Crafted by an artisan
Japanese food products, furnishings and lifestyle accessories not often found in shops find their way to CentralWorld
SHOPPERS EAGER to discover all things Japanese now have a new treasure trove to explore with the opening of a brand new pop-up store on the fifth floor of CentralWorld.
Promoted by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Thai marketing consultant Mediator, Mono Shop is an offshoot of the country’s Antenna shops, which offer local specialities from all over the Land of the Rising Sun that aren’t widely distributed. Conceived to help hundreds of small and medium enterprises expand to new markets, the Bangkok outlet offers more than 800 quality lifestyle products ranging from stationery, handicrafts, furnishings and tableware to food and beverages and created by artisans from four Japanese regions.
“We’re playing the role of a dealer in bringing popular handicrafts and signature foods from 47 Japanese provinces to Bangkok. To qualify for the project, all products must be made from good materials and use traditional Japanese techniques,” says Kondo Tatsuo, Mono’s merchandising manager
“The Japanese Chamber of Commerce wants to expand markets in both Asia and Europe. China is obviously the biggest market, which is why it has its own Mono Shop while Thailand is regarded as the hub of Southeast Asia.” adds Mediator’s Kantatorn Wannawasu
The 800-square-metres shop is divided into two zones and is clean, light and airy. Foodies will love the zone stocking everything from instant ramen with different kinds of soup to snacks, dried seafood and kombu seaweed.
Tempting buys include dried squid filled with Japanese rice, other dried seafood, ramen, milk candies from Hokkaido as well as ramen in chicken broth soup, shoyu fish sauce and wheat flour from Honshu.
From Shikoku hails sticky Sanuki udon and somen in shoyu fish soup, while Kyushu offers aromatic soup made from dried fish.
The second zone is home to innovative products and handicrafts mostly from Kyoto and Nara, which are regarded as the arts centres of Japan.
Likely to prove popular with Thai shoppers are the top-quality, handmade Mizuho brushes that many leading make-up artists are already using. Made from goat and squirrel hair, the soft-textured brushes provide a natural and sheer finishing to the cheeks, eyes and lips.
The environmentally conscious meanwhile will be quick to snap up Naoto Fukazawa’s Siwa handbags, MacBook cases and glasses cases made from Naoron, a recycled PET fibre that is waterproof and durable.
There’s also a line of small bamboo plates, rice bowls and chopsticks coated with urethane that are guaranteed toxin free.
Coming to Mono soon is a range of prize-winning products from the 2013 Good Design Award collection including Hakusan porcelain sets, Ohashi Ryoki’s “Suzuki” plate, “Keep-Warm” lunch boxes by The Sketer, rice bran candles from Daiku and smart, slim Abrasus wallets from Value Innovative.
JAPANESE BY DESIGN
>>Mono Shop is located on the fifth floor of the Atrium Zone at CentralWorld. It’s open daily from 10am to 9pm. Visit www.MonoShop-Japan.com
