Yesterday when my shop helper Phyllis and I were flipping through a binder with some old shop signage in it Phyllis exclaimed, "What is Zakka?" The reason she was asking this was because we hit the pile of these old brown paper signs that I made the first time I had a Zakka party. We had just returned from a trip to Japan and it was my first time shopping for goods to sell at the shop. It was a big test to see what kinds of products folks would be interested in purchasing. It won't come as a surprise that everything was a hit and this Zakka event set the groundwork for the collection of Japanese goods that we now carry.
Before I move forward I want to be sure that everyone reading understands that I am not Japanese. I reluctantly at times use Japanese words because they do convey certain ideas that there are no single words for in English. Take for instance, the intense heat that Japan was experiencing this summer. Many places on the planet were also quite warm. Here in Ohio it was a brutal August into September. But when its hot here we just say it's hot in different ways. Like blazing hot or brutally hot. But in Japan this summer it was so hot they actually made a new word for how hot it was. "Kokushobi" (酷暑日) is the word they created to describe days that are so hot, over 104 degrees F, they might be described as cruelly hot or brutally hot so much that you don't want to even go outside. They even had a public opinion poll about whether or not to start using this word. There are other words to describe heat that were previously used but because the heat this summer was record breaking they decided to go on ahead and make a whole new word.
I think I first heard the word Zakka when I was looking for stationery and encountered one of my favorite stationery shops in the United States. Nico Neco Zakkaya is located in Manhattan and it is quintessentially Japanese, owned by a Japanese woman, and carries many brands of Japanese stationery as well as some US brands. I discovered this shop long long before I had any inkling that I was ever going to own a shop that sold Japanese goods, or any goods for that matter. Wasn't even an idea in my head at the time. But that word. Zakka. That word stuck with me. It wasn't until I travelled to Japan that I truly understood it's meaning.
So what is Zakka? In good Japanese fashion it can actually be expressed in multiple ways. Here are some that I like:
Mundane objects that have been carefully selected to create memories and spark inspiration.
Miscellaneous things that cannot be categorized but whose presence elevates one's home and lifestyle.
Small but meaningful objects that elevate your life and mood.
Objects in one's life that provide a decorative value in addition to a functional one.
Mundane things that haven been carefully selected to improve one's lifestyle.
All things that enhance one's home and lifestyle.
You can see why I was so drawn to this word I am sure. It truly explains all of the beautiful practical things that exist and more. For instance, I usually will share with first time visitors to the shop that almost everything in the shop is practical and beautiful. But I think that depends on who you are. Take stationery for instance. While we all need a card from time to time, some folks otherwise just don't use any stationery at all. So it may not seem practical to them. But it is Zakka practical. It is a thing that enhances your life as it gives you an opportunity to send a note to a friend to share something thoughtful and valuable with them. If you have ever been on the receiving end of a random letter you know that it definitely is a meaningful object that elevates your mood.
When I first started dealing with the intense onslaught of tariffs I was finding myself in conversations with people about the issue of what we need vs. what we want. One conversation I mentioned in a blog was with my awesome landlord, Evan. He mentioned that he actually saw value in encouraging folks to purchase American made goods and I confess that I also wish in some ways that this country did still have more manufacturing. The conversation with Evan got me thinking about the Japanese Imabari towels that I carry and was facing losing due to tariffs. So I set out to search for US made bath towels. I came up with one or two brands that carried plain white washcloths that were priced in a way that was unattainable for so many. I had always thought the luxurious Japanese bath towels I was offering were really expensive but these washcloths I found made then seem very affordable. And here is the thing: the Japanese Imabari towels are way way prettier. They were something that no American made towel would ever be. They were Zakka. They were a simple everyday item that when around your home elevated your mood and enhanced your life. No plain white washcloth is ever going to do that. Maybe it would for Evan because he would feel some pride in knowing that it came from the US. But I think for most of us the beauty of a product that we use everyday lifts our mood and spirit. It is a magical type of emotion that one feels.
I guess that is the thing about Zakka. It can truly be different for everyone. The important thing is to find the objects that enhance your life, that make you feel good, that give you a pleasant sensation in your body, mind, and soul. That may seem like a tall order for something like a dishcloth or a wooden spoon. But in my experience, once you set the intention to surround yourself with beauty every object that comes into your life is an opportunity to invite joy! To me that is what Zakka is and that magical feeling is my guiding principle for almost every decision made about how I run this shop, the goods I offer, and the interactions that myself and my shop helpers have with customers.