Synopsis

For generations, the Japanese kitchen was a space of contrasts: a dirt floor meeting a raised platform of wooden planks. Today’s kitchens, by comparison, boast an array of practical and compact designs. Associate Professor Suzaki Fumiyo recounts this transformation, exploring the reasons behind a growing movement toward traditional dirt-floored kitchens in Japan. And in Plus One, Matt Alt delves into the history and function of some time-honored kitchen tools.