The OFS gallery, located inside OUR FAVOURITE SHOP in Shirokane, Tokyo, will be hosting "Lake of Grace #003: Healthy Woodworking" from October 31st to November 22nd.


The "Lake of Grace" project, launched by KIKOF in 2017, introduces the charms of Shiga through one product per year. This third installment will showcase the work of woodworker Takeo Kawabata and his wife, pastry chef Miai.

The idyllic rural landscape of the Satoyama region of Shiga unfolds. A narrow path leads to a small hilltop where the Kawabatas live, a wooden house. When the pair came across this building, a former agricultural school, they envisioned it becoming a "cultural powerhouse." They renovated the old school building with their own hands and opened a confectionery shop called "Mamma Mia" and gallery. Their everyday lives inspired them to create healthy wooden household items and simple, gentle sweets made with plenty of seasonal fruits and nuts.


Takeo carefully selects the wood and carefully carves each piece of cutlery, thinking of the person who will use it. The honest appearance and warm feel of the wood embodies Takeo's desire for "good tools": tools that will fit into everyday life and last a long time without getting bored.

They are not special, but rather something that brings a little happiness to the maker, user, and eater. Why not try picking up some everyday tools that have been crafted in harmony with the natural environment of the land and woven with the changing seasons and time?