About

KONNICHIWA AND WELCOME TO UGUiSU
WE ARE AN INDEPENDENT BUSINESS STARTED IN 2009 DISPATCHING PIECES OF JAPAN TO THE WORLD DIRECTLY FROM JAPAN,

In 2009 we began selling a carefully curated selection of Japanese products to the world through our online store.
Our aim is to source unusual pieces from artisans and small makers. We look for works with cultural or traditional significance, special items that tell a story, hard to find objects and every day items with beauty.

UGUiSU’s range features a collection of paper items, linens and textiles, tableware, accessories, jewellery and books. Even though our range is diverse, each item has one thing in common - no piece is mass produced and all are made with care.

Most of our items are designed and/or produced in Japan, many are hard to find in Tokyo and some items are only available for international sales through our store.

Thank-you so much for visiting our online store. We hope you find something special here, something that makes you or a loved one smile.

Please know, your item will be packed with care, and arrive all the way from Japan.

We feel so proud to introduce our favourite makers to the world.

Arigato,
Hikaru Komura (aka Hiki)

UGUISU is pronounced [ oo・goo・ee・sue ].
It’s the name of a Japanese bird that has an enchanting singing voice which is seen as a sign of the arrival of spring in Japan.

WHERE WE ARE BASED

We closed our physical store at the end of 2019 after some wonderful seven years welcoming many many lovely people visiting from all over the world in the beautiful and historical building in the Azabu/Roppongi district, left our hometown Tokyo to move to a small country town Mashiko (Tochigi prefecture) 100km north of Tokyo at the beginning of 2020 - just in time before the pandemic!

Mashiko is known as one of the major pottery towns in Japan as well as the Mecca of Mingei. There are said to be close to 400 independent artists living in this small town moving in from all over Japan.
We currently have no shopfront but operating as Online Store only working even more closely with individual artists and small makers trying to introduce pieces of Japan to the world from this beautiful small craft town surrownded with nature and creative people.

WORKING WITH ARTISTS

Over the years we have collaborated with many wonderful artists from all over the world. Collaborating with our favourite artists is another thing we truly enjoy. Here are the amazing talents we have collaborated together:

Hana Akiyama, Michelle Mackintosh, Flora Waycott, Beci Orpin, Alice Oehr, Mary Gaudin, Hanna Konola, Grace Lee, Renilde de Peuter, Natsuko Kozue, Ros Lee, Isabelle Boinot, EARTH.ROPE.POT.PLANT, Good Morning Birds, Emma Cassi, Justine Wong.

We've also had Pop Up events: at T-Site Daikanyama Tokyo in 2015, and in 2016 at The Boroughs in Melbourne Australia with a very special thanks to the owner of this wonderful store Alasdair MacKinnon.