The Refresh: Japanese-Style Sinkside Accessories
Pleasure from a pair of kitchen scissors? On a daily basis. My husband and I keep Japanese shears by our kitchen sink in a wooden wall pocket and we both comment on how exceptional they are: for cutting herbs, trimming stems, deboning chickens, and, in a pinch, freeing our dog of burs (they come apart, so are easy to clean). It’s time to stock our sink arsenal with more thoughtfully made tools like these. Here, five upgrades, some made in Japan, others that look like they’d be at home there.
Currently Have
Above: Japanese Stainless Steel Kitchen Scissors that are a literal cut above—and dishwasher-safe; $38 from Gardenheir.
Eyeing
Above: For 70-plus years Japanese artisan maker Takada has been turning palm fibers into traditional scrub brushes, brooms, and trivets. Select items from collection are available individually from Goodee, starting at $38 for a Beech-Handled Skillet Brush.
Above: New from beloved garden tool company Niwaki, the Camo Split Front Apron, $52, is a limited-edition canvas design by illustrator Natsko Seki and company founder Jake Hobson. The camouflage pattern “draws on the textural detail of pine needles and the bold shapes of cloud-pruned trees.” The Split Front Apron is also available in a sensible khaki. Both versions have leather-detailed crossed back straps.
Above: The Willow Pottery Cutlery Drainer, $75, has a partially raw exterior and a fully glazed interior; hand-thrown near Bath, England, exclusively for Toast.
Above: Salter House’s Checked Linen Tea Towel, $46, is grown, woven, and sewn in France by a century old mill in Armentières.
Above: From Japanese outfitter Snow Peak, modular stainless steel components from the Tabletop Architect collection work indoors and out (as part of the brand’s IGT Camp Kitchen). Shown here: the TTA Unit Frame, $44.95; Shallow Mesh Tray Half Unit, $39.95; and TTA Cylinder Stand; all hung with TTA Unit Clamp Tools, $52.95 each.Featured image: The Willow Pottery Cutlery Drainer, $75, and Willow Pottery Tidy Pot, $50, from Toast.
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