Ono’s Home By Prairie Stuart-Wolff
Posted on May 22, 2014 within News
A portrait of place
Ono is petit. She emerges with a giant umbrella to shield me against the rain. As I thank her for her time and hand her a small cake, her cheeks swell and her eyes are lost to her smile. Ono doesn’t understand why I’m here. “It’s such a run-down house,” she says. I don’t entirely understand it either. But there’s something I can’t shake, something inherently intriguing about this space. I want to explore it more, examine its dark corners, and pass a little time inside its shell. Ono’s home doesn’t fit any category of typically revered architecture or design. Continue Reading Ono’s Home By Prairie Stuart-Wolff
The Turnaround by Prairie Stuart-Wolff
Posted on May 7, 2014 within News
Reintroducing sake to Japan
Daisuke Komatsu’s father insisted that he not succeed the family business. With sake sales falling nationwide, he saw no future in their microbrewery. “He urged me to study, go to a good college, and get a job elsewhere. He thought that was a better plan for me,” says Komatsu.
But soon upon landing employment at a securities firm, Komatsu realized that the life of a salary man was a poor fit. With a strong mind to do what’s right by his own measure, he failed to excel as biddable employee. He envisioned a different path, one in which he held the reins. As he entertained ideas from owning his own bookstore or flower shop to opening a bakery, he remembered a little microbrewery called Komatsu in the countryside of Saga prefecture that was going out of business. Continue Reading The Turnaround by Prairie Stuart-Wolff