AGOBAY

A REFINED LIFE

AGOBAY is a sanctuary for the senses. We create escapes through objects, experiences and places to be at home.

We offer a pause, a rhythm, a refined way of living, and a deeply considered approach to quality. Our world of warm elegance.

Opening

Magazine

Moments of escape through stories, photography and film. Created by a collective of professionals, striving to inspire, discover and connect life-minded individuals.

Hitoshi Morimoto

In the hills of Bizen, second-generation potter Hitoshi Morimoto shapes unglazed ceramics from iron-rich clay, continuing a thousand-year tradition where fire and ash leave their mark on every vessel.

WOMEN OF THE SEA

Ago-wan’s Ama Divers

In Ago-wan, Japan, Ama divers descend into silky waters to gather the sea's offerings - a centuries-old practice that gave both name and meaning to AGOBAY's vision of finding the pearls of this world.

ENDURING PATTERNS

Bamba Dyeing Factory

Within the wooden walls of a traditional Kyoto factory, pigment and precision sustain a century-old family business devoted to the craft of stencil dyeing by hand.

CRAFTING COMFORT

Niwa Futon

Niwa Futon’s Nagoya atelier handcrafts essentials for sleeping and sitting, from cotton fluffing to final stitch, led by its fifth-generation custodian who finds new forms for enduring tradition.

MINDFUL SITTING

Zazen Meditation

Time with Zen monk Tosei Shinabe offers a profound encounter with Zazen, the seated meditation at Zen’s core, which he shares beyond temple walls as a grounded way of inhabiting the world.

CARVED BY HAND

Samuel Alexander

From fashion model in London to green-wood carver in rural Czechia, Samuel Alexander has found solace in the slow rhythm of craft. Carving by hand, his work is a meditative process shaped by nature.

TOOLS OF TEA

Last Of The Bamboo Masters

In a hillside town in Nara Prefecture, the centuries-old art of crafting bamboo tea tools lives on in only a few workshops, where tradition is held in every tine – and its future hangs in the balance.

KYOTO’S HOSPITALITY

Hata-ke

In a historic Kyoto ‘machiya’ townhouse, a host welcomes guests through gestures guided by instinct and intent. Here, ‘omotenashi’, the Japanese art of hospitality, unfolds as a shared understanding.

MAJORCAN MINIMALISM

Neuendorf House

The striking coral walls of Neuendorf House have stood the test of time, combining captivating architecture with the lush nature of Majorca. Here, guests delight in the serenity to simply just be.

DESIGNING STILLNESS

Corkinho

An old maritime building in Antwerp’s port now serves as an industrial cathedral that facilitates the art of stillness through designer Cédric Etienne’s cork furniture and contemplative interiors.

ANTWERP’S SOUL

Patina Guesthouse

A deeply personal project that reflects the craftsmanship and creativity of its eclectic owner, Patina guesthouse in Antwerp has a soulful allure, merging art, homely comfort and history.

CULTURAL LANDSCAPES

CAM Gulbenkian

Beneath the shimmering 'engawa' of CAM in Lisbon, where architecture dissolves into nature, visitors are invited to wander between the reflective art galleries and verdant gardens, discovering moments of stillness and connection.

SOUND AND STILLNESS

Slowness’s Reethaus

An architectural wonder, the Reethaus in Berlin, on the Slowness Flussbad campus, is a cultural space for radical presence, with a spatial sound system that offers a transformative listening experience.

Renaissance Residency

Numeroventi

Tucked away in the heart of Florence, a historic palazzo has been thoughtfully transformed by Martino di Napoli Rampolla into a refined blend of creative residency, contemporary art space and boutique accommodation.

Philosophy of Flavour

Restaurant ÄNG

The evening light softly reflects the countryside landscape in the glass house that harbours ÄNG. Inside this Swedish restaurant, guests are surprised by a complex journey of gastronomy, design and sustainability.

Inspired Encounters

1st Artisan Circle

Visionary Shinichiro Ogata and ceramist Shingo Oka’s visit to artist Helga Ritsch sparks a unique creative synergy, manifesting in their minds and hearts, and in objects that highlight this collaboration.

EXPLORE OUR MAGAZINE

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Craftworks by Artisans

Exclusively working with the most talented craft makers, at AGOBAY we celebrate handmade objects to enrich our senses and quality of life. Tactile creations we have been seeking all along, yet rarely found. Explore our new arrivals, single pieces and the permanent collection.

New Arrivals

Hitoshi Morimoto

Bizen Water Pitcher

Darkened by contact with heat and ash inside the kiln, set into the natural incline of the landscape at Hitoshi Morimoto’s home, this Bizen water pitcher combines a strong silhouette with the raw expressiveness of wood-fired clay.

Matcha travel bag

Dedicated to matcha, our travel bag set is a powerhouse collaboration between many of our artisans, bringing together everything you need for an elevated daily ritual, wherever you are, held in a custom-made padded linen bag.

Tosei Shinabe

Za kekkai stone 号152

At one of Kyoto’s oldest Zen temples, Buddhist Zen monk Tosei Shinabe sits in deep meditation, practising ‘zazen’. Wrapped in Seima rope, his ‘za kekkai’ stones serve as a silent testament, to the boundary between two spiritual realms.

Shingo Oka

‘Katakuchi’ sake pitcher

The ‘Katakuchi’ sake pitcher is ideal for sake or other liquids and can also serve tea or flowers. Shingo Oka uses the ‘Mishima Karatsu’ technique, in which carved patterns are inlaid with layers of white slip, adding depth.

Therese Müller

Matcha whisk holder

An AGOBAY exclusive, this matcha whisk holder is created in collaboration with Swiss ceramicist Therese Müller in glazed white porcelain. It helps keep the bamboo tines of your whisk in shape and allows for safe storage.

AGOBAY

Ceremonial matcha set

A thoughtfully composed set for a shared matcha ritual, exclusive to AGOBAY: a pair of rounded unglazed porcelain matcha bowls, our ceremonial-grade Kyoto matcha, and a handmade bamboo whisk (‘chasen’) and spoon (‘chashaku’).