Experience Nordic handicrafts up close
Step into the world of authentic handicrafts that add color and joy to your life.
Yamanashi Hemslöjd aims to enrich daily life by learning and applying the principles of Nordic traditional handicraft (crafts for the home that are both useful and beautiful) to everyday living.
Since 1971, we have introduced excellent Nordic home handicrafts to Japan, publishing numerous books and striving to promote and popularise Nordic handicrafts through exhibitions and classes, focusing on embroidery and weaving. To date, over 50,000 people have used the skills learned in our classes to create their own works. For over half a century, we have endeavoured to foster exchange and joint projects with artists and creators through the world of European and Japanese handcrafts.
Domestically, we began at the Swedish Centre in Roppongi, and after establishing a presence in Kakunohana, Omotesando, and Jingu Gaien, we accumulated international experience overseas with the London office (1985-1999), a gallery in Copenhagen (2001-2007), and a gallery in Stockholm (2014-2022). We returned to Omotesando in 2023.
Additionally, since 2014, we have established a non-profit organisation, the Association for the Promotion of Nordic Traditional Handicrafts, and are engaged in activities for the preservation and transmission of traditional handicraft techniques, as well as cultural projects. We hope that as many people as possible will be able to experience the charm of the diverse handicrafts that Nordic people have cultivated throughout their lives, and the beauty of designs that are still loved after the passage of time.
“Hem” in Hemslöjd means “home” in Swedish, and 'slöjd' means 'handicraft'.
Authentic traditional crafts
Yamanashi Hemsejd was founded in 1971 by Mikiko Yamanashi, who was studying weaving in Sweden, under the sponsorship of the Swedish National Association for Crafts. Subsequently, in 1976, it received accreditation from the Danish Handcraft Guild, and in 1984, from the UK's RSN (The Royal School of Needlework) and the Embroiderers' Guild. Through joint publications and exhibitions, as well as the establishment of classes, correspondence courses, and shops, it has introduced the arts of weaving, embroidery, and knitting.
Yamanashi Hemslöjd wants everyone to know, through exhibitions and classes, the enjoyment of authentic handicrafts that brighten and enrich your life. "Authentic handicrafts" means,
- The use of reliable quality materials that do not betray craftsmanship
- Advanced techniques supported by tradition
- Designs and patterns honed by history
It is supported by these three points.