Here’s your chance to discover Okinawan folk art. Visit Mogi & Mogi Gallery Shop in Koenji.

If you’ve ever been to Okinawa, you may have felt as though the local culture and atmosphere are embodied in the pottery, textiles, and glassware. An exhibition showcasing this Okinawan craftsmanship—which you can explore at your leisure right here in Tokyo—is currently on view in Koenji through Monday, September 28.

The venue is the “MOGI & MOGI Gallery Shop” in Koenji. Titled “OKINAWA CRAFT SHOP,” the event features the theme of “craft and folk art shops in Okinawa,” allowing visitors to fully enjoy Okinawan handicrafts.

Let’s go back about 30 years. That’s when owners Terry Ellis and Keiko Kitamura first visited Okinawa. Since then, they have continued to explore Okinawa’s unique crafts and food culture, its deep-rooted history and local traditions, and their interactions with the artisans there.

In particular, they say their connection to Okinawa deepened after visiting ceramic artist Shinman Yamada and the potters at Kita-gama in Yomitan. In this exhibition, they present Okinawan crafts—from a place that holds special significance for both of them—through the unique lens of “Mogi.”

One of the goals of this exhibition is to recreate the feeling you get when you walk into a shop that carries only items from Okinawa. On display are a variety of folk art forms that have developed under unique historical and geographical conditions, including Ryukyu glass—crafted from recycled bottles—as well as dyed textiles, woven fabrics, and rustic yet powerful pottery.

The lineup isn’t limited to works by Okinawa’s leading artists. It ranges from pieces by Tsunehide Shimabukuro, Shigeo Uejima, Kyoji Matsuda, and Shinman Yamada to works by young artisans and even anonymous pieces that have been used in everyday life. From Okinawan noren curtains finished at “Oshiro Kobo” using fabrics dyed with kuba leaves or woven with choma, to deep bowls of “Ryukyu Pottery” by Jiro Kinjo—a Living National Treasure active from 1912 to 2004—a rich variety of items spanning various eras are gathered here under one roof.

The lingering summer heat will continue for a while longer. Incorporating Okinawan handicrafts into daily life and letting my thoughts wander to that land is, in itself, a luxurious experience.