Bamboo colanders, baskets, aluminum lunch boxes and tableware, palm brooms, tin dustpans—hardware items that are simple, easy to use, and durable—are a staple of the modern arts scene. Matsunoya, a retailer of such items, is holding the "Matsunoya: Connecting Work and Hardware Exhibition" at Bakurocho ART+EAT until the 31st. Owner Hiroshi Matsuno says, "Recently, we've been hosting more events both in Japan and overseas. This is the fourth hardware exhibition at Bakurocho ART+EAT. Since we're primarily a wholesaler and operate only as a showroom, we value events as an opportunity to speak directly with a variety of customers. We also display photos and videos of the artisans and their workshops alongside the products. One of the great things about events is that they allow us to show a large audience who makes each product and how they are made." Regarding the theme of "connecting work," Matsuno-ya began selling the basket bags commercialized through this project, saying, "About two years ago, I met NPOs and designers working to provide support and work to the areas affected by the Tohoku earthquake. Support alone tends to dwindle, but connecting it to work can expand possibilities. We're collaborating to create products with commercial value, rather than just relief goods." The simple and cute basket bags, also for sale at the venue, have been featured in numerous women's magazines and reportedly generated higher-than-expected sales. A talk event on this initiative is scheduled for July 19th. The same venue also hosted a "Dust Cloth Exhibition," attended by 70 people, including Matsuno-ya staff, his close associates, stylists and photographers, owners of nearby galleries and cafes, his wife Kinuko, and Matsuno-ya staff. A wall full of unique dust cloths made from a variety of materials, including tenugui (hand towels), baby clothes, and T-shirts, adorned the walls. In addition to the talk event, on July 19th, midway through the event, various free events will be held, including a rice market by rice farmers Mr. and Mrs. Yamazaki, a dust cloth workshop, a yose bayashi (Japanese folk music) and shamisen performance, and live music, all organized by Matsuno's connections with coworkers, neighbors, and others.
Matsunoya is a third-generation wholesaler in Tokyo's Bakurocho district, a traditional wholesale district. The company also operates an antenna shop in Yanaka, a popular, nostalgic downtown area. Matsunoya's hardware and general merchandise is sold not only in select shops and department stores across Japan, but also in unique and stylish shops around the world, including LABOUR AND WAIT in London, merci in Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Korea, and Taiwan.
【Event Information】
"Matsunoya: Tools for Everyday Life - Connecting Work x Hardware & Miscellaneous Goods Exhibition"
Dates: July 7th - 31st
Venue: Bakuro-cho ART+EAT
Address: Agata Takezawa Building 201, 1-2-11 Higashikanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Times: 11:00 - 19:00 (Tues & Wed), 11:00 - 21:00 (Fri & Sat)
※July 19th is a sub-event, so it will be open from 11:00 - 19:00
※Final day: 11:00 - 17:00
Tel: 03-6413-8049
＜July 19th Sub-Event (11:00 - 19:00)＞
11:00 -: Yamazaki Rice Farmer's Rice Marche 13:00-15:00: Kinuko Matsuno's Mopping Workshop (Free, reservation required, please bring your own mopping material) 15:30-17:00: Talk show from Tono, Iwate Prefecture "About the activities of providing support and work to the Tohoku disaster-stricken areas!" (Free) 17:00-19:00: Yose Bayashi and Shamisen by Noriko Morimoto, live performance, and more
