

Designed for Use: Living With Sori Yanagi

Living with Sori Yanagi’s milk pan and stainless steel tools for over twenty years — a reflection on design that quietly reveals itself through use.

Yoshihiro Nanao, through his work

Yoshihiro Nanao, through his work

A visit to the studio of Yoshihiro Nanao, and a reflection on ceramics made to be used in daily life.

Yoshihiro Nanao, through his work

A visit to the studio of Yoshihiro Nanao, and a reflection on ceramics made to be used in daily life.

A quiet reset for the new year

A quiet reset for the new year

A quiet reflection on replacing a kitchen sponge and tawashi at the start of the year, and how small, everyday resets can shift the rhythm of a home.

A quiet reset for the new year

A quiet reflection on replacing a kitchen sponge and tawashi at the start of the year, and how small, everyday resets can shift the rhythm of a home.

Homemade miso after one year of fermentation, ready to be used in everyday cooking.

A Year Later: Opening the Miso I Made in Novemb...

I made miso at home in November 2024. A year later, I opened it, cooked with it, and was reminded that good things take time—and don’t have to be perfect.

A Year Later: Opening the Miso I Made in Novemb...

I made miso at home in November 2024. A year later, I opened it, cooked with it, and was reminded that good things take time—and don’t have to be perfect.

Thank You for Supporting okappa in 2025

Thank You for Supporting okappa in 2025

A reflective look back on 2025 at okappa, with gratitude for community, makers, and the everyday objects that connect us.

Thank You for Supporting okappa in 2025

A reflective look back on 2025 at okappa, with gratitude for community, makers, and the everyday objects that connect us.