If you’ve ever walked through the back streets of suburban Japan you may have noticed the ubiquitous use of ceramic tile. They’re everywhere from the roofs of homes to the fencing around them, serving both functional but also decorative means. These tiles have typically been reserved for industrial use and made available only in bulk. But the Tile Kiosk is changing that.
The Tile Kiosk is based in the town of Tajimi (Gifu prefecture) which has a 1300-year history of producing ceramic tiles for industrial use. It’s the home of Mino ware, which was born out of the region’s rich soil and high quality minerals. The Tile Kiosk’s mission is to bring this history, and the region’s diverse output of forms and glazes, to the home.
The tiles have any number of uses from plates and coasters to trivets and simple placeholders. It’s up to you how you use them. You can browse the entire collection right here and begin looking for that one special tile. (via Hakoniwa)
