Hina, Oyama, Ichimatsu dolls... Keeping people and cultures connected through making dolls that fit people lifestyles.Hina dolls are said to have appeared among the Japanese nobles in the Heian period (794-1185). Hina dolls have long been a part of the unique Japanese culture-to decorate on Doll's Festival (Hinamatsuri), hoping for the healthy growth of the children. (more…)

Dinosaur heads popping out of walls, big hands holding large sushi, giant pufferfish and octopus dangling over arcades— You can now see them in every corner of the city: 3D billboards. With their realistic and sometimes exaggerated look, they are very eye-catching and make an effective advertisement. We chat about the appeal of this art with Masahide Nakamura of Pop Koubou (ポップ工芸). A self-taught artist whose work now can be seen right here in Osaka's Minami district and even abroad. (more…)

Introducing one of Osaka's oldest miso store, Daigen-Miso. We sat down with the 7th generation president, Anzai Yoshiyuki. What is the story of this long-establised urban miso shop? (more…)

We spoke with Yusuke Uchikoshi–the CEO of SANKOSHA CO.,LTD.–which boasts the world's largest market share for automatic shirt folding machines. Expanding its business overseas beyond Japan.What is the story behind its success in the global market? And what is their vision for the road ahead? From a dry cleaner to Japan's leading machine manufacturer Our company is recognized in the industry as "the manufacturer of commercial dry cleaning machine with the world's largest market share". When we first started, we were just a small dry cleaner's that knew nothing about...