Obscura Magazine Vol 20 : Spring & Summer 2016

“Have a Slow Day!”

This Spring & Summer 2016 edition encourages everyone to pause and think about what “slow living” truly means. When we talk about being mindful of a living moment and striving to enjoy every second of it, you may find it surprising that it is often your own mindset, not the actual pace, that counts.

Highlighted stories:

1. Distance Between Hand and Heart – Chamil Garden, a dedicated Taiwanese artist who makes stunningly beautiful carved stamps, shares with us her insights on the art of making and the enjoyment of taking one’s time to be present at every moment and every location on a regular day.

2. Sewing Tender Souls – We had a hearty conversation with Jackie Villevoye, founder of Jupe by Jackie, who opts to preserve traditional manufacturing methods and more intimate personal connections in order to produce surprising results with the brand’s radical, slow fashion approach.

3. Written Between Daily Life and Traveling – Reaching its 10th Anniversary this year, the TRAVELER’S notebook & Company is well known for having created a dedicated analogue culture by promoting an enthusiasm on documenting one’s journey with its beautiful notebook. We had the honour to meet its chief director, Iijima Atsuhiko, and learned about this company’s unique business philosophy.

4. The Homemakers – We traveled to Shodoshima, also known as “the small bean island”, and spent a few days with the Mimura family, who had been prompted by the Tohoku earthquake to start a new life. Their story in turn inspires us to look at “slow living” with a whole new perspective.

5. Paying a Visit to His Bamboo Kingdom – Who else is confident enough to declare himself the happiest man on Earth? We headed into the legendary tiger stripe bamboo forest to learn how Mr. Yamagishi Yoshihiro, the fourth-generation leader of Taketora, chooses to be devoted to only one thing in his life, and even be the best at it.


Collage artwork on the cover by Chamil Garden

Print Details: 152 pages, perfect bound with a white cloth spine, full-color. 

Printed in Hong Kong.