Shows / It's All Japanese to Me
It's All Japanese to Me
Short episodes on one Japanese word at a time, about craft, design, and everyday life in Japan. Hosted by Rikuto Murakami, a design researcher and co-founder of No-to-Katachi (Field & Form), a research and design unit.
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Episodes
It's All Japanese to MeEp. 12 — Mingu: the tools of everyday life
Today’s word is “mingu,” the tools and utensils that ordinary people have used in daily life. It looks like “mingei” from the last episode, but mingu research…
It's All Japanese to MeEp. 11 — Mingei: in Yanagi’s own words
Today’s word is “mingei,” usually translated as folk craft. I look at how Yanagi Sōetsu himself explained it, in his 1941 book What is Mingei? and in an…
It's All Japanese to MeEp. 10 — Furudōgu: old tools, not quite antiques
Today’s word is “furudōgu,” tools that have been used until they are old. I look at how it sits next to “kottō,” usually translated as antiques, and at Yanagi…
It's All Japanese to MeEp. 9 — Ma: space, time, and the gap between
Today’s word is “ma.” In English, it is often translated as “negative space.” But a Japanese dictionary gives a long list of meanings that move between space…
It's All Japanese to MeEp. 8 — Fūai: the feel of a material
Today’s word is “fūai.” A Japanese dictionary of chemistry describes it as a term for how good a woven or knitted fabric feels to the touch and how beautiful…
It's All Japanese to MeEp. 7 — Shibui: from a bitter taste to a quiet beauty
Today’s word is “shibui.” A Japanese dictionary lists five meanings: the astringent taste of a certain kind of persimmon, a calm and quiet kind of beauty, a…
It's All Japanese to MeEp. 6 — Sashiko: stitching cloth to make it last
Today’s word is “sashiko.” It is known today as a stitching technique, but it began as a way to mend worn clothing, make it stronger, and keep people warm. I…
It's All Japanese to MeEp. 5 — Getemono: plain things, and odd things
Today’s word is “getemono.” A large Japanese dictionary gives it two meanings: cheap, simple everyday goods, and things that people see as strange. I talk…
It's All Japanese to MeEp. 4 — Kintsugi: mending with lacquer and gold
Today’s word is “kintsugi,” joining with gold. I look at what a Japanese dictionary says about it: the pieces are held together with urushi lacquer, the gold…
It's All Japanese to MeEp. 3 — Mitate: seeing one thing as another
Today’s word is “mitate,” seeing one thing as another. I talk about how the Omotesenke school of tea explains the word, two well-known stories about Sen no…
It's All Japanese to MeEp. 2 — Yō no bi: the beauty of use
Today’s word is “yō no bi,” the beauty of use. I talk about Yanagi Sōetsu and the mingei movement, the difference between “yō no bi” and functional beauty, and…
It's All Japanese to MeEp. 1 — Hello: a design researcher in Japan
In this first episode, I introduce myself and No-to-Katachi (Field & Form), a small research and design unit in Japan, and share why I’m starting this podcast…