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hinoki flooring for indonesia

This time we shipped a large quantity of hinoki flooring to indonesia.
IMGP9107
The planks have a end match joint.

IMGP9105

We also shipped waterproofing treatment to be applied after installation.
One large can of “kihada ichiban” contains 16Kg and can cover 100m2.
The cost is 100,000JPY + packaging + shipping.
We also can sell 1L, 4L bins.

IMGP9104

Specs for the project:
– Hinoki flooring-
Origin: Kumano (Mie Pref.)
Quality: one face knotless
Cut: ITAME (plank cut)
Finish: planer finish, no coating, tongue/groove edge, end match
Sizes: W120mm x t 12mm x L 2950mm:

2016 Restaurant & Bar Design Awards!

The restaurant and bar The Ocean (Hong Kong, Hong Kong) for which we supplied 8 bathtubs and 2 U-shaped sushi counters has been shortlisted amazingly in two different categories at this years Restaurant & Bar Design Awards.
ocean-sushi-counter

The Restaurant & Bar Design Awards ceremony will be held in London on 29th September 2016.
Everybody, please keep your fingers crossed…
Of course, if you visit Hong Kong do not miss the Ocean!
Shop 303-304, Lobby A, The Pulse, 28 Beach Road, Repulse Bay, Hong Kong

ocean-sushi-arch

show your passion for bathing on the Japanese TV!

2016.7.19 UPDATE- (see at the end of the post)

Dear japan-lovers,
I just sent this email below to the mailing list. I am copying here the text for those of you who are not in the list.
How are you? It has been few months since the last mailing.
Things have been very busy and I did not manage yet to start the “bartok yukata kimonos” collection. Bear with me until september, I will provide updates in the homepage news section so keep an eye on it!
02
Anyway, this mail is about a different topic: I have been contacted by a TV program producer.
(see the original mail here below)
Are you interested in showing off your love for japan on the japanese TV?
Please send me a video (if you prefer you can send it directly to Japan Footage Inc. at the details below).
If you are selected… YES!
You will be invited to Japan as a guest in the TV program!
Check the details in the email here below and/or contact me for any question.
Best//
iacopo~
_________________________________________________________________________
Hello Iacopo,
I’m Senna Tateyama, from Japan Footage Inc.
Now I’m looking for Japanophiles who want to appear on a Japanese TV program “Who wants to come to Japan 世界ニッポン行きたい人応援団”.
(This is the official website: http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/nipponikitaihito/ Unfortunately, only Japanese version is available now.
Facebook page is here: https://www.facebook.com/whowantstocometojapangp/ This one is written in English for the most part.)
I saw your home page, and was really impressed with your Hinoki Wood Japanese bathtub !
It makes me want to ask you a favor. If you know any other non-Japanese Hinoki bathtub lover like you or Hinoki bathtub international networks, could you introduce them to us?
Now we are looking for people who have never been to Japan, but with a strong passion to Japanese traditional culture.
The process of participating to our TV program is,
1. Send us a short video which shows your passion to Hinoki bathtub
2. Selection ( we have a selection meeting every week about who to invite to Japan)
3. The chosen challenger will be invited to Japan to have a special experience in the area of their interests
These are some episodes from our program.
We would like to feature overseas Hinoki bathtub enthusiasts.
(Please note that: We can’t guarantee that the video will be used in this program. The producers of this program will choose some out of many.)
If you’re interested in this project and have any questions about it, please contact me.
We would appreciate it if you could support and cooperate with us!
Best regards,
Senna
□■━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Senna Tateyama
Japan Footage Inc.
Visual Contents Division
8F, Ichigo Shiba-Koen Bldg. 3-12-1, Shiba, Minato-Ku, Tokyo, 105-0014 Japan
Tel：81-3-3452-2711
Fax: 81-3-3452-2722
E-mail: tateyama<at~~mark>jfkinc.jp
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━■□

This is an update about the participation to the japanese TV program.
I spoke with the TV producer: the clause “has never been to japan” is not a sine-qua-non.
What is important to qualify for the participation to the program is the “degree of your passion for japan”. (This was difficult to translate, I hope you can get the message).
They are looking for people with a “deeper interest for japan” than the average tourist.
For instace: if your dream is to become a japanese carpenter, or if you would like to become the apprentice of a pottery maker to learn his the secrets…
They are looking for people with a clear purpose rather than a “general interest about japan”
Please contact Tateyama-san and describe your passion, they will evaluate if you meet the criteria.
Best//
iacopo

sketchup Japanese bathhouse

We are planning a modern Japanese bathhouse to be placed in the garden of a victorian terraced house in London.
from-folding-doors

This is just a concept plan, the client`s local architect will deal about permits, design details etc.

It is a simple layout with outside storage, open terrace, lavatory room and bathroom.

I am proposing a “araidashi” pebble floor and a natural trunk as a kind of “daikoku bashira” free standing column at the corner. The walls are in sugi pine siding and the roof in sheet metal

open-window

A shoji-inspired window in 3 panels opens offering to the bather the preferred balance between view and privacy

look-house

The bathroom features a W1350 D 750mm knotless hinoki  bathtub with copper apron and wooden dowels at the corner joint

look-tub

Accessories include a 1200 x 1400mm “sunoko” floor duckboard invisibly split in 2 panels, hinoki stool and sawara bucket

vanity

Try to look for “bartokdesign” inside the sketchup 3D warehouse if you wish to navigate the model!

sawing of massive hinoki lumber

We have 5 tubs on the “production line” and are in the last stages of the bidding for a large supply for a hotel.
It is going to be a hot summer…

Luckily, we are finding beautiful lumber from our suppliers to replenish stock.
CA3K0036

Yesterday we spent almost the full day slicing massive hinoki lumber.
As the market for traditional hinoki products (sushi counters etc.) is quite slump in Japan our grumpiest suppliers are slowly releasing their hidden treasures…
CA3K0038

hinoki products pamphlets are ready!

160513-bartok-design-panphlet-outside

160513-bartok-design-panphlet-inside

Finally we gave birth to the first Bartok design pamphlet.
Since we sell mainly outside of japan and tru the internet, until now I always procrastinated but now I will be finally able to satisfy all the requests of friends wanting to present the Bartok design tubs and accessories to trade shows, friends and clients.
There are also several hotels catering to international clientele who asked me some presentation material in the past.

If you need some pamphlets or want to promote the Bartok design products (contact iacopo torrini for details) let us know!

Accounting for “save & relocate japanese homes” activity

As promised, here below is the balance sheet for the activity of relocating japanese historic homes.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/191R52WReEc7nonFc3QVEQIuDnEvK64ipfQ4XMKdO9G8/edit?usp=sharing

I did not make the final decision but I think the new activity will be called Japanese Historic Homes and will have a dedicated homepage.

I was (wisely!) advised that if I want to produce concrete results, I should appeal to those interested in owning a japanese home rather than just hoping to find philanthropists with deep pockets and the mission of preserving for posterity as many buildings and environments of value as possible…

“I love your idea of establishing a network to try and preserve more heritage buildings. As far as naming goes I would shy away from “save-japan.org” as this sounds like it could be connected to Fukushima or some other existing cause.
I personally think you need to appeal to those folks who wish to OWN a heritage Japanese home rather than those that wish to SAVE a heritage home, as the former has the means (money) to buy.
Something like Japan-Historic-Homes.org may work. This may facilitate easy web searches. “Heritage” is arguably a more correct word to use but I think some folks may get this confused with modern homes which have a “Heritage style”. “Historic” (or
“Historical”) does sound a bit dry and perhaps over-important, but everyone who looks at the site name will conclude that you mean old, beautiful homes of significance. Anyway, this is just a first effort. I would be very happy to help you further in any way I can.”

So please be in touch and let me know your opinion as well!

All the Best//

iacopo

demolition work almost completed for the fujisawa teahouse

We are sad to see it go but are looking forward to seeing it rebuilt in full glory in Chiba prefecture next year.
It is a big shock for the building but imagine it is like a life saving surgery.
It is painful but all dismantling work was done gently to preserve all the parts.
I cannot imagine this jewel left prey of the bulldozers…

Please find the full photo reportage here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.987206494691338.1073741833.168006413278021&type=3

Ko-minka japanese house in Sakurai looking for owner

Well, it happened: I received another contact about an endangered house.

sakurai kominka outside

It is a over 100 years old house with massive columns and beams located in Nara Prefecture.
I did not see it yet in person but here are some pictures and floor plans.

sakurai city kominka plan

check this link for the full slides.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.987322271346427.1073741834.168006413278021&type=3&uploaded=13

I will post more details as soon as available.

ugly website

Let me publish here the exchange of correspondence I had with a previous customer.
The mail came like a bolt from the blue:

Customer:
> hi
> how is it possible that you sell such expensive high quality baths and
> live in a high tech environment…but your website is so unpractical and
> ugly?
> it stops me from really searching, thats not good pr!
> greetz
> (signature)
> fan of wooden baths
> owner of one.

Dear (customer),

Thank you for your honest comment.
I think you are 100% right.
Actually I am in the process of renovating the HP but it is taking more
time than anticipated.

Please bear with us one more month!

Best//

Bartok design Japan Co.
Manager: Iacopo Torrini
—————————-
e-mail: japan@bartokdesign.com
tel: +81-78-262-6811
fax: +81-78-262-7151
cell.: +81-90-8205-1200
—————————-

ok, accepted!

Sorry for the direct comment, I am Dutch and people from Holland are known for their directness. The difference with southern countries is already big, so you can imagine how it is in Japan

I will visit Japan within 1-2 years, I am interested in japanese woodworkingskills.
Is your business to be visited? Would be nice.

I will be mainly in Nasu (Tochigi) but who knows…
When my current bath will be rotten I defenitely want another ofuro, because it ads a lot of well beinig to my life, using such a bath.

greetings

(signature)

Well I must apologize with all of you as well for the old and non-smartphone optimized HP but, as I said above, YES! the site is under renovation.
It will come also with enhanced web-shop functions and I plan to offer you a heftier slice of Japan, including “karakami” ricepaper, “urushi” lacquer and more!
O tanoshimi-ni ~~

Meanwhile please feel free to send me your bolts… Any comment is appreciated especially if it is helping me improving the service.

All the Best//

iacopo torrini

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