MIYA

During such a difficult time, 柄にもないですが, I'd like to share one small thing that made me happy. Today, I had a chance to drop by MIYA, a tableware store in Palmer Square. Their products were amazing with a mixture of Japanese tastes and a good quality/design (+ the price was reasonable!). 特にカリフォルニアの波佐見焼ブランドHasami Porcelainはナイスでした。日本でも、吉祥寺とかにいくと波佐見焼の食器が多くなりました、私が上京したくらいから流行りだして。

Ryoko, an employee there, kindly shared the history of MIYA. The founder Chosuke Miyahira was an Okinawan immigrant who came to NYC during the 1930s. They had a difficult time, but Japanese immigrants on the East Coast were able to keep their business during the WW2, which I didn't know. その後おいが継いで今は三代目ということみたいです。

Seeing pictures of items in different periods, I felt that the history of MIYA reflects a history of changing perceptions towards Japanese-ness among Americans. 昔の写真はザ・日本みたいな商品が多かったのですが、今並んでいる商品は日本のセンスはあるけど様々な生活スタイルに対応できる柔軟性もある感じでした。あとなぜか猫系のデザインが多かったです、オーナーの好みでしょうか。I was happy to find a place where I feel an emotional closeness. This is important, I think, especially in times when we are very unclear about by when we can finally go home. もちろん帰れることは帰れるわけですが、帰りたいけど帰る気分にはならない不思議な状況です。