Kaikado

To share the story of Kaikado—both its past and present—with people around the world and pass it on to future generations. It was my dream.

For 150 years, Kaikado has been making tea caddies without changing their shape or the techniques used to craft them. This tradition has been upheld by generations of artisans, each dedicated to preserving the essence or atmosphere of Kaikado. To continue making the same tea caddies, we must pass on ‘’Rashisa’’ which is atmosphere, essence or spirits of Kaikado. There are things that cannot be conveyed through words alone—things that are passed down from hand to hand, as a shared sense of ‘’Rashisa’’

This book captures the everyday life of Kaikado, the people who support it today, the tea caddies we make now, the ones we have made and the spaces that embody our philosophy, such as our shop and café.

Through the spoken language, our fifth and sixth-generation artisans have shared their thoughts on ‘’Rashisa’’ of Kaikado. Their words have been compiled in both Japanese and English.

This book was made with great dedication by ERG, a Milan-based publishing company led by Ted Gushue, who deeply resonated with our vision. The text was compiled by Koichi Kawajiri, and the cover features Chazutsu Hyakugoju-nen by Keigo Kamide

By putting our history and present into a book, we believe we can change Kaikado without changing. And as always, we remain committed to making tea caddies, now and forever.

The book will be available for purchase starting April
9th in Milan, Kyoto, and through ERG’s website.

We sincerely thank everyone who contributed to this project. Thanks to your support, we have created a truly remarkable book—one that will endure for the next 150 years.

We hope you will enjoy it.