new year card 2018!
like a walk with your best friend,
like the smile of a child,
like a japanese ofuro,
may the New Year be “round” and “square” for you
and … filled with aromatic hot water!
All the Best//
Bartok design Japan Co.
information about our activities, community, new products, culture etc.
Blog
the first sunrise of 2018!
As from Japan we are the first ones to enter in the new year, I am pleased to send you the sunrise of 2018!
I saw it from Ino-yama, one of the 7 “small fuji” mountains of japan, located in Marugame city – Shikoku island.
The sun rose at 7:16 between the mountains and a low tiara of clouds. For this reason, the sunrise was particularly beautiful.
Happy New Year!!
May the 2018 bring you health, happiness, prosperity and serenity!
japanese day-bed crowdfunding campaign
Alas I was able to share with you and the world our new project: building a day bed using japanese wood and traditional woodworking techniques.
You can find more details and even purchase discounted daybeds here: http://igg.me/at/day-bed
here below is the main inspiration source:
I have a business card holder made of wood. 100% wood. The button to open it, the spring, the hinge are all made with wood essences which are most suitable for the function. Not a single part of metal. not a nail, not a screw. I have been using it daily for 18 years and all the joints are tight and the movements effortless like day 1. The new daybed will be manufactured with the same concept: no metal parts at all.
And here I am with Kitajima-san, the passionate furniture maker who will produce the daybeds.
The daybed will have the same size of a kyoma tatami mat (1910x855mm) and will be topped with a full grain leather mattress.
The sale price (after 2018/3/1) will be 6,000 USD + shipping fees, while the crowdfunding price is 4,500 USD + shipping fees (maximum 10 units). Therefore if you are interested, contact me for any additional information and hurry up to secure yours!
here is the keyaki lumber that will be used to build the frame.
As is explained in the indiegogo page, the daybed originates from the design process and mail conversation with a Bartok design client, Michael. It is thanks to him if this daybed will have a stylish and sharp design, without compromising with the seating an sleeping comfort.
Thank you again Michael!
retro windows for free
A friend carpenter renovated a old house and replaced the existing single pane glass windows.
The windows are simple wood frame sliding panels. (10 pieces, assorted sizes)
I think that the glass (1955-1960 cast panels) may be of some use for the japanese memorabilia collectors.
Of course now this glass pattern is not available anymore.
The good news is that the windows above are available for free!
If interested contact me via email -> japan@bartokdesign.com.
You will have to arrange for the shipping, or I can send you a fedex quotation if you prefer.
Also, I would recommend to have a plywood box prepared (cost about 15,000 JPY – If interested I will provide a precise quotation)
The windows are available until january 11, 2018 on a first come / first serve basis.
If I receive more than one inquiry, I will ask the parties if they are interested in … splitting the bounty.
Enjoy!
———————————
UPDATE 1:
About the windows: here are the detailed photos.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=15qZDDPdZLv6I7B8OusTAkq2EA7TSe5Y1
The list is a s follows:
screens:
1x H600mm W410mm 2Kg/each
6x H600mm W440mm 1.9Kg/each
1x H900mm W750mm 2Kg/each
glazed windows:
2x H700mm W970mm 6.5Kg/each
2x H900mm W750mm 7Kg/each
2x H900mm W900mm 9Kg/each
4x H1070mm W740mm 8.2Kg/each
2x H900mm W900mm 8.5Kg/each
2x H700mm W430mm 2Kg/each
Please check from Fedex site the total cost. Shipping is from Kobe-Japan.
UPDATE 2:
An happy epilogue! I received 3 inquiries about the windows. 2 from the USA and one from an expat living in Nagoya Japan.
As the cost involved in shipping the windows oversea are high, the 2 friends based in the USA withdrew so the windows will be picked up and transferred to Nagoya by car.
A. from Pennsylvania gallantly commented: “Thank you for the follow up, I appreciate that. The costs would be a bit prohibitive, so please…give them to the more local guy. They look really nice, I hope he uses them for something beautiful! ”
I also hope that M. from Nagoya will share with us the photos of his project with the windows installed!
Cute picture from California
Let me share with you this kind message and extra cute picture!
Dear Iacopo,
We, Z. the cat and I, wanted to share our appreciation for the tub. Hope you are well.
Best,
E.
SpaFusion in Bologna opening
Finally here are the photos of the SpaFusion Palazzo Varignana hotel near Bologna (Italy) which opened on june 16th after 2 months of “soft opening.”
Photo credits: SPA Concept by BeaBusinessSPA.com – SPA Construction by ErreDesign.it
asnaro bathtub, spout and bathroom accessories by Bartokdesign. see the specs here:
https://bartokdesign.com/?s=bologna
hinoki bathtub, wall mounted spout by Bartokdesign. see the specs here:
https://bartokdesign.com/?s=bologna
vestibule with naguri-bori flooring and tatami room in the background (used for massage therapy)
We also supplied the shoji doors,
tatami and fusuma doors with pine tree and crane decoration on silk.
(sorry, the beauty relaxing in the aromatic water is not included…)
“moon shaped tub” crowdfunding campaign
I spoke about this project with some friends back in january.
They have been contacting me regularly for updates.
I finally squeezed in the 3-4 days necessary to prepare the material and launch it online….
ladies and gentlemen, the crowdfunding campaign for a new generation of hinoki bathtubs is alive!
https://igg.me/at/moon-shaped-bathub
They are curvy and sexy, they are cutting edge, they are hand-made. Here is the beginning of the new “KAKEHASHI” collection!
House for sale in Osaka
A japanese friend is selling his house in southern Osaka and since it is equipped with a nice hinoki bathtub, I decided to call it out here, in case somebody in interested.
It is remote that users of this site may be considering purchasing of real estate in Japan, but who knows! Also note that this is not a heritage building but a full featured 3 story family house with 2 cars garage.
asking price: 42.8 million yen
year built: 2001, december
structure: timber (post and beam)
floor area: 148.22m² (3 story, 4LDK)
land area: 166.81m²
You can find more information and photos here:
new prices for the bath accessories
I would like to call your attention on 2 changes in our lineup of japanese bathroom accessories:
1) the design of the ladle (small bucket with handle) was updated with the use of a braided wire.
This gives more stability even if it makes the look different from the large bucket which still has the flat copper bands. On the other hand, the new ladle coordinates with the round foot bath.
2) there will be few adjustments (prices increases) in the accessories due to the cost increase of the stools and new pricing categories of the EMS Japan post service.
Please find the new prices below.
170601-hinoki-bath-accessories-pricelist
This new price list will be effective from june,1 2017 so if you are ready to buy some accessories, I recommend to place the order by 5/31.
The shopping cart will be updated with the new prices on 6/1 at 0:00 JST
rural kabuki in Kobe
Today I went to the gorgeous Minatogawa Shrine in Kobe.
The building was rebuilt in reinforced concrete as many other examples thru-out the country but the balance, its setting in the green in the center of Kobe always gives me a sensation of wellbeing. Incidentally, here is where I got married, 15 years ago… but this is a different story…
This time I was not a normal visitor: I came to participate to a casual festival as a … Kabuki actor!
Actually I have been impersonating the character “Nango Rikimaru” from the play “Shiranami go nin otoko” for over 18 years!
It all started when I visited a traditional festival and forgot on the ground my note-book.
It was promptly returned to me and one year later I was recruited to be on stage!
Nouson-kabuki (rural kabuki) is a standard (or maybe I should use the past tense) of local festivals and the amateur actors (in the past mostly peasants) were dressing up and making up their face to entertain the community.
The five characters are thieves that are surrounded by the police and are giving their testaments before the final fight. Some of them had noble origins, some of them are played as onna gata (with an effeminate makeup). Nango is a rough pirate hiding on ships and popping out all at the sudden and threatening the crew with his shining sword. He is not repented and showing off his red underwear he draws his…umbrella preparing to sell his life dearly!
