CURRENT STUDIES
Our thesis: heritage Japanese materials serve as hints toward global living solutions.
RICE
Farming and foraging are imperative to our food system, but fermentation and preservation techniques centered around inoculated rice have also been essential to the survival of an island nation that experiences 72 microseasons across a single year. In diving into the study of historic applications of fermentation and preservation techniques, it’s clear that they not only provide healthful and seasoned dishes, but are also a remarkable tool for community building and reinforcement. This cultural tradition is living proof that the human species is meant to live together and rely on one another.
☑︎ TEXTILE
☑︎ FOOD
☑︎ STRUCTURE
TEA
Japanese tea culture is much more than the green beverage. From harvesting and brewing techniques, to pottery-making, and tea-infused meals, there are cultural, historical, and environmental factors that create tea culture in Japan. Fūdo (wind+earth) refers to “terroir”. Tea is a reflection of this island country’s unique terroir. The clay and sand beneath our feet, the sun that encourages growth, the wind that aerates and distributes, and the water that cycles between mountain, sea, and the sky above. Of these essential natural elements, water has the most profound relationship with tea, as it is compulsory for all stages: growing, making, steeping. And depending on regional micro-nuances of water, the tea that is experienced can change vastly. In better understanding Japan’s relationship with water, we become closer to tea.
☑︎ TEXTILE
☑︎ FOOD
☐ STRUCTURE
SEAWEED
Home is an overarching word that encompasses furniture, architectural design, building materials, gardens, lighting, and even amulets to protect the family from misfortune. Our anthropological investigation of seaweed has led to the study of the earthen wall technique of Japan which has proven that in every material, a mood, sentiment, or emotion is meant to be experienced. Japanese earthen walls are a culmination of the archipelago itself. Made from clay, rice straw, sand, and seaweed, the textures create the feeling intended for the room by delivering a calculated balance of shadow and light. The environmentally-responsible construction materials can go back to the earth or be reused once again.
☑︎ TEXTILE
☑︎ FOOD
☑︎ STRUCTURE
INDIGO
Textiles are said to be noted as the first component of the three sector of living because textiles are our most immediate necessity when we enter this world. We are no longer protected by the fluid of the womb and instead are swaddled in fabric. As we study textiles, Japanese indigo has proven to be one of the most significant natural resources and the technique necessary to transform the plant into a dye has become well-respected globally, yet not well-understood. Japanese indigo is not only a colorant but another vital layer of additional protection. Its antibacterial and fire retardant properties have long-served Japan both physically and spiritually.
☑︎ TEXTILE
☑︎ FOOD
☑︎ STRUCTURE
TIME
Japanese people understand time to be simultaneously eternal and ephemeral. Time is not something that one can “race” or “beat”, as we do not move in the same direction as time. Instead we simply experience time. Time as it washes over us. And we are challenged to observe and leverage this experience.
Koyomi, the historic Japanese calendar, is a playful story that tells the tale of the natural world across 72 mircoseasons. It serves at the North Star for professionals across each sector of Japanese living - textile, food, home. Whether farming, fermentation, fishery, pottery, dyeing, or architecture, koyomi proves to be a powerful navigator, leading us toward more sustainable choices in each field.
The movement of the sun and the moon, the ebb and flow of the ocean, and evolution of shadow and light, are all experiences of time across one day.
And the traditional Japanese color palette is a visual depiction of the ever-evolving shades of the natural world across a single day, a microseason, or a year.
☑︎ TEXTILE
☑︎ FOOD
☑︎ STRUCTURE
Contact
info@kyotoresearchinstitute.com