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15 years with you!!

Hi everybody~

Here is a brief update on the recent developments @ Bartok.
I have been designing, producing and shipping japanese ofuro bathtubs worldwide since 2003.

(about 500 ofuros sent to 49 countries and counting!).

Recently, B2B projects (hotels, spas and other commercial uses) have been increasing to about half of the yearly sales.

Yet, I have never participated to a specialized trade show – with the exception of a brief visit to the Spa & Beauty Exhibition in Paris in 2013.

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of Bartok design, I decided to be present at not one…

not two…

actually three! specialized trade shows before the end of the year.

Here are the dates: it will be wonderful to meet you if you happen to be around (who knows, life can be unpredictable…)

(1)

I will be in Dubai for the Hotel show from 9/16 morning until 9/18 afternoon (plane leaving at 17:00) I will also have to go to Abu Dhabi for a meeting so I think I will have to postpone to the next occasion that camel tour in the desert you are about to recommend me…!

(2)
I will also visit the ISPA in Phoenix (AZ) from 9/24 – 26 (arriving on 23 evening and departing on 27 morning). Do they have camels in Arizona?

(3)

Finally, I will exhibit at the Hotelier Summit Asia in Jakarta on 12/5 and 6.

Exciting! I have never been to Indonesia!

I hope to see you there … and if we miss eachother I promise that I will bring back a suitcase full of presents in terms of new ideas and products that can enhance your bathing experience and japanese style wellbeing.

Of course I will be delighted if you will write me to share any advice you may have about Dubai or Phoenix.

For the chat about Jakarta I will catch up again with you later in october or november.

Please contact me by email at japan@bartokdesign.com

Thank you in advance for your help!

All the Best//

Bartok design Japan Co.

iacopo torrini

pocket onsen ‘GYO’ campaign ending tomorrow!

I should have written this earlier, but life is busy also in this part of the world…
Tomorrow the indiegogo campaign is closing (the project is founded! thanks everybody!)
If you are considering to purchase a “GYO” for yourself or to give as a present, this is the last chance.

After the campaign is finished, I will add the GYO to the Bartok shop but the price will include a profit margin. I was considering 1.5 times (which is still very reasonable). For instance, the basic set with young trees oil will become 45 USD instead of 30 USD.
On the other hand, the cost does not really take into account the time for packaging, labeling etc. so I might set higher prices.
Also, 2 operators are interested in distributing the pocket onsen (maybe OEM) so I will have to protect their prices. In brief, I am now considering to set retail prices to about 210% of the production costs (which is still very reasonable!)
pocket onsen GYO – young trees → 6,000 JPY including shipping (now 30 USD + shipping)

pocket onsen GYO – special reserve → 9,000 JPY including shipping (now 50 USD + shipping)

pocket onsen GYO – compare set → 12,000 JPY including shipping (now 65 USD + shipping)

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earthquake in Osaka

For all of you who heard the news of the earthquake in Osaka and kindly thought of us: WE ARE OK.
I also received several messages thru Facebook and Whatsapp: thank you for your caring!

Osaka was the most shaken with a magnitudo of 6. Kobe experienced a magnitudo 4 to 5, according to the area.
The awaji fault (which caused some 4000 casualties in 1995) seems not to be affected this time.

Here are some of the photos that friends from Osaka circulated.
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pocket onsen ‘GYO’ on indiegogo

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Well, ‘GYO’ is actually a development of the ‘pocket onsen’ that was launched in fall 2014.

We have been shipping worldwide over 350 pocket onsens and we are running out of the boxes and fabric pouches that were produced for the campaign. So it is time to create an enhanced version of the original item.

The original ‘pocket onsen’ was a kind of “side dish” to the production of special reserve essential oil. The pocket onsen was the tool to enjoy the world`s first aroma oil obtained from old growth hinoki (250+ years!) and there was an accent on supplying the user with typically traditional japanese artifacts such as a kimono fabric pouch and a lightweight wood box with iron brand. The items could be used also separately (as a jewel box etc.) and maybe this also secured the long term success to the project. https://igg.me/at/pocket-onsen

On the other end, the ‘GYO’ aims at bringing back the product to its essence. The idea is that by adding aromatic wood orbs to your bathtub, you can enjoy the same feeling as entering a real hinoki japanese bathtub.
Find more details at: igg.me/at/onsen-gyo

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The pocket onsen ‘GYO’ kits are available both with the “young trees hinoki oil” and with the “special reserve hinoki oil”.
There is also a ‘conoisseur perk’ with both essential oils variations so you can try the difference.

Secure your ‘GYO’ today at this link: igg.me/at/onsen-gyo

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Open the tight wooden box, draw out the hinoki orbs and apply few drops of hinoki essential oil. Once you drop them in hot water you will feel as you have been tele-ported into a japanese onsen (hot spring)!

The video explains how to use the hinoki wood orbs and how to store them after use.

These are now ready-to-ship in our store!

exclusive land in kyoto for sale!

A friend (land surveyor) offered me this exclusive information that I have the pleasure to share with the Bartok design community.

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If you have been to Kyoto, you probably know Ninen-zaka and Sannen-zaka: the picturesque area that leads to the Kyo-mizu-dera temple.
A pedestrian area, made of slopes and stairs is filled with shops and cafes and is flocked with tourists 365 days a year.
It is in this area, on a site also accessible by car there is a property available for sale! (110.98 m2 land with 188 m2 building)

At present a timber frame western style 2 story house + basement (built in 1984) occupies the lot.
Unfortunately the building is not a nice traditional japanese house but the location is extremely rare and valuable.

Considering that this type of properties are not available on the public real estate market, this is a unique opportunity for somebody wanting a second house in Japan.

Most of the neighboring buildings are used as high-end Air BnB and are always fully booked so it can be used as a profitable investment when not occupied. Of course it can be remodeled japanese style or can be rebuilt (being an architect I can help here…)

The total floor area is about 188 m2 and the asking price (land + building) is 200 million yen (about USD 1.8 million)

For any inquiries, please contact me by email -> japan@bartokdesign.com
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hinoki business cards

I introduced this project earlier on this blog and newsletter but… we are now officially open!
Please visit the site https://mokumei.com/
All other words are superfluous…!

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waiting for the spring…

This year we are experiencing a cold and long winter with meters of snow on the traditionally snowy west coast.
Even the major cities such as Tokyo or Kyoto were coated in white several times.

But spring will come.
In the TV news they started to show the first sakura buds from Okinawa, to reassure the people sensitive to cold (like me…) that indeed spring will come sometime soon!
While waiting for the spring, I recommend the 3 following actions:

1) warm up in hot water! If you have an ofuro, you know what I am talking about.

2) enjoy the last spurt of winter lethargy on the SU~ day bed!
You can check the video on how it is built here:

or just jump to the indiegogo page to order one while the 25% OFF conditions last -> https://igg.me/at/SU-DAY-BED

3) prepare for a fresh start with new fragrant hinoki business cards!
more information at -> https://mokumei.com/
mokumei-home

With the 3 tips above, I am sure you will be able to cut thru the last icicles and fully enjoy the coming spring!
In any case, if you still feel cold or cannot sleep because of a creative idea, or a craving for a bowl of miso soup, please write me!
I am looking forward to do something together!

All the Best//
iacopo torrini

new branding for the day-bed project. SUU SUU …

As you probably know, I am running a crowd funding campaign on indiegogo to produce at lower cost the wood and leather bed I designed for an English client (of course with his approval and encouragement!)

The prototype came out really nicely: the balance between the materials, sizes, colors is very stylish and above the expectations. I uploaded the photos into the crowdfunding page, but when I tried to change the status from “concept” to “prototype”, the system did not allow me to.

As a coincidence in that very timing, a friend contacted me with the greeting: “I have to pull your ears…!”

He told me he just found the campaign through the link on the bartok design blog.

●PROBLEM #1: Looking at the banner and title, his first impression was that the campaign was a charity! (to buy a daybed for Michael…)

After reading the description the scope and the story behind the naming becomes evident, but here comes another pulling of ears…

●PROBLEM #２: The branding as it is now is too personalized. The person buying it doesn`t want Michael`s bed: he/she wants it to be his/her daybed, not somebody else`s.

●PROBLEM #3: Additionally, being a daybed, it is too easy to associate it with the image of “your friend Michael” asking to stay over for a couple of days sleeping on the sofa (and eventually ending up staying for months eating popcorn and camping in your living room…!!)

These are the reasons behind my decision to re-launch the campaign, with the same product
but with a different branding.

While I still have to add some photos and description, the new campaign page is live!
Please take a look at the link below to see the video of the completed prototype.
https://igg.me/at/SU-DAY-BED

Thanking you in advance for any advice you may have, please find here my Best regards!

day-bed completed!

Here is the leather mattress and cushion completed. As you can see two full cow hides have been used for the left/right side without joints.

The frame is also complete and the graphic keyaki wood grain is providing the perfect accent for a very simple and classic design.
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