RESORT GUIDE NEIL HARTMANN NIKKO - Powderlife

EYE SPY // art and culture in japannational designJAPAN is known worldwidefor its uniquetake on modern design.PHOTOGRAPHY BY // shouya griggLocal photographyONE company earning attention for its uniquedesign is monacca. Residing in Umaji Villagein the mountainous Kochi Prefecture, thissmall company produces unique wood-grainbags and furniture made out of the cedar thatsurrounds the area.In order to obtain good cedar, the maintenanceof the forest is essential; if the trees aretoo dense, their growth will be stunted andresources damaged. Monacca utilises thethinned wood that would usually be left inthe forest.Stylish, eco-sensitive and functional, monaccabags are different to many briefcases,handbags and clutches on the market.There is also a zabuton (Japanese cushion),chair, Japanese-style coffee table, light fixturesand a calculator available online or in selectedTokyo retailers. See website for details.@ www.monacca.comHOKKAIDO is a photographer’s playground. The moundsof white snow create interesting lines, the flat winter lightis numbing and the geographic features of the area areas subtle as they are immense.THE area is and can be interpreted in a numberof ways. Local designer and creative directorbehind the Sekka Style label, Shouya Grigg, usesHokkaido’s natural elements to satisfy his loveof photography, after working for many years asa high-fashion and commercial photographer inSapporo. His photos of Hokkaido are instilled withhis trademark ‘Sekka Style’, which is revealed in allhis work: J-Sekka, Sekka Style, Sekka MaruyamaRestaurant in Sapporo and the Sekka Lodgein Annupuri.Raw, natural, visionary and eclectic are justsome words that describe Shouya’s approach todesign – something that has organically evolvedand he has inherently learned to trust over time. It’shis fresh approach and bespoke style that makehis home-design label Sekka Style distinctive.This flair is best understood when surroundedby it. Walking through his secluded HanazonoHouse, Shouya’s inspirations are obvious – hehas a penchant for antiques, old Japanese art,minimalist lines, uninterrupted perspectives andphotography. Collecting nic nacs and his uniquetaste is something he attributes partly to hisparents. They would take him along on reconnaissancemissions to antique shops for their ownhome-renovation projects.Finding interesting things, creating furniture,appropriating art to fit a certain room and workingwith a building’s existing structural elementsis a skill Shouya has refined. His ability to createhouses that encompass a ‘lifestyle’ approach canbe experienced at the Sekka Style showroom, inthe J-Sekka complex. Here you’ll find a sampleof his Hokkaido-based photographs, Japaneseantiques and the custom-designed furniture heuses to style the houses he designs.@ www.sekkastyle.commonacca cedar calculatormonacca cedar bag – kaku31powderlife issue 29 // December 25 - January 7, 2010 www.powderlife.com