OUR STORY
Zusetsu was founded in 2019 by Cathy 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.
Where it all started: Kyoto
Cathy first visited Kyoto in 2011 with her family and fell in love with the exquisite beauty of the temples, the tea ceremony, the gardens, the wrapping culture, and the art and textiles.
She loves learning about the early Heian era of Kyoto, and reading Japanese literature of the time like
Murasaki Shikibu’s The Tale of Genji.
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 gifts to a wider audience.
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 son's girlfriend!
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 are about to launch our third furoshiki design which will be called Winter Crane.
