Well, what do you think the guys at Bartok design do to celebrate every time the full moon coincides with the Autumn Equinox?
Of course, they build an outlet bathtub, round like the full moon! (and I’m sure there are quite a few people who have been waiting for a round bath!!)
Everybody who guessed right (and will but the tub): a complimentary sawara wood bucket for you! (of course round…)
If you missed the right answer… read through all out Q&A twice and try again on next outlet tub chance!
Here are the details:
sizes: Dia 920mm x H740mm (external dimensions) 630mm(depth) Material: knotless natural Sawara wood bathtub.
1) AB grade tub (quarter sawn) : 325,000. JPY
2) Packaging: 105x105x84cm reinforced cardboard box: 27,000. JPY 3) transportation: to be quoted (please let us know your exact address and postal code: we will provide a quotation before you purchase the tub)
To all who followed the story of the outlet tub uploaded on 7/7 , well … there is a sequel ! Orihime was happy to meet her lover Hikoboshi on the “tanabata day” but as you can imagine she became even more sad the day after, knowing she had to wait 364 more days before the reencounter.
She thought about what to do in order to be able to see Hikoboshi again. She thought thoroughly for 7 days. Then for 7 more days. Then another 7 days. On the 28th of the month, she had a SMART IDEA! She asked her father King Tentei to purchase for her a sawara bathtub from Bartok design. Hikoboshi who was working part-time for a forwarding company, delivered the ofuro so she could meet him again without waiting for the next year! From that day on, every time Princess Orihime enters the tub she feels the warm water embracing he as if she were in her lover`s arms.
Well, as with the previous Tanabata story, also the sequel may not be exactly the version you will find in the textbooks, but the possibility that this happened in reality cannot be excluded in principle…
And if you want to feel the same as Orihime, you can purchase the outlet tub below: (only one piece, first come first serve basis)
sizes: 1100mm x W700mm x H680mm (external dimensions) 600mm(depth) knotless natural Sawara wood bathtub.
1) AB grade tub (quarter sawn) : 386,000. JPY 2) Packaging: 123x83x78cm reinforced cardboard box: 27,000. JPY 3) transportation: to be quoted (please let us know your exact address and postal code: we will provide a quotation before you purchase the tub)
I apologize for the long gap in communication but wanted to let you know everything worked out wonderfully for our ofuro being completed. The hose suggestion was perfect and the washer was the correct type, there was no need to drill any space into the wood. Here are a few pictures of the completed tub.
I am so happy to be able to enjoy soaking in my tub weekly and the smell is so wonderfully unique and so relaxing.
I thank you so, so much for all of your immediate answers to so many of my probing questions, starting a few years ago now, and even when the time difference was many hours into your evenings!
I have been singing your praises all along to anyone I tell the long saga of my ofuro and I am happy to recommend you to anyone who is interested in an ofuro for their bathroom project.
Thank You!!!!
S. from the USA
Reply:
Dear S,
Thank you for your kind words!
The installation is very smart and I think it could be of reference for many other ofuro lovers.
Do you think I could upload the photos and your comments in our testimonial corner?
Of course I would omit any personal information and shorten your name.
Today, July 7th is a special day all over Japan where people celebrate Tanabata, the Star Festival. It is about the story of two lovers: Princess Orihime, the cloth weaver, and Hikoboshi, the cow herder who lived on the other side of the Milky Way. (Also associated with the two stars Vega and Altair) The two fell in love and married but their love and devotion were so deep that Orihime stopped weaving and Hikoboshi neglected his cattle. King Tentei, (Orihime’s father) became angry and forbade the lovers to be together, but Orihime got very sad, so King Tentei decreed that the two star-crossed lovers could meet once a year– on the 7th day of the 7th month … if … if they presented him a bartok design`s ofuro !!
The two lovers did not have a lot of savings but they found a perfect model in the outlet corner and took advantage of the cheap yen, so they immediately ordered it. King Tentei was tantalized by the refined aroma and silky texture of the ofuro: forgave the lovers on the spot, and everybody lived happily ever after.
Wow ! Well, the story has been slightly modified to fit this device … anyway, the takeaway is that if you are relaxed and energized, everybody around you will become happy in a win-win situation.
And like every July 7th, now it is your unique opportunity to secure a new and pristine outlet tub to enjoy life also the other 364 days of the year ＼(^o^)／ Details are shining here below:
sizes: L1300mm x W750mm x H630mm (external dimensions) 550mm(depth)
1) Japanese Sawara Cypress wood AB grade bathtub (quartersawn): 426,000. JPY（too good to be true!） 2) Packaging: 150x95x83cm plywood box: 41,000. JPY 3) transportation: to be quoted (please let us know your exact address and postal code: we will provide a quotation before you purchase the tub)
You can see the kumiko craftsmanship, the process of turning square timber into round sticks, and the final finishing touches to the bathtub using a hand plane. And at the end, we and the Dubai team all ate watermelon together with the grandpa, grandma: even more than the filming until now, this was definitely a scene belonging to movie set!
A client and friend in Singapore set up an apartment for guests and equipped it with a hinoki bath but since it is rarely used they are considering renting or selling the property.
As they already have an ofuro in their main house, this beauty will need to find another loving household.
Anybody interested? Of course, it is possible to ship, but a “new family” in Singapore would be the easiest and cheapest solution.
Specs are:
Japanese Hinoki wood AB grade bathtub (quartersawn)
L1300mm x W750mm x H650mm (ext. dimensions) 560mm(deep)
Price is 550,000 JPY (and you will have to do the moving)
Conditions are pristine, practically never used.
Get in touch with iacopo at japan@bartokdesign.com for further info or to organize a viewing.
I am glad to re-publish here the proposal do salvage and re build a beautiful temple that was doomed for demolition in 2022.
the long tail of the pandemy froze the situation for a couple of years but now the countdown has been s
et up again and the d-day is now December 2024.
so we have 2-3 months to find a candidate and 2-3 months for the actual dismantling work.
I am sharing below the information of 2 years ago.
Exchange rate and shipping costs should have become more favorable as well, so please let us know your advice 🙌
I am not sure if it is sad news or happy news, …but yes! we can definitely turn it into a 100% happy news!
An old temple (called Josen-ji) located in Kameyama (Aichi prefecture) will be demolished in early 2023. The building is said to be at least 150 years old (but judging from the photos I think even more)
The elegant noyane (double roof) slanted iri-moya roof (a mix between hip roof and gable roof) is finished with the “hongawara” roof tiles which means that there are 2 separate parts, one for the concave and one for the convex components.
The size of the hon-do (main hall) is about 11m x 11m + external corridor.
It seems unbelievable, but they are also going to demolish and dump the gorgeous gold plated altar and massive scuptured ranma panels (；ﾟДﾟ)！
we had many lovely stories and adventures with out customers and friends, but the one I am about to share reaches into the legendary.
first of all the subject: Santiago, Colombian architect operating in Los Angeles and star in the shooting of the special on Bartok design that was aired by NHK few years ago.
We have been in touch since 2009 (for some 15 years!), done 3 projects together, shared information and dreams… and now we finally meet in Tokyo!
Santiago is on a solo trip towards the traditional town of Arimatsu near Nagoya and he was so kind to give me a ring.
First, we headed to our workshop in Chiba and then to meet our top batter craftsman, the shy but warm-hearted Wada San.
The meeting was crowned by a glorious sushi dinner at the shop run by a grumpy as much as sweet couple.
Now that we could connect also in the real world I am sure many more adventures are waiting for us!
It has been two years, but I wanted to let you know that late last year I finally installed the beautiful tub I ordered in 2022. Attached is a picture of the final result. My son enjoys splashing in it and I enjoy a hot soak.
This is quite amazing, also because I do not know how it could happen that our paths did not cross before.
Steve Beimel is a Californian guy living in Kyoto for some 50 years. He is leading a project that has been on my wishlist for years: making traditional crafts shine. It is not just a matter of saving, preserving or protecting. Beautiful things have the inner power to shine, and Steve is master in giving them right push into the limelight.
As the famous Mendelhsson quote recites: “tradition is the tendering of the fire, not the worship of the ashes”.
And definitely Steve knows the path as well as walks the path.
He ran a customized experiences travel agency for foreign tourists in search for the true japan but just before Covid he shifted full time to the https://www.japancraft21.com/ project.
I think I cannot describe his aim and mission as well as he does, so I would like to encourage those interested to get in touch with him directly.
Let me just say one thing: not only he is generously supporting talented craftsmen and renovating a gorgeous machiya but taking advantage of new regulations in the japan building standard law, he is taking the lead in building from scratch the first Machiya in 80 years!
I have the feeling that the two of us will find many projects to cooperate on, and you will learn a lot about him here in the future. But the bridging of the traditional knowledge to the new generations cannot wait, so I decided to share his info with the Bartok community with the hope that you also could find your personal projects to develop together with Steve.
