JAPAN
Mari
Nakano
"If you really want them to understand culture, if you really want them to understand language, food is a huge component "
A designer and problem solver, Mari’s business card says “since 1980”, the year she was born in. When we asked her what she wanted to be associated with she said, “I am not specific to anything really. I just figure out what to do. Some friends call me MacGuyver”. This MacGuyver is a visual strategy lead at UNICEF and passionate about cooking, especially Japanese cuisine. Her instagram feed is filled with beautiful pictures of her expressive 3 yr old and gorgeous Bento boxes Mari creates for her, among many other things. We recently got to experience Mari’s superpowers as she cooked and hosted all weekend long Taiko intensive, along with her musician husband at their house in Brooklyn.
Mari grew up close to nature in the laid back environment of San Francisco, California. She tells us that this is where she learned to appreciate the surf and the city equally. In their house, you will see artifacts from all over the world and a huge confluence of Japanese culture and Brooklyn hip.
Here are some of the everyday products found in Mari’s house from her Japanese heritage and which are embedded in her life.
Tenugui
An ubiquitous piece of cloth to wrap, wipe or clean
Tenugui
Rectangular in shape and 90 cm x 35 cm in size, Tenugui is an everyday cloth. As Mari pulls out a whole stack, she explains what an ubiquitous piece of cloth it is, as you can wrap stuff up in it and wipe things down with it. Tenugui has many functions, people in japan carry it around in their bags or around their necks to keep them cool or blot sweat. It is also a perfect length to tie around your head like a bandana.
Mari carries it everyday in her bag as well and in New York, where she lives, she says Tenugui can be very useful in trains for when the seat looks dirty. She uses Tenugui to wipe the seat down or to sit on it. She then goes on to explain, “it is a perfect length of cloth to cover the butt. It’s also great to tie little things together like coins. If I don't have anywhere else to put something, I just tie it into a little satchel. It’s just like a handkerchief”. At home she also uses it to wipe her daughter, Shinobu’s spills.
We have to admit, at first we were a little lost about the use of a simple rectangular cloth and what made it special. It is the material, it’s hand towel size length and the patterns. Made of cotton, it can fold really small due to it’s thin weave and dries really fast. Its length is perfect in modern day to replace hand/kitchen towels or napkins. And lastly, the hand dyed patterns make each Tenugui a piece to admire and cherish.
Furoshiki
A square cloth to carry things
Furoshiki
Unlike Tenugui, Furoshiki is not considered an everyday use cloth. It is square in shape with no set size. Furoshiki is used to transport things in. The most interesting thing about Furoshiki is the various ways you can use it simply by tying it in different ways. Mari uses it creatively to wrap her post-workout sweaty clothes. Mari says she has done all kinds of things with it and has taken this square piece of cloth on picnics or used it in grocery stores. This square piece of cloth is so much more versatile than a folding bag. You can tie it up to carry things or wrap up things in it to keep things compartmentalized in your bag and it’s eco-friendly.
Apart from using it like a bag, furoshiki is also used as a gift wrap. It is used to tie bottles of wine or any other kind of gift. As we find the best bundle in her house to take pictures of, Mari tells us that they have received wedding gifts wrapped up in Furoshiki and friends and family from Japan will bring gifts that way instead of using paper. This not only makes it way more sustainable but you are passing on a story to remember as Furoshikis are reusable.
Price of Furoshiki ranges from cheap to expensive depending on the material and the maker. Mari explains the reasons behind the prince range. “They get pricey because of the printing techniques and fabric types. Traditional resist-dye and shibori techniques are often applied to them, which increase the price. It also depends on the artisan brands who make them. There are some companies in Japan who make amazing collections - good design has it's price as we all know. If you take a good look at the patterns and prints though, you can understand why the quality ones are not cheap. They don't look mass produced and there's a nice handmade and tender quality that has been applied to each - this is something I feel is priceless. Good ones come equipped with an aura about them that makes them really feel like they are yours, that make them feel special regardless if it's just a piece of cloth. It's totally worth it to buy a few - they existed before plastic bags became popular so they are better for the planet. They are also just really beautiful and always uplift the objects they wrap”.
Shamoji
A rice paddle
Shamoji
Anybody who eats nice, uses it everyday. Traditionally they are made of bamboo or wood but the one we saw at Mari’s apartment is from the Moma design store and was made of plastic. You could see the excitement in Mari’s voice as she goes on to explain why it is such a great tool and better than the traditional design.
Modern rice cookers are equipped with a groove on the side where the rice paddle can rest but incidentally not a lot of people use it as you don't see it at the back. Mari explains most people will take a bowl full of water and rest the rice paddle in it head down so the rice doesn't harden and stick to the paddle. Mari’s designer side comes through when she tells us how great the design is of this particular rice paddle. “Rice doesn't stick to it, it stands up straight as it is flat on the bottom and I don't have to worry about it flipping out of a shallow bowl and falling on the ground”.
She said when they found it 2-3 years ago, they felt enlightened and wanted to buy it for everybody they knew, even for friends in Japan who probably have a traditional everyday one. “We thought we must bring this for them from here. They probably have one in a kitchen store in Japan but I never bothered to look”.
Bento Box
Lunch box
Bento Box
Watching Mari make a Bento box (lunch box) for her daughter was the most enjoyable. It is such a creative process, treating food with the delicacy of art. We were curious about how Mari, a california girl started making them. As she shares an insight into her upbringing, we munch on flavored rice wrapped with bbq seaweed. “My mom made them for me sometimes when growing up. She didn't do it all the time as they are a little complex. You have to figure out how to fit in maximum amount of food in a square or a shape or two tiers”. While we watch Mari meticulously fill two containers, she goes on to explain that most Bentos are one layer but since this is a two layered box, [she] fills the bottom compartment with main items and top one with snacks. She has a whole stack of differently shaped and colored silicone cups that she goes on to fill with different things. The silicone cups are to keep things separated from each other.
Mari’s daughter Shinobu goes to a bilingual Japanese school and it is required that you make a bento box for school. They believe in a wholistic day of learning where kids get exposure to Japanese culture through teachers at school. "If you really want them to understand culture, if you really want them to understand language, food is a huge component and so not only do they say you have to speak at home but the food you bring also has to be indicative of the culture".
A bento box is also healthier. At the end of the day, it’s less carbs as there is no bread and no sweets. Traditionally bento boxes have some meat, rice, vegetables and pickled items, explains Mari. “How many times do you see a regular American kid bringing this? Maybe a dilled pickle but pickled, fermented stuff which is really good for your stomach is unheard of. Rice is digestible versus bread or peanut butter can be too filling. Cut up raw cucumber and carrots are made in a way that’s been vinegar-ed and with seaweed and alike”. In terms of health, Japanese food is renowned for being a lot healthier, lower in salt and fat.
Tamagoyakinabe (or) Makiyakinabe
A Japanese omelette pan
Tamagoyakinabe, also called as Makiyakinabe
Tamagoyakinabe is a Japanese style rectangular pan. It’s the perfect size to make omelettes and that’s exactly what the Japanese use it for. To be precise, it is used mainly to make Dashimaki Tamago, a Japanese style rolled omelette.
-Dashi is a soup stock made of Katsuobushi (smoked bonito flakes), seaweed and Kombu (edible kelp), this combination can change a little based on what you want to do with it.
-Maki means to roll and,
-Tamago is egg.
It is the most used pan in Mari’s house. She uses it to make the rolled omelette for breakfast or bentos every other day. Occasionally she will make random things that fit in it or scramble egg because it is convenient and small. It’s also rectangular and makes omellete perfect for a piece of square bread. Honestly it is the most brilliant thing we have seen and surprised how is it not mainstream yet?
