Summary
Experience Heritage Traditions in Kyoto
The POJ Studio shop, Kissa Kishin cafe, and Maana Kiyomizu guest suites welcome travelers to experience heritage traditions imbued with a contemporary sensibility in a historic ‘machiya’ townhouse.
Timing is everything in business and in life. For entrepreneurs Tina Koyama and Hana Tsukamoto, their near-simultaneous arrivals in Kyoto, Japan, in 2019, along with a convergence of factors, led them to create the mission-driven POJ Studio lifestyle platform and e-commerce store. With more time to expand their vision during the pandemic, the duo is now launching an even more ambitious and holistic agenda.
Founders and Inspirations
POJ (“Pieces of Japan”) Studio’s brick-and-mortar shop opened in September 2022 under a shared roof with Kissa Kishin cafe and Maana Kiyomizu, a newly opened boutique hospitality venue composed of three guest suites. This deeply intentional compound reflects Koyama and Tsukamoto’s dedication to promoting and supporting traditional artisans and heritage crafts through an updated lens. Given Japan’s reopening in October, it’s the ideal time for this team to welcome visitors into this one-of-a-kind experience.
Koyama, raised in Switzerland, with a Japanese mother who worked with Japanese goods and imports, felt a certain call to action before creating POJ Studio. She recalls visiting “craftspeople who were struggling.” Despite the robust interest in Japanese crafts when she lived in Silicon Valley, many makers told her, “‘this is the last generation.” After moving to Kyoto, Koyama felt increasingly compelled to address this issue.
A mutual friend introduced her to Tsukamoto, who returned to Kyoto to care for her ill mother after living in the U.S. Since age 12 and establishing a career as an art director in New York City, their shared passion for merging Japanese heritage preservation with a contemporary sensibility quickly coalesced into business. The two founded POJ Studio in 2020, aiming to connect craftspeople and makers with an expanded international audience.
Collaborative Ventures
Before co-founding POJ Studio, Tsukamoto was on a path to revitalize local architectural heritage in Kyoto: the wood-frame, narrow housing type known as machiya. “I read this article about these old townhouses in Japan, which I had no idea about. They were destroying them, and I thought, ‘Okay, this is what I’m gonna do,'” recalls Tsukamoto. With a friend specializing in hospitality design, she founded Maana Homes in 2018, rehabilitating machiya townhouses for short-term stays.
While Koyama is not directly involved in Maana Homes, there’s an organic connection between the ventures. Soon-to-open Maana Kiyomizu and POJ Studio are immediate neighbors within the machiya restored by architects Shigenori Uoya and Takeshi Ikei. Many POJ Studio products are integrated into Maana Homes properties, and elements of the suites are shoppable. “We just had to stand out from the crowd,” Tsukamoto explains. The POJ shop showcases other simpatico brands and makers, such as Aria Kyoto and Karimoku Case Study. Kissa Kishin operates separately but maintains the spirit of collaboration among these all-female-owned enterprises.
Workshops and Exhibitions
Koyama and Tsukamoto have dedicated spaces for rotating exhibitions of artisans and local talent, as well as hands-on workshops. Repair is a core pillar of POJ Studio, and DIY kintsugi kits are sold to touch up crafts. They offer repair classes in-person, stating, “We are a consumer goods brand, but it’s most important to us that these handcrafted goods are going to be used for a long time, and we want to make repairs accessible.”
Accommodations at Maana Kiyomizu
The three suites within Maana Kiyomizu townhouse are open for stays at the quietly minimalist, impeccably appointed suites. Design-loving travelers are encouraged to immerse themselves in this unique destination and its many stories.
