Ryuji Mitani
Wood for everyday life
Known as a visionary for his introduction of the color white in urushi lacquered woodwares, the Matsumoto-based artisan, Ryuji Mitani has paved the way for a new outlook on traditional woodcrafts. Revered the world over, and with an ardent, long-standing following in Japan, he has redefined the very syntax of his field with his leadership and writings in regards to a post-Mingei lifestyle crafts movement called Seikatsu Kogei. As a result he has inspired an entire generation of artisans in his pursuits of blurring established boundaries in his field.
Wooden Soup Spoon
Ryuji MitaniI am a Wooden Soup Spoon. Deep enough to scoop up every last drop, round enough to feel just right. Whether it’s mushroom soup or a slow-cooked stew, I’m here to make every bite spoon-worthy.
$110 USD
Usuzumi Tea Leaf Bowl
Ryuji MitaniI am am an Usuzumi Tea Leaf Bowl. Shaped like a leaf, made for leaves. I begin in the tea tin but often wander to the appetizer plate... light, quiet, and never just one thing.
$375 USD
Low Hakuboku Serving Bowl
Ryuji MitaniI am a Low Hakuboku Bowl. Black as night on my shell, inside, brushstrokes of off-white dwell. A painter's touch for your salads’ delight, everyday elegance in every bite.
$780 USD
Large Chestnut Round Tray - Nano Glass Finish (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am a Nano Glass Finish Large Chestnut Round Tray. Boasting a nano coat, science claims my essence, but chestnut is my soul. My carved facets reveal warm grain, blending beauty and simplicity. Like a familiar friend, I grace your table, ready for daily feasts with humble presence.
$1,200 USD
Usuzumi Katakuchi Pitcher
Ryuji MitaniI am an Usuzumi Katakuchi Pitcher. I'm a winged whisperer of traditions, where the black night embraces the dawn, and each pour of sake takes flight with grace.
$550 USD
Noir Chopsticks Holder
Ryuji MitaniI am a Noir Chopsticks Holder. When chopsticks need a sanctuary to rest until their moment of glory arrives, I'm the utilitarian hero, ready to come alive.
$520 USD
Noir Round Curved Rim Platter
Ryuji MitaniI am a Noir Round Curved Rim Platter. Find me where shadows dance and delicacies find their stage—a wooden canvas of elegance, waiting to embrace culinary artistry.
$1,850 USD
White Urushi Rim Plate - Large
Ryuji MitaniI am a Large White Urushi Rim Plate. Born from the hands of a skilled artisan, I embody the beauty of handmade craftsmanship. My wide rim delicately frames your culinary creations, to highlight the artistry infused into every inch.
$700 USD
White Urushi Rim Plate - Small
Ryuji MitaniI am a Small White Urushi Rim Plate. I gently cradle every dish in a wooden center wrapped with a lovingly crafted rim. Here is where flavors converge and flourish with each bite.
$590 USD
Large Noir Enju Wood Tray (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am a Large Noir Enju Wood Tray. A masterpiece of contrasts and contradictions describes me well. I'm where the velvety blackness of night meets the warm embrace of Pagoda wood. Every line, every groove, beckoning you to the depths of serenity.
$1,350 USD
Noir Chestnut Wood Vat (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am a Noir Chestnut Wood Vat. My shape is inspired by a large vat found in dark rooms for photography. I guess you can say that makes me picture perfect.
$1,450 USD
Jewelry Box
Ryuji MitaniI am a Jewelry Box. X marks the spot for treasure, but here a circle marks it instead.
$330 USD
Usuzumi Thin Lid Box (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am an Usuzumi Thin Lid Box. Drawn in by the warmth of the wood grain, open me to find a dark surprise. What starry treasures will you find to put within me...
$550 USD
Usuzumi Black Walnut Bowl (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am a Black Walnut Bowl. My wood is a rare choice for Mitani-san, making me a rare find. Anything put within me will surely shine.
$875 USD
Usuzumi Round Tray - Oak
Ryuji MitaniI am an Usuzumi Round Oak Tray. It doesn't take an all-seeing eye to know how much work went into my creation. It'll take just one meal for you to observe my glory.
$920 USD
White Urushi Noodle or Soup Bowl (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am a White Urushi Noodle or Soup Bowl. A bit of flare can add many facets to your standard soup to make a hearty bowl extra heartwarming.
$1,100 USD
Hexagonal White Urushi Sake Cup (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am a Hexagonal White Urushi Sake Cup. Pick me up to learn about all six sides of my personality. It'll take a few sips for everything to sake in.
$485 USD
Large White Urushi Walnut Carved Bowl (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am a Large White Urushi Walnut Carved Bowl. The depth of my soul may be a vast empty space, but what makes me complete is what you decide to do with me.
$2,850 USD
Japanese Walnut Long Tray - Nano Glass Finish
Ryuji MitaniI am a Long Walnut Nano Glass Coated Tray. The branch of science may sound like my forte, but the branch of walnut is more my core.
$755 USD
White Urushi Confectionary Platter
Ryuji MitaniI am a White Urushi Confectionary Platter. Which sweets will take the spotlight on my surface after the grand applause? It's your choice of what is on center stage.
$625 USD
Small Shallow Usuzumi Oval Bowl
Ryuji MitaniI am a Small Shallow Usuzumi Oval Bowl. What food am I going to sail away with? Come on a voyage to find out.
$390 USD
White Urushi Baby Bowl Set
Ryuji MitaniI am a White Urushi Baby Bowl Set. A baby's first bite is a big deal. So am I.
$925 USD
Usuzumi Square Plate - Chestnut Wood
Ryuji MitaniI am a Usuzumi Chestnut Plate. Which is more hypnotizing: me or the food that I hold?
$895 USD
Crafts, and Then
Ryuji MitaniI am the book Crafts, and Then. Come explore with me across materials and methods to understand Ryuji Mitani's life philosophies. Just as a plate fills you with food, my pages will fill your soul.
$28 USD
Walnut Coffee Spoon
Ryuji MitaniI am a Walnut Coffee Spoon. A fine, dark grain is my jam, but dunk me in java and I'll show you how to jive.
$42 USD
Urushi Funnel - Small (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am a Small Urushi Funnel. It might look confining but be like water and you will find a way through it.
$310 USD
Urushi Funnel - Large (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am a Large Urushi Funnel. Fluidity is key to finding a good flow at the end of the tunnel.
$385 USD
Ice Cream Cup - Natural
Ryuji Mitani for Nalata NalataI am a Natural Wood Ice Cream Cup. These tree rings tell time and they're saying it's ice cream time.
$320 USD
Ice Cream Cup - Noir Urushi
Ryuji Mitani for Nalata NalataI am a Noir Urushi Ice Cream Cup. Some might say I'm rather mysterious - dark as the night and cool like ice, but took a closer look, I've got the warmth of wood at my core.
$375 USD
Ice Cream Cup - White Urushi
Ryuji Mitani for Nalata NalataI am a White Urushi Ice Cream Cup. Two scoops, hot fudge and two cherries on top will cheer you right up!
$425 USD
Ice Cream Spoon
Ryuji MitaniI am an Ice Cream Spoon. When it comes to ice cream I just can’t stop. You’d better keep an eye on me or I’ll scoop the cherry on top!
$40 USD
Butter Box (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am a Butter Box. Butter be safe than sorry about how you serve and spread.
$240 USD
Usuzumi Small Square Plate
Ryuji MitaniI am a Usuzumi Square Plate. What looks like hazy smoke is layers of brush strokes.
$420 USD
White Urushi Shinogi Pitcher
Ryuji MitaniI am a White Urushi Shinogi Pitcher. Marked with ridges of narrow carved bands, I'll help you get a grip when you pour from out my lip.
$620 USD
Boat Chasoku (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am a Boat Chasoku. My bow will dip as I traverse the leafy seas, to meet you on the other shore for tea.
$480 USD
Plum Blossom Dish
Ryuji MitaniI am a Plum Blossom Dish. Blossoming for eternity for your eternal happiness.
$395 USD
Wooden Baby Spoon
Ryuji MitaniI am a Wooden Baby Spoon. When it comes to mealtime distractions, I'm not one of them. Just a small spoon cup and handle perfectly carved for tiny mouths.
$40 USD
Soldier Brooch
Ryuji MitaniI am a Soldier Brooch. I'm always standing at attention so that you can wear me at ease.
$125 USD
1981-2021: The Forty Years of Woodcraft Studio "Mitani"
Ryuji MitaniI am the book 1981-2021: The Forty Years of Woodcraft Studio "Mitani". After chiseling and carving for so many years, Ryuji Mitani shows us the path he's shaped, of which I'm happy to share.
$60 USD
Untitled (2019) (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am an Untitled (2019). With a name like mine, you know there'll be no illusion.
$1,200 USD
Dog Sculpture
Ryuji MitaniI am a Dog Sculpture. Keep still in the hot, hard dog-days and they too will pass.
$1,220 USD
Bird Sculpture (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am a Bird Sculpture. I would be as happy as a lark to make a perch in your home.
$1,220 USD
Noir Rimmed Plate (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am a Noir Rimmed Plate. Looks can be deceiving - when you look at these walls, I’m not as shallow as you think.
$625 USD
Hakuboku Serving Bowl (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am a Hakuboku Serving Bowl. Hot or cold, silent or bold - I look forward to what I can hold.
$1,100 USD
Jindainire Long Vat (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am a Jindainire Long Vat. My depth is as deep as my origins.
$520 USD
Wood and Enamel Salt Cellar (OUT OF STOCK)
Masaki Kanamori for Ryuji MitaniI am a Wood and Enamel Salt Cellar. When great minds and great materials meld, the result is something as beautiful as me!
$460 USD
Noir Large Shallow Bowl (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am a Noir Large Shallow Bowl. Solid and dependable I will keep your items safe from being lost in a black hole.
$1,375 USD
Wooden Dinner Spoon
Ryuji MitaniI am a Wooden Dinner Spoon. Can't think of anything better than diving head first into a bowl of soup!
$65 USD
Hors d’Oeuvre Wooden Fork
Ryuji MitaniI am a Hors d'Oeuvre Wooden Fork. Hey little canapé, time to get tined!
$38 USD
Wooden Salad Servers (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am a set of Wooden Salad Servers. I’m not just for salad, I’m pretty multipurpose. As long as I can help, than I’ll be of service.
$175 USD
Salt Spoon
Ryuji MitaniI am a Salt Spoon. I was made for salt, chili, spice and all things nice.
$28 USD
Salt Bowl (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am a Salt Bowl. Don't underestimate the small wooden ones. They can pack a big flavor punch.
$65 USD
Usuzumi Rimmed Serving Tray (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am a Usuzumi Rimmed Serving Tray. Sharing means caring so pass the tray.
$1,350 USD
Wooden Pasta Fork
Ryuji MitaniI am a Wooden Pasta Fork. I love being wrapped up in a warm noodle sweater.
$65 USD
Flat Tea Scoop
Ryuji MitaniI am a Flat Tea Scoop. Swoopin and scoopin into all types of tea.
$42 USD
Incense Case (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am a Incense Case. If you carry me, I'll bring good scents to all our adventures.
$85 USD
Wooden Cheese Knife (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am a Wooden Cheese Knife. I may be smooth to the touch, but look a little closer and you’ll see that I’m not so clean cut.
$55 USD
Wooden Honey Spoon (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am a Wooden Honey Spoon. But not just anyone can call me honey!
$48 USD
Children's Chair - Spindle Back
Ryuji MitaniI am a Spindle Back Children’s Chair. Children like chairs, are easier to build strong than they are to repair when they are older.
$850 USD
Children's Chair - Ladderback
Ryuji MitaniI am a Ladderback Children’s Chair. Let me love you a little more before you’re not little anymore.
$850 USD
Hakuboku Coffee Cup (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am a Hakuboku Coffee Cup. Wood you like a cup of coffee?
$450 USD
Jū Cross Plate (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am a Jū Cross Plate. I'm the Japanese character for '10' so naturally that makes me a 10 outta 10 on the plate scale.
$420 USD
Noir Centerpiece Bowl (OUT OF STOCK)
Ryuji MitaniI am a Noir Centerpiece Bowl. With the depth that I have, I can hold the world for you.
$3,475 USD