Kai Minori is a writer who has written books on themes of travel, miscellaneous goods, sweets, classic hotels, and other things and experiences that women love and admire. She also runs Loule, a company that plans and produces miscellaneous goods.

Surrounded by her favorite things, such as everyday tools she has used for a long time, favorite items she has collected since ancient times, and treasures passed down from her grandmother and mother, what are her standard theories as she speaks in her atelier?


■Things she encountered in Kyoto

After graduating from university, Kai began living in Kyoto, a city she had always dreamed of visiting. Her days in Kyoto were filled with meeting all kinds of people and encountering many things. She attributes her experience working at a long-established Japanese restaurant in Gion to being a great asset. "There was a lot to learn, such as customer service etiquette and dressing in kimono, as well as the relationship between calendar events, ingredients, tableware, and furnishings. But it wasn't difficult and it was a lot of fun. The traditions and culture of Kyoto that I learned about from the proprietresses and others have been very helpful when writing."

The artisanal work and first-class tools he saw and experienced there influenced the young Kai's way of looking at and selecting things. "It was during my time in Kyoto that I started to acquire the proper tools for daily life. I visited various shops, listened to what they had to say, and brought home only tools from long-established companies."



The Aritsugu knives, the Kanaami Tsuji grill grate, the Kaikado tea caddy, the Inoda Coffee enamel pot—these are some of the everyday companions he encountered in Kyoto. Of course, the quality of the products is important, but what was most important was the unchanging sense of security. "I want to continue using my favorite tools for a long time. I want to recommend them to my friends and those around me. I like tools from long-established companies so that I can always find the same thing."


■ Changing values and unchanging feelings as you get older

After passing her mid-30s, she began to strongly desire to "spend every day in a good mood." When she was little, a single sweet would put her in a good mood, but as an adult, it's not so easy to do that. That's why she "try to incorporate 'snack time' into my life. At work, sometimes you can't help but frown. That's why I've made it a habit in my studio to have 'snack time' once a day, when I can naturally smile." Many of the snacks featured are from Kyoto. "I like sweets that are cute to look at and have a unique world view. I also like sweets that have a simple, comforting taste."





Cute and unique, these are keywords that, like her sweets, also relate to her fashion. "My favorite clothes for a long time are minä perhonen, designed by Akira Minagawa. I'm drawn to the painterly fabrics and the unique aesthetic they create." Kai sees clothes as objects. "That's why I don't try them on (laughs). I've always fallen in love at first sight and bought them right away." However, what's different from when she was younger is that "I now prefer simple designs over decorative things, and I've started to notice things that are comfortable to wear and materials."


■Kai's Favorites

Kai's favorites aren't limited to tools that everyone thinks are lovely, or sweets and clothes that make people exclaim, "How cute!" She also has a particular collection of items that she has been collecting since childhood. These are packaging such as wrapping paper, boxes and cans. "When I started going to coffee shops and drinking parties alone, matches started to appear in my collection." While laughing at the idea that these are things that have no value to other people, she talks about them as if they were treasures, saying, "The designs and patterns are so cute, I never get bored of looking at them." Now that her collection is being published as a book, perhaps these valueless items will gain a little more value.



She also treasures the things she inherited from family members. However, rather than jewelry or watches, she treasures the magazine Kurashi no Techo, which her grandmother subscribed to for many years, and a modern-design dress that was a favorite of her mother when she was young. Her grandmother's favorite magazines, lined up on a bookshelf in her studio, and a dress from her mother that she says "will probably keep even if I don't wear it," are both decades old, but they fit seamlessly into Kai's life.





She lives surrounded by many favorite things: everyday items and sweets she discovered in Kyoto, clothes and accessories she's always loved, books and magazines that inspire her interests, items passed down from family, and her favorite collections. She likes things that can be cherished for a long time, and she loves the things she loves for a long time. That's how Kai interacts with things.



【Profile】
A writer who has written books on the themes of things and experiences that women like and aspire to, she also runs "Loule", a company that plans and produces miscellaneous goods and organizes events. Her recent works include "One Night, Two Days: A Guide to Sightseeing Hotels" (Keihanshin L Magazine), "Cute Souvenirs from All Over Japan" (Sunmark Publishing), and "Local Bread Handbook" (Graphic-sha Publishing).
http://www.loule.net


【Staff】
Photographs: Hideyuki Seta
Hair & Make-up: China Akiba
Text: Yukiko Mori