J Style Pty Ltd |
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J Style is owned and operated by Sam & Jen Idosaka in Wollongong, just south of Sydney on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia.
J Style acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work, the Wodi Wodi people of the Dharawal Nation. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
For over 20 years we’ve been living in Australia, raising our family here, and importing ceramics and other gifts and homewares from Japan. We supply retailers and restaurants around Australia, New Zealand and in the South Pacific.
Our business philosophy has always been the same.
Our products are beautiful, but also always practical. They have a use, and they are not disposable. They should last (unless you drop them on a tiled kitchen floor – but there’s always kintsugi for that). You can buy only what’s necessary and still surround yourself with beauty - and have a bit of fun!
J Style started importing ceramics from Japan way back in 1998, and we are still working directly with many of the same ceramic artists and makers. Based around the famous ceramics producing areas of Aichi and Gifu Prefectures, close to where Sam grew up, these are people Sam has known his entire life. We take pride in knowing that we have helped many small manufacturers expand their markets overseas, supporting their local communities and keeping their staff employed in rural towns.
In fact the majority of the staff in our local manufacturers are women. Starting out with flexible hours while their children are in school, and then staying on well past regular retirement age to hand paint cats and flowers onto mugs, stick handles onto teapots, apply patterns to plates and bowls, and have a cup of green tea (or a beer) together at the end of the day.
We love to see the wabi sabi (beauty in imperfection) of a hand made teapot with a brushstroke swish of glaze on the handle that tells you this pot was made by a person, and that the next teapot they pick up will have a slightly different swish, because it’s your own special swish on your own special teapot.
J Style is a family owned business, our suppliers in Japan are small family owned manufacturers, and our retailers in Australia are mostly small family owned retail stores and restaurants.
If you have a retail store and you’re looking for product that is special, not mass produced and not available in major department stores or chain stores, then keep looking here at J Style. If you haven’t already, please Register for a Retailer Login. You can then browse away at all of the products, see wholesale prices, check availability and place orders online.
We would love to hear about your store, your local community, your staff and their families, and your ideas for your business. We want to know how we can help your business grow by supplying beautiful, practical tableware, tea wares, storage, vases and other Japanese ceramics your customers will want to buy again and again for themselves and their loved ones.
On the other hand if you're here because you want to buy some beautiful Japanese ceramics and tea wares for yourself, then please support your local retailers and head to one of our stockists.