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OUR STORY

About Zusetsu

 

Zusetsu was founded in 2019 and run with business partner Yukki from our base in a beautiful town in the English Cotswolds.

Our aim is to provide a platform in the UK for the beautiful products of skilled Japanese artisans,

to share their inspiring stories in a thoughtful way,

and to celebrate the intersection

of our two different cultures.

 
Kyoto Kiyumizudera

KYOTO: WHERE IT ALL STARTED

Cathy fell in love with the city of Kyoto and the exquisite beauty of the temples, the tea ceremony, the gardens, the wrapping culture, the festivals, and the art and textiles.

Cathy loves learning about the Heian era of Kyoto, and reading Japanese literature of the time.

Her favourite novel is The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu.

The Tale of Genji painting
printing Snowflower furoshiki in Kyoto

FROM PASSION TO BUSINESS

We adore the long history of Kyoto's artisan skills, which stretch back to when it was the Imperial capital over a thousand years ago.

We're touched how these unique skills have been passed down through generations to the modern day, and how solo artists and small companies have created contemporary designs to appeal to a modern audience.

Our dream is to introduce these beautiful products to a wider audience.

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Zusetsu Cathy and Yukki

MEET THE ZUSETSU TEAM

Meet Cathy and Yukki, the faces behind Zusetsu!

Cathy has worked as a professional children's book illustrator for the past 30 years.

Yukki, who is originally from Japan, moved to the UK in 2018 and has been supporting Cathy ever since!

We're a small family business - Yukki is Cathy's

oldest son's fiancee!

MEET THE DESIGNER

Our artist Cathy is passionate about having her furoshiki designs printed and made in the area where furoshiki originated: Kyoto.

Because of the success of our screen-printed Snowflower, and our vibrant Yuzu furoshiki, we have now launched our third furoshiki design called Winter Crane!

Cathy from Zusetsu with a furoshiki bag in the Cotswolds

Take a Look at our Latest Blogs

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