Coasters in Traditional Kogin Sashiko by Mayumi Takenouchi

These coasters are made by Mayumi Takenouchi — wife of ceramicist Taku, and a maker in her own right. Her craft is Kogin Sashiko: a textile tradition born in Aomori prefecture during the Edo period, when farmers stitched cotton thread through hemp garments to keep the cold out. Over generations, what started as necessity quietly became art. The geometric patterns Mayumi works with — Mameko (beans), Uma no Kutsuwa (horse bit), Hanako (flowers) — have been passed down with care, each one carrying the history of the hands that came before. Using a counted-thread method, she stitches every piece herself, with the kind of precision and patience that simply cannot be rushed. The result is something you can feel the moment you pick it up: dense, considered, and quietly alive. At Ark we love that Mayumi’s work sits alongside Taku’s ceramics so naturally — both rooted in the same deep respect for handcraft, everyday use, and the beauty that comes from doing something the slow way, properly. Each coaster is lovingly made by hand, so you’ll notice small, unique touches in the pattern and stitching. That’s not imperfection — that’s Mayumi.