Simply Native

Simply Native Simply Native provides handcrafted products from crafts to Australia. simplynativejapan.com.au

09/09/2026

We were looking for an artisan to make us a giant chasen.

That’s how we met Masaki Ariyama.

Through Yukino’s friends in Japan, we were introduced to Masaki in Takayama, Nara, the birthplace of the Japanese tea whisk.

Not long ago, making chasen wasn’t something Masaki had planned to do.

His grandfather had spent more than 50 years making tea utensils under the name Meichikuen. The name disappeared from active production after the family workshop closed in the mid-2000s.

Now, Masaki is bringing Meichikuen back on his own terms.

He is learning from his father, and from Tango Tanimura, the 20th-generation chasen master of Takayama.

When we first visited in January, Masaki was still learning kezuri, one of the most important stages of chasen making. You will see his father here completing this step.

Today, he can complete the entire process himself.

It takes him a full day to complete one piece.

We’ve been lucky enough to watch this unfold from quite close by.

A family craft that went silent for a while, and is now being picked up again, one chasen at a time.

This month, we’ve begun to share Masaki’s work at Simply Native, with 3 of his handmade black bamboo chasen available each month.

And yes, the giant Chasen will make appearances here and there, or you could come see it at our shop.

We taste, compare, and taste again.Thoughtfully sourcing for select hospitality partners across Australia, our wholesale...
23/08/2026

We taste, compare, and taste again.

Thoughtfully sourcing for select hospitality partners across Australia, our wholesale collection has grown from a long and ongoing search for matcha, specialty tea powders and ingredients we believe are worth sharing, each selected for its character, balance, and how it shows up in the bowl.

Here’s a curated selection from our wider collection for our retail customers too, Matcha and Hojicha chosen not simply by grade, but by flavour, season, producer and the pleasure of drinking them.

We held a private incense making workshop over the weekend.Working with fragrant woods, herbs and spices, everyone creat...
17/08/2026

We held a private incense making workshop over the weekend.

Working with fragrant woods, herbs and spices, everyone created their own incense by hand - blending materials, experimenting with scent, and shaping each piece.

It was especially beautiful to see how differently everyone approached the making. Beyond the traditional cone, there were delicate forms, unexpected shapes and little ideas that made each creation entirely their own.

It’s been some time since we last held this workshop, but we’re very happy to say it’s returning.

Workshop dates coming soon - please register on our website for notification.

香を結ぶ Ko o Musubu
Binding fragrance together.

Choose a scent. Remember, or imagine yourself wandering from the three streams of Kiyomizu-dera’s Otowa Waterfall, said ...
14/08/2026

Choose a scent.

Remember, or imagine yourself wandering from the three streams of Kiyomizu-dera’s Otowa Waterfall, said to offer blessings of longevity, wisdom and love, into the quiet bamboo paths of Sagano, or along the narrow streets of Nishijin, where the sound of the loom meets the sweet scent of osmanthus at dusk.

Travel a little further, like we have here, burning Sakae 1966. A scent inspired by Sakae, Nagoya, in a time of optimism, change and new beginnings.

Founded in Kyoto in 1594, Kungyokudo 薫玉堂 is Japan’s oldest incense manufacturer, with more than four centuries of incense-making tradition.

Exclusively available at Simply Native in Australia.

#薫玉堂

21/07/2026

SOUND ON 🎐

Morning with Dainichi-gama, Yamashina Kyoto.

The gentle, almost wind chime-like cracking you hear is the sound of the glaze itself. As each piece cools after firing, the glaze naturally contracts, creating the delicate crackle effect and giving every vessel its own character.

During our visit, we spent time with Yotaro and his father Shigeo (and Haru), watching them work side by side in their studio. Yotaro was shaping a giant vessel for an upcoming project, alongside seasonal and permanent pieces we continue to develop together.

Creating a vessel of this scale requires an incredible level of skill and intuition. Despite its size, the finished piece needs to feel balanced and effortless with the wall thickness, curve of the body, and weight of the base all carefully considered. Much of this judgement comes not from measurement, but from years of experience and an understanding of the clay that lives in the hands of the maker.

One of the most fascinating parts of Dainichi-gama’s process is their relationship with ash. What appears to be piles of black ash side by side from materials gathered, grown, and experimented with over time transforms through the heat of the kiln into unexpected colours, textures and surfaces.

Sunflowers grown by the family, cedar trees, and even ash from tea experiments each reveal their own unique expression after firing. The final glaze carries traces of its origin, preserving a connection between nature, craft and the vessel itself.

Our favourites are the sunflower and cedar ash glazes, each with a warmth and depth that feels impossible to recreate.
Watching father and son work together was a beautiful reflection of their shared respect for clay, fire and experimentation. Shigeo continues his own explorations with natural materials, while Yotaro brings his own perspective through the pieces we develop together.

A glimpse into the making process behind Dainichi-gama.

This is your last chance to take part.As Tanabata comes to a close at our store, we are reading through the tanzaku hung...
11/07/2026

This is your last chance to take part.

As Tanabata comes to a close at our store, we are reading through the tanzaku hung on the bamboo, hopeful, thoughtful, some made us smile, and a few are simply very cute. It’s been such a joy watching the display slowly fill with wishes from our customers over the past few weeks.

Spend $150+ in-store or online by **Sunday 12 July** and register your purchase for a chance to win some of our favourite pieces from the store, including a TORCHIN Oval Portable Lamp, a Momentum Factory Orii Vase, a Gowan Ichiro Experience for Two, and more.

If you’re stopping by this weekend, we’d love for you to add your own wish to the bamboo before the festival ends.

**How to enter**
• Spend $150+ in a single transaction between 20 June–12 July
• Register your purchase via the link in our bio
• Every additional $150 spent earns an extra entry

Winners will be drawn on 13 July and announced via Instagram.

**Terms & Conditions:** Eligible purchases must be made between 20 June–12 July 2026. Proof of purchase is required to claim prizes. Winners will be contacted via email using the details provided at registration. Prizes are non-transferable, non-exchangeable and cannot be redeemed for cash. Full T&Cs available via the registration link.

Tucked away in a quiet corner of Saiin, west of central Kyoto, SHUKA is the modern evolution of a family craft that has ...
06/07/2026

Tucked away in a quiet corner of Saiin, west of central Kyoto, SHUKA is the modern evolution of a family craft that has been handed down since 1926. For four generations, the Kondo family has been making amanatto, one of Japan’s most traditional confections.

Amanatto is made using a centuries-old technique of preserving beans in sugar. Traditionally, it was all about azuki and other Japanese beans. But Takeshi Kondo, the fourth-generation custodian of the family business Torokuya, has taken the craft somewhere new. Through SHUKA, he’s reimagined amanatto, applying the same technique not only to beans, but to cacao beans, pistachios and other seeds and nuts from around the world.

The result feels both ancient and contemporary at the same time: familiar, yet unlike anything we’ve tasted before.

His beautiful shop sits beside the family’s workshop, where nearly a century of confectionery history continues today. We arrived quite late in the afternoon and, despite being close to closing time, Kondo-san generously stayed back to chat with us long after the shop had closed. What began as a quick visit turned into one of those memorable conversations that reminds you why travel is so special - meeting people who are deeply passionate about what they do and generous enough to share it.

During our visit, he shared his philosophy behind SHUKA, and even pointed us toward what is now our favourite yakitori spot in Kyoto. He kindly made the reservation for us too.

We’re excited to bring a small selection of SHUKA to Australia, including the Cacao mix, the Okonomi mix (with pistachio, red beans and cashew nuts), Kurosengoku black bean tea, and a pistachio syrup that completely won us over.

Artisan Focus | Ryuouen 柳桜園茶舗 | Master BlenderFor many people (even in Japan), “green tea” has meant bottled drinks - no...
24/04/2026

Artisan Focus | Ryuouen 柳桜園茶舗 | Master Blender

For many people (even in Japan), “green tea” has meant bottled drinks - not matcha.

Matcha isn’t just ground tea but a composition.

Each master blender works like a perfumer. Blending different cultivars, some sweeter, some more aromatic, some deeper in umami, some brighter in colour and layering them into a single, balanced profile.

Built on instinct, refined over decades.
The recipe? Rarely disclosed.

—

Tucked just off Teramachi Street, Ryuouen Tea Shop is easy to miss. For over a century, they’ve quietly supplied tea to temples and practitioners of the Japanese Tea Ceremony.

Their tea is still sold by weight, over the counte as it always has been.

We found them the old way, through people, through trust. Being able to bring their tea outside Japan is something we don’t take lightly.

Ryuouen chooses to stay deliberately small.
No scaling for trend. No compromise on quality.
No online store. No marketing. And yet, recently through social platform, a new audience has found them.

What Ryuouen represents a slower, more intentional way of drinking tea shaped by craft, not convenience.

—

When we visited last month, they were serving Kozakura 小桜, a seasonal blend marking the arrival of spring. For Simply Native, they’ve created Ikka Goyo 一華五葉.

Join us at our Surry Hills store for tastings, we’d love to introduce you to our world.

Address

1/148 Goulburn Street
Surry Hills, NSW
2010

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 10am - 6pm
Saturday 10am - 6pm
Sunday 11am - 4pm

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