ABOUT K+P
My name is Hisaya Kadoi, I make pottery at KADOI POTTER, also known as K+P, and I started my online store as the director of I STILL AM.
K+P's History
I was born in Shizuoka, Japan, and after living a moderate country life in a warm climate, I moved to Tokyo, a big city, which I had a strong yearning for. After 25 years of wonderful life in New York, I decided to move to Japan for a new journey.
Title in New York
In New York, I was a "Sake Sommelier, Director and Restaurant GM". I was not a sommelier from the beginning, and my English was not good enough, but I started out as a part time job and was guided by wonderful colleagues who helped me grow and develop my curiosity while building "trust" with me. Before the sake and Japanese food boom overseas, and at a time when Japanese food was not yet well known even in New York, I was entrusted with a "hideout SAKE BAR" that would later become a "sacred place" for sake. I became obsessed with sake. I was very convinced and fell in love with sake in New York. The more I learned about sake, the more proud I became of it. I wanted to share this passion with people around the world, so I continued to work passionately to spread sake abroad through tastings, customer service, learning from each other, and expanding my connections with breweries. As a result of our efforts, sake and Japanese food spread from New York to the rest of the world. We are very grateful for this great experience and the wonderful people we have met, and we look forward to even greater success in the future.
Inspiration and Impact
Just as I was beginning to hear more and more about restaurants from Japan opening in New York, I was approached by two well-known restaurant companies to launch in Manhattan. After a decade of legendary success, I was handed an offer from "the restaurant of destiny," a hidden restaurant and bar in the NOHO district.
The historic building that was once the studio of art geniuses Basquiat and Warhol, and the tasteful food and concept, were so well received that people from all over the world wanted to come to the restaurant. The restaurant was a small kitchen with only 26 seats, including the bar counter, but the high energy of the place and the people attracted many foodie New Yorkers, artists, musicians, film directors, actors, famous chefs, and more, They came to enjoy a moment of bliss.With the restriction and mystery of not being able to enter the restaurant without an introduction from a friend or family member, you excitedly find the entrance and press the intercom on the day of your visit. A staff member opens the door, asks your name, invites you in, and leads you to your table. It felt strange to think of it as a restaurant, like inviting a friend into your apartment, but it was a "secret hideout" with a blend of New York and Zen atmosphere. There were tricks inside and outside to stimulate the senses: soft downlights and oil lamps, the smell of rosemary and the sound of hot grills, the sound of bartenders shaking cocktails, a zen-like indoor garden and moonlit skylight, local artists' art on the walls, and even a washlet. The sound of the bartender shaking a cocktail, the Zen-like indoor garden and moon-viewing skylight, the local artist's art on the wall, and the washlet were just some of the features. All kinds of attention to detail and love filled the small space. The store will be sadly closed after Corona.
Side note: When I was alone in the store after work around 2:00 to 3:00 a.m., I could hear Basquiat walking and talking to me from the ceiling of the guest room, which was supposed to be empty, and from the stairs on the second floor. I was talking to Basquiat naturally.
LIFESTYLE
Living in New York, I often get a glimpse of authentic tastes and tastes in daily life, and I think it was very valuable for me to experience encounters with people of various races due to my job. I am convinced that interest in and respect for "eating" is a universal language that can bring smiles to people's faces and connect them to each other. K+P also originated in New York, where many of the people around me are "artists". I admired their passionate and unique way of life, and one day I wanted to be one too. One day, while working, I was lucky enough to find a studio in my neighborhood. Needless to say, I was involved in restaurant work, so I was familiar with pottery, especially sake cups, but another reason was that I rarely had time to have meals with my family because of my work. I thought that if my family ate meals in vessels that I had made myself, I would feel as if I could share the same time with them, and I would feel somewhat at ease. During my time in Corona, the studio I attended closed its doors, and after a gap of two years, I returned to Japan. Through a strange fate, I was able to work with a potter who happened to be from the same hometown as me and was active as a ceramic artist in New York.
I would like to ask for everyone's support.
ABOUT I STILL AM
I STILL AM was born as an online shop specializing in CERAMICS AND LIFESTYLE GOODS. With a focus on items such as sake cups, pottery, flower vases, and aroma stands created by K+P, we also offer art-inspired ceramics used in popular hidden gem restaurants in NY and photographs of artists with whom we have a connection. Emphasizing the concept of "balance," we introduce a selection of lifestyle goods from both Japan and around the world.
*For more information about K+P, please read ABOUT K+P.
Naming
It took us a long time to come up with a name that we were happy with. We came up with quite a few candidates, but we couldn't quite decide, "This is it!" It was hard to make a decision. At that time, I bought a copy of CEREAL's NEW YORK Guidebook, a British lifestyle magazine that I love, and in it, there was an interview with fashion designer Philip Lim, He talked about New York. He sometimes came to dine at the hideaway restaurant and bar where I was GM, and he had a smart, gentle aura and fragrance. He opened a flagship store almost across the street on the same street and we were invited to the opening party. At that time, he gave me an original green leather card case, which I still cherish and use to this day. In one of the stories he wrote, the phrase "I STILL AM" appeared, and as soon as I read it, I felt like I had found a piece of the puzzle. I felt a piece of the puzzle when I read the phrase "I STILL AM in love with New York," and I could relate to the fact that this feeling still flows through me. I would be happy if I could express the things "I STILL AM IN LOVE" with in the form of vessels and art, cherish the inspiration I receive from the people and things I have encountered in the past and will encounter in the future, and share my experiences and connections with you.
Balance
From my encounters with various things and people, and from my past experiences, I feel that a "sense of balance" is a theme or an ideal.Let me try to unravel this. I was a student who, under the influence of my friends, became fascinated with music and American fashion. I went to college in Tokyo, which I had always dreamed of, and spent many nights at night going to nightclubs, dancing, and frequenting record stores in the Shibuya area. I had always had a moderate command of the social scene, so I was able to enjoy meeting and talking with people without being intimidated. I wanted to open a clothing store, which was my dream, so I started working at a store in the Shibuya/Harajuku area, where I realized that I loved serving customers and selling products. I was also influenced by my friends who liked interior design and product design, so I moved to New York and learned about various art forms at flea markets and stores and museums that sold pop design furniture and products from the 60s and 70s. As my day job transitioned from being a sake sommelier to working in the restaurant business, I inevitably had more opportunities to direct my own work, such as selecting vessels and sake cups, table coordination, menu design, décor, and space music. Working alongside talented chefs has allowed me to experience the art of crafting a dish through the delicate balance of addition and subtraction. As a sommelier, I've also had the privilege of discerning the perfect harmony between fine Japanese sake, cuisine, and the vessels they are served in. Sharing these experiences with customers from around the world has been truly rewarding.Through these various experiences, I realized that I am good at taking advantage of the strengths and good points of people and things and putting them together in harmony. I was thrilled to be able to manipulate the important invisible thread of "balance" and weave a little of my own sense of style into the mix.
now and the future
I want to incorporate simple and natural things into my life as much as possible. Choosing things that have a positive impact on both the body and mind, and striving to have a positive effect on the planet, are important to me. Through I STILL AM, I aim to connect with everyone around the world and share positive information, so let's work together to create a joyful and optimistic future!
Thank you for your support.
I STILL AM & K+P
HISAYA KADOI
