Our Story

Old Japan was started by a Japanese / American couple living in the Japanese countryside with backgrounds in journalism and academic research. Through work-related projects and their own explorations of small towns and villages, they began discovering many artistic and cultural treasures of the same quality as a visitor to Kyoto or Tokyo may find, but at a fraction of the cost.

Items are acquired from used bookstores, art and antique shops and from private dealers, cleaned when necessary and made available for those interested in Japanese art, culture and history.

Old Japan also engages in research projects, locating maps, rare books or specific styles and pieces of artwork for collectors, academics and hobbyists. If you have a project you need assistance with, or have a specific type of Japanese item you are trying to find from the distant past though the bubble era and beyond, please contact us!