about us
We are the Japanese shop in Halifax.
Our aim is to introduce authentic Japanese culture and aesthetic.
“Ikebana”, by the way, is the art of Japanese flower arrangement. This is our specialty. In 2008, we started only as an ikebana supply shop but quickly evolved into a Japanese “cultural” shop! This put us in a unique position here in Atlantic Canada—a place one can find the real Japan. Many visitors from outside Halifax—NB, PEI, Cape Breton, etc— make us one of their must-go-to places every time they’re in Halifax.
Shop!
Enter our shop and you’ll feel like you stepped in a small boutique in Tokyo!
90% of what you see inside are things normally sold in Japan for the Japanese. We shy away from cliché touristy souvenirs unless there is a huge popular demand! As well, we have pottery & artwork made by local NS artists that fit the Japanese aesthetic…and books, lots of books on Japan, curated by us.
Many customers tell us that browsing in our shop is like a treasure hunt. They just keep finding little treasures on each shelf and corner. Truth be told, we are running out of space so we cram merchandise into every little nook available!
Some of the things you’ll find inside the shop:
Pottery -- vases, teaware, tableware...including hand-made pottery from Bizen, Shigaraki, etc.
Tea -- Japanese green tea imported directly from the tea farm in Uji, Kyoto. All first flush.
Incense -- Japanese incense from Kyoto. All natural ingredients.
Dolls -- Kokeshi dolls, kimekomi dolls, etc. Vintage stuff with lots of character.
Lacquerware -- Chopsticks, trays, wooden bowls, etc. Bento boxes too!
Fabrics — Made-in-Japan cotton fabrics cut in fat quarters. Beautiful Japanese patterns. Bestseller!
Apparel - Silk haori, yukata, tabi socks, scrunchies.
Books -- All about Japanese culture: cooking, gardening, Zen, martial arts, etc.
Greeting Cards — Majority are from Kyoto. Plus, hand-made local artist cards.
Paper — Origami, chiyogami, watermark tissues, calligraphy paper, etc.
Anime & Kawaii -- Figures, plushies, keychains, stationery, pens etc. This is modern Japanese culture!
Gundam -- Gunpla (Gundam robot plastic models)
And, of course, last but certainly not least…
A complete range of Ikebana supplies (flower containers, kenzan, clippers, etc).
If you are a serious ikebana practitioner, you must visit us!
By the way, we can ship your items too! Many tourists shop with us and then have their purchases shipped home so that they won’t have to carry the stuff while they travel. All we add is whatever Canada Post will charge. No extra handling fees, etc. We get the shipping cost online from Canada Post so our visitors will know exactly how much shipping costs will be at the time of purchase.
Experience!
Ikebana - Try your hand in arranging flowers the Japanese way. Learn more about the aesthetics involved. The ikebana teacher is the “real deal”. See her credentials here.
Japanese Tea Tasting - Sample different kinds of Japanese tea and learn how to properly prepare each one. (Note: this is not the tea ceremony.)
Origami - Create with paper. A simple square sheet turns into something else!
Blade Sharpening - Learn to properly sharpen your knives using Japanese water stones!
There are many many more things in the shop. Please come visit and browse around! You can find us here.
Our logo is a flower surfing on a raindrop. It reminds us to keep looking up no matter what.
Hidden trivia for ikebana practitioners: Rotate the image 90° to the right and you might see a moribana arrangement complete with shin, soe and hikae!