About

Sumo Fujiyama is a small Japanese antique business based in Sapporo, in the north of Japan. It is run by me, Michito Nagahiro.

I have spent more than twelve years in the antique trade here, most of that time finding pieces for collectors in Europe. Kimono, ceramics, bronze, carpenter's tools, kitchen knives, scrolls, lacquer — the objects change, but the work is the same: looking at many things, and keeping only the ones that are honest.

Where the pieces come from

I source in three ways, and I am open about all of them:

• Directly from craftsmen and workshops I visit across Japan
• Through my network of trusted dealers and auction houses
• From my own inventory, built up over years in the trade

Every piece in this shop is physically here with me in Sapporo. I photograph each one myself, and I inspect it again before it ships. I do not list anything I have not held in my own hands.

What you are paying for

The price of a piece covers the object itself, the work of finding and vetting it, careful packing, and the genuine cost of getting it safely from Japan to your door. No more, no less.

A small promise

A portion of every sale goes to two things I care about: helping young Japanese craftsmen reach collectors outside Japan, and supporting children in Japan living with illness or disability.

Letters from Japan

Twice a month I write a short letter about the pieces, the workshops and the towns behind this work. New arrivals are usually offered to readers before they appear in the shop. You can join here. Reading along is welcome — buying is never required.

If you have a question about any piece, write to me. I answer every message myself.

— Michito