Rethinking How We Share
At Simply Native, we’ve always seen ourselves as a bridge between Japanese craftsmanship and the world. We carefully consider not just what we’re sharing, but how we’re telling the story behind each product. As we wrap up this blog series, we’d like to reflect on how we want to approach storytelling going forward.
The Frustration of What's Left Unsaid
One of our biggest challenges is this: it's incredibly difficult to fully convey the depth of craftsmanship behind a product—its process, the hands that shaped it—in a short conversation or a quick meeting. Cultural differences and context certainly play a role, but we believe a lot comes down to imagination. Much of what gives these products meaning is invisible at first glance, and it takes empathy and curiosity to uncover it.
In today’s world, where you can buy anything with a click and get information instantly, that imagination is easily lost. When we lack it, we risk seeing handcraft not as something special, but as inefficient or imperfect. To counter this, we’re committed to making the process behind the product more visible—helping people learn, discover, and connect with the work in new ways.
Scenes from our flagship store
Making Craft More Accessible
We meet many people in Sydney who have a positive image of Japan but don’t know much about its traditions. Part of our mission is to open more doors to Japanese culture and craft in everyday life—and that means creating opportunities to experience it firsthand.
We’ve started hosting beginner-friendly workshops focused on matcha. These sessions go beyond just tasting tea—they explore the deeper values of wa (harmony) and omotenashi (hospitality) that are at the heart of tea culture.
Scenes from our incense workshop
We're also planning to add a small eat-in space to our store, where customers can enjoy items made with or inspired by the products we carry. One key feature will be a traditional stone mill for grinding matcha. Even with a machine-made mill, it takes an hour to produce just 40 grams of matcha (a single serving is about 2 grams). It's slow and deliberate by nature—and we hope that through the experience of watching and tasting freshly ground matcha, people can feel the richness of that process.
Bringing Makers and Users Together
Looking ahead, we want to create more opportunities for direct connection between makers and users.
One idea is a “Craftsman in Residence” program—inviting Japanese artisans to Sydney for workshops and demos, or to create custom work based on conversations with local clients. It not only deepens understanding on the customer side but also gives artisans new insight into how their work is received abroad.
Hosting an event showcasing Kyoto ceramics
On the other side, we’d also love to take Australian clients to visit artisans in Japan. With more travelers already investing in cultural experiences, we see potential in offering tours that go behind the scenes of traditional craft. These kinds of exchanges—face to face, hand to hand—can lead to new ideas and relationships.
Why the Middle Matters
It’s been 8 years since we started Simply Native, and we’ve helped 168 Japanese makers find new international markets. What’s stayed with us most is seeing how this journey has impacted the artisans themselves—how encountering new perspectives has helped many rediscover pride in their work.
One example is Mr. Nishimori, a charcoal maker in Hamada, Shimane. With the help of his apprentice, Mr. Nakamura, he’s shipped about 400 kg of tea ceremony charcoal to Australia and the U.S. since 2017. He once told us, “If it weren’t for Simply Native, my charcoal would never have reached tea practitioners overseas.” That moment reminded us why we do this.
Moving forward, we want to help at least 10 artisans become globally recognized through our work. We hope that by continuing to build these bridges from our base in Sydney, we can help more craftspeople feel pride in what they do—and show the world the depth and richness of Japanese craft.