I'm experimenting with a Japanese-inspired tea table using items I already own.
My goal is to create a calm, modern, and balanced display.
I'm especially interested in how the pottery, lantern, flower vase, and table runner work together.
What feels out of place? What would you change to make the composition stronger?
I'd really appreciate your honest feedback.
I found this handmade tea bowl in Inuyama, Japan.
Traditionally it's a matcha bowl, but I keep thinking it would also make a beautiful café au lait bowl, dessert bowl, or even a small soup bowl.
The maple leaves and cherry blossoms are all hand-painted.
Photo taken in Inuyama Castle Town, Aichi Prefecture. These fruit candy skewers are a popular street snack in the area.
Inuyama Odori Festival is one of the largest dance festivals in Japan.
Teams from across the country perform energetic dances with music, giant flags, and elaborate costumes.
Photo taken in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
A karakuri ningyo (mechanical automaton) designed to serve tea to guests.
Operated entirely by springs, gears, and wooden mechanisms.
Photo taken in Japan.
This photo was taken during a traditional festival at Toga Shrine in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
The horse runs through a shrine approach surrounded by spectators as part of a centuries-old ritual.
Photo shared with permission from the Toyokawa Tourism Association.
I joined a lantern-painting workshop in Inuyama.
The rabbit design was already printed on the lantern, and visitors could add their own colors.
It lights up with an LED candle and can be folded flat to take home as a souvenir.
France has a long tradition of candles and decorative lighting. In Japan, we have paper lanterns like this one.
Do you think this kind of lantern has a similar charm?
Three strawberry desserts I found around Inuyama. The giant strawberry crepe was from a local food truck.
In Kasamatsu, Japan, racehorses walk through residential streets every day because the stables and training facilities are located in different parts of town.
We even have horse crossing signs and horse-related community activities.
Is there any town or region in France where horses are such a normal part of daily life?
Momotaro is a famous Japanese folk hero. According to the legend, he was born from a giant peach and later defeated demons with the help of a dog, monkey and pheasant.
In Kasamatsu, a horse racing town in Japan, racehorses walk through residential streets every morning to reach the training track.
There are even road signs warning drivers about horses.
How unusual would this be in your country?
I found this strawberry afternoon tea in Inuyama, a small castle town in Aichi Prefecture. It's only a short walk from Inuyama Castle, one of Japan's oldest original castles. A nice place to relax after exploring the town.
I found this café near Inuyama Station in Aichi Prefecture. It's within walking distance of Inuyama Castle and the seasonal strawberry afternoon tea was amazing.
These photos were taken around Kasamatsu Racecourse in Gifu, Japan.
Early in the morning, racehorses are led through the streets and around the local area before training. Seeing racehorses walking beside ordinary roads, houses, and farms is a normal sight here.
I thought horse enthusiasts outside Japan might find this interesting.
Have you ever seen racehorses training in such an urban environment?
This is the Inuyama Festival near Nagoya, Japan.
The festival dates back to the 17th century and is part of UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The float in this video is rotated entirely by human power.
I'm curious how people outside Japan see it. Would this make you want to visit?