Kagoshima: Stories in Craft from South Japan

Kagoshima: Stories in Craft from South Japan returns for its third edition at the 2025 London Design Festival, bringing together a compelling selection of traditional and contemporary makers from Japan’s southernmost region. The exhibition runs from 13th to 21st September at wagumi, the Japanese design store located at London’s Oxo Tower Wharf.

The exhibition also features twenty two makers whose work expresses the region’s rich cultural identity and deep connection to the place.

Ceramic highlights include the work of Kaori Sasaki, who fires vessels at her Nohara-ya kiln that draw on both Okinawan yachimun traditions and the earthy heritage of Kagoshima’s Kuro-mon pottery, using local materials such as volcanic ash and river clay. The Ryumonji Pottery Cooperative also features, preserving the rustic tradition of Ryumonji-ware—an everyday ceramic style dating back to the Edo era. Known for its distinctive glazing techniques, including shark skin and dakatsu effects, the pottery is wood-fired and made using local resources. Today, the cooperative continues to evolve this heritage through unique patterns and classic forms such as choka shochu vessels.

This year’s spotlight is on woodworker Shintaro Oku. Working under the KOPPA brand, Oku transforms camphor wood off-cuts into smooth, textural forms that honour the character of the material. His zero-waste approach and philosophy of living within one’s craft have earned him recognition across Japan’s contemporary craft movement. Oku will be leading wood carving demonstrations and workshops during LDF.

From the shimmering, hand-cut glass of MIRIYU Kōbō to the shrine-rooted folk toys of Kōbō Miyaji, the event explores the enduring creativity of Kagoshima. Shōbu Gakuen showcases vibrant work made in inclusive studios for artists with learning disabilities.

Visitors can also explore the delicate textures of traditional handmade paper by Tsuruta Washi, and taste organically grown teas from Yamaguchi-en, a pioneering family-run farm in the Satsuma region.

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