Discover the profound bond that connects us to Japan. It involves our values, art of living, approach to craftsmanship and connections with talented artisans. It lives on in our name and in the meaning of our Japanese logo, ‘genkei’.

Discover the profound, multi-faceted bond that connects AGOBAY to Japan. It’s embodied in our name and the meaning of our Japanese logo, ‘genkei’. It encompasses the values and principles we live by, and is celebrated through a genuine appreciation of true craftsmanship. This is something we deeply respect, wish to learn from, and raise awareness about – together with our partnering Japanese artisans, designers and visionaries who accompany us in our journey in pursuit of beauty with a purpose.

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JAPANESE SOUL

Enduring Values

JAPAN

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Handcrafted products are built to last. Not only in a practical sense, due to the invested expertise, time and high-quality materials, but also on an emotional level. When we see, smell and touch these creations, our senses awaken.

Handcrafted products are built to last, not only in a practical sense due to the invested expertise, time, and high-quality materials, but also on an emotional level. From delicate irregularities in leather pouches to subtle glaze variations on ceramic bowls – each nuance narrates a story and reflects the artisan’s personality. These marks of authenticity not only remind us of humanity’s ability to transform raw materials into functional works of art but also make each item even more precious and personal.

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Craftsmanship

CRAFTSMANSHIP

A Path to Perfection

A perfectly shaped ceramic bowl – with subtle variation in its glaze. A soft leather pouch – featuring a delicate irregularity in its texture. A gleaming brass vessel – gradually changing hue with every touch. As we hold an artisanal product in our hands, it's often only through closer inspection that we notice its unique characteristics and realise that it has been crafted by hand, from natural material, with an abundance of time, expertise and dedication. This is the captivating beauty of craftsmanship.

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Our ceremonial-grade AGOBAY matcha is sourced from the banks of the Uji River near Kyoto, Japan, and ground in small batches from superior tencha using a traditional stone mill. The special blend focuses on an elegant aromatic style.

Our ceremonial-grade AGOBAY matcha is sourced from the banks of the Uji River near Kyoto, Japan, and ground in small batches from superior tencha using a traditional stone mill. As an Asahi variety, it is crafted using natural ‘honzu’ shading, a 400-year-old method where tea plants are covered with ‘yoshizu’ (straw mats) and straw to enhance the flavour and texture of the tea.

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AGOBAY KYOTO MATCHA

Uji Special Blend

AGOBAY Matcha

Our ceremonial-grade AGOBAY matcha is sourced from the banks of the Uji River near Kyoto, Japan, and ground in small batches from superior tencha using a traditional stone mill.

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Uji Special Blend 

In a world dominated by rushed and often unconscious choices, AGOBAY advocates for a change of pace: we encourage taking the time, to create with intent and to celebrate handmade design that feels, sounds and smells good.

In a world dominated by rushed and often unconscious choices, AGOBAY advocates for a change of pace: we encourage taking the time, to create with intent and to celebrate handmade design that feels, sounds and smells good. Collaborating with artisans who have mastered their skills over decades, each object we craft or curate undergoes an elaborate manufacturing process. With every use, these pieces evolve in beauty, and embody a deliberate choice made to last and enchant throughout a lifetime.

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The perfect pieces

Meaningful Objects

Objects

The Perfect Pieces

In a hurried world dominated by rushed and often unconscious choices, AGOBAY advocates for a change of pace: we encourage taking the time, to create with intent, to honour traditional craftsmanship, and to celebrate handmade design that feels, sounds and smells good.

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Embracing beauty in life’s smallest details, we created the perfect coffee mug alongside Swiss ceramist Therese Müller. Discover the journey behind this handcrafted AGOBAY exclusive and savor life’s little pleasures, sip after sip.

At AGOBAY, we constantly seek beauty, even in the smallest details. Our commitment has driven us to create the perfect coffee mug – one that delights all senses and is suitable for everyday use. Crafted in collaboration with Swiss ceramist Therese Müller, each mug reflects balance, simplicity and minimalism, and has a surprisingly soft touch. Explore the journey behind our creation and feel inspired to elevate your daily coffee ritual, savouring life’s little pleasures, sip after sip.

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Balanced and soft

The AGOBAY Coffee Mug

AGOBAY mug

AGOBAY Coffee Mug

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Join us on a journey to magical Mount Halimun, where we visit Indonesia’s oldest tea plantation on the volcanic island of Java and experience the centuries-old production process, from first pluck to final sip.

Join us on a journey to magical Mount Halimun on the volcanic island of Java, as we visit Indonesia’s oldest tea plantation. Accompanying us is the co-founder of fine food company East Java & Co, Leo Schwarz, whose passion for organic, single-origin ingredients led him to source the purest tea leaves from this farm. Along with the plantation’s expert ‘nose’, who determines the leaves’ readiness, Leo walks us through a day in the life of this centuries-old production process, from first pluck to final sip.

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Indonesia’s tea

Mount Halimun

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Za kekkai stone 号47

Wrapped in Seima rope made from the finest Japanese hemp, Tosei Shinabe za kekkai stones serve as a silent testament, a Dharma tool, to the boundary between two spiritual realms, a line as delicate as it is profound.

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Suiteki sauce pourer

The spherical body of this pouring vessel tapers gently to a spout with poetry that makes your heart ache. Crafted by handpicked artisans in Takaoka, in the Toyama Prefecture of Japan, which has been renowned for its copper craftsmanship since the late nineteenth century, Suiteki’s shape is reminiscent of a water drop swinging slowly. Its beauty doesn’t hinder its function – the base fits wonderfully in your hand with a satisfying weight, and the delicate spout allows you to pour liquids with intention, from soy sauce to salad dressing. 

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Kyoto matcha

Our ceremonial-grade AGOBAY matcha is sourced from the banks of the Uji River, Japan, and carefully mastered by Hideki Kuwabara. With its rich umami, sharp astringency and the scent of a green temple garden, it refreshes your heart and soul.

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Painted vessel (2024)

In a creative collaboration between two master ceramicists, this beautifully painted white glazed porcelain vessel emerged, crafted at the wheel of Helga Ritsch and finished with the delicate floral brushstrokes of Shingo Oka.

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AGOBAY tea caddy

Borne of the desire to create a minimalist and natural tea caddy, this AGOBAY exclusive embodies the harmonious fusion of inviting aesthetics and practical functionality. Elaborately crafted in collaboration with the skilled woodcraft artisans Akiko Kuwahata and Ken Winther, the design of this walnut tea caddy is a testament to the artistry of true craftsmanship.

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AGOBAY coffee mug with saucer

Savouring a long coffee, a cappuccino or a flat white in a flawlessly proportioned mug, while appreciating its almost velvety touch, adds beauty to this comforting daily ritual. This AGOBAY exclusive turns each coffee into a fully gratifying experience.

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Gourd teacup

The sight of this ceramic teacup sometimes feels more calming than the tea it holds. Crafted with a narrow opening to keep the aroma within for full enjoyment, it fits comfortably in your hands. Handmade in Mikawachi, in the Nagasaki Prefecture, it is created by Japanese artisans who have been passing on their crafts since the mid-eighteenth century.

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Sake pitcher, ‘Fuki-urushi’

This sake pitcher is a captivating testament to the allure of simplicity. Fuki-urushi results in an interesting surface that showcases both the glossy smoothness of the lacquer and the texture created by the layers below.

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Teapot for one

Discreetly asking for your touch, this unobtrusive yet artful teapot for one stands out due to the uniquely shaped strainer. Its ‘houhin’ shape makes it comfortable for holding and easy to pour any kind of tea.

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Tea caddy, small

Crafted by the Yagi family for six generations, Kaikado caddies are handmade in Kyoto, Japan. Known as ‘chazutsu’ in Japanese (‘cha’ is the Japanese word for tea, ‘zutsu’ for canister), they are typically used for storing tea and coffee; this one specifically to store green tea. However, Kaikado caddies can also hold different items, including seeds, beans and anything that must be kept from moisture.

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Hohin teapot

Especially created for brewing ‘gyokuro’, Japan’s most refined and exclusive green tea, this small teapot without a handle is called ‘houhin’ in Japan. It is handcrafted in Arita, in the Saga Prefecture.

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‘Tokkuri’ pitcher with ‘Somon’ drawing

Inspired by early Japanese ‘Imari’ styles, this ‘Tokkuri’ pitcher has a beautifully aged appeal. It features ‘Somon’ drawings, which are patterns resembling growing grass. Shingo Oka also describes it as having a “very 1600s” aesthetic.

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Sake cup, ‘Fuki-urushi’, set of 2

This exquisite bell-shaped sake cup, adorned with the finesse of ‘fuki-urushi’ wipe lacquering, it bears a touch of tradition while exuding timeless elegance. This set contains two sake cups. It pairs with the ‘Fuki-urushi’ sake pitcher.

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Matcha tea bowl (2024)

Texture plays an important role in this softly curving matcha tea bowl. A drip glaze has been applied around the rim of this smooth white porcelain. This tactile element gives your fingers something to play with while also adding visual appeal.

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Breadbasket 

Our quest to find the right breadbasket that adds a touch of warm, minimalist elegance to any setting has met its match. The walnut wood's inherent allure imparts an understated sophistication, but it is the intricate interplay of two wooden rings, separated by the midnight blue cloth that cradles the bread, that truly sets this piece apart.

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Coffee tray set

Allow the simple, warm elegance of our walnut coffee tray set to captivate your senses. This set conveys the perfected aesthetics of timeless daily essentials – to be shared or savoured in peaceful solitude.

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Cast iron teapot

The cast iron teapot is manufactured in Yamagata, Japan, and crafted by the 15th generation of the Kiheiji Kikuchi foundry. Established in 1604, the craft house’s tea kettles were chosen as gifts for the Japanese Emperors for decades. Today, it is the choice of exquisite five-star hotels and tea lovers worldwide.

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Rice bowl

Crafted individually on the pottery wheel, this bowl exudes a sense of peacefulness with its simple lines and perfected shapes. Its small size makes it ideal as an everyday rice or cereal bowl, but it can also be used to enjoy the tranquillity of a tea or for any purpose you see fit. 

It is handcrafted in Arita, in the Saga Prefecture, a town renowned for being one of the first sites in Japan to produce porcelain.

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Sencha tea

Sencha is the most commonly enjoyed tea in Japan. It is made with the first buds of tea and is known for its balanced bitterness and umami flavour. Grown at a single estate spread out on sloping terrain around Higashi-Shirakawa, Japan, our Sencha refreshes the palate and is rounded out by a subtle, sweet aroma.

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The spherical body of this pouring vessel tapers gently to a spout with poetry that makes your heart ache. Crafted by handpicked artisans in Takaoka, in the Toyama Prefecture of Japan, which has been renowned for its copper craftsmanship since the late nineteenth century, Suiteki’s shape is reminiscent of a water drop swinging slowly.

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Pouch S, black

Elegantly minimalist and remarkably versatile, this pouch serves a multitude of purposes. Its true luxury lies in its double-leather lining: impeccably crafted, subtle to the touch and yet imbued with a robustness that transforms it into the ideal lifelong companion.

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Issue 20

After a decade of Openhouse, the magazine celebrates its 20th issue, highlighting the beauty of shared experiences. From exploring intimate moments to family anecdotes and revived traditions, it introduces you to homes and personalities radiating warmth and timeless splendor.

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Glass teapot

Designed with functionality and minimal aesthetics in mind, this OGATA glass teapot is handmade in Sakai, in the Fukui Prefecture and in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture. It is perfect for observing the captivating spectacle of leaves unfurling slowly in hot water while indulging in the serene pleasure of a green or herbal tea.

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Za kekkai stone 号45

In the quietness of the dawn at one of Kyoto’s oldest Zen temples, Buddhist Zen monk Tosei Shinabe sits in deep meditation, practising ‘zazen’ (‘za’ 坐, Japanese for seated and ‘zen’ 禅 for meditation). His journey takes him to the mystical Awaji Island, the ‘land of birth’ in Japanese mythology, where he selects stones imbued with the earth‘s raw beauty. Wrapped in Seima rope made from the finest Japanese hemp, his ‘za kekkai’ stones serve as a silent testament, a Dharma tool, to the boundary between two spiritual realms, a line as delicate as it is profound.

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Flower plate

The special glaze used for this plate gives it a refined touch, while maintaining a natural, almost unglazed look. It is designed by Shinichiro Ogata and handcrafted in Arita, in the Saga Prefecture, a town renowned for being one of the first places in Japan to produce porcelain.