Dezeen promotion: the second edition of virtual homeware fair Shoppe On will see the return of Showcase: Japan, spotlighting talented design and crafts brands from across the country.

Shoppe Object – the New York design fair behind Shoppe On – is teaming up with the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) to host Showcase: Japan, which will feature a mix of 25 established and up-and-coming brands.

Among them will be 88-year-old glassware company SGHR Sugahara, artisanal candle-maker Takazawa Candle, kitchen utensils brand Conte, metal-casting specialist Nousaku and LED lighting brand YSM Products.

The theme of this year's event is Design and Discovery. Following the success of the previous show, it is expected to be one the highlights of this year's Shoppe On.

Each of the 25 brands will feature in a live virtual show that will be broadcast as part of the event, which takes place from 8 to 10 February 2021.

The products will then be listed on the Shoppe On virtual marketplace until 6 August 2021.

Among the highlights will be Osaka-based "paper tool" brand Sikigu, which uses paper to create a range of sustainable stationery and homeware products, including folded two-tone trays, storage boxes and notebooks.

Fukui-based Pleco will present its eco-friendly pleated bags, while Hokkaido-based Plywood Laboratory will show how it uses recycled paper to inject colour into wooden furniture and objects.

Textiles brands involved will include Kamawanu, known for its patterned cloths, and Takarajima Senkou, which uses natural dyes to create distinctive tones and textures.

Seventy-year-old brand Takada Tawashi will show its tawashi cleaning brushes, handcrafted using materials harvested from trees in Wakayama Prefecture, while Shaquda will present its ethically made cosmetics brushes.

The list of Showcase: Japan exhibitors is completed by Kimoto Glass Tokyo, Check & Stripe, Style of Japan, PCNQ, Sutta, Boketto, Nawrap, Clappin Jam, Toyo, Tokyo Kodo, Saralam, Nishiguchi and Tsunoda Seibee Shoten.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for JETRO as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.