ENNESTE

Creative Community Café & Shop
[published November 2021]

Enneste (pronounced en-nesh-te) is a bright and spacious creative café and shop situated on the north side of Nishi-Ogikubo Station. They offer various craft workshops as well as selling natural dyed threads, temari balls, DIY craft kits, other craft materials, as well as tools and books.

Founded in 2021 by proprietor Naho Izumi, Enneste is a coined brand name consisting of Hungarian words for “Me and You” (ÉN=me, ÉS=and, TE=you), also incorporating the meanings of Japanese words EN (円=circle, round, harmonious), EN (縁=human ties, fate, serendipity) and TE (手=hand). These definitions sum up beautifully what this creative community space is all about.

Temari, literally meaning ‘handball’, is a thread ball adorned with embroidered patterns. Temari balls have been cherished as children’s toys, ornaments or gifts. The history of this Japanese folk craft dates back to the 7th century.

Naho, who speaks excellent English, takes this traditional craft to the contemporary and international stage as well as aiming to make it accessible to all in fun and exciting ways. She has immense passion for temari and she can talk forever about it. However, she also expresses that for her, temari is a means or catalyst for communication, sparking creativity and bringing people together. She wishes to share with the world not only techniques and knowledge but also her belief that things like temari can change your life. Her fascination with temari has taken her on a journey to new artistic expressions, new encounters, a new career as a creative business owner. Through this craft, she hopes to encourage others to find out what they really love and follow their own passions.

Naho has given temari workshops in Japan as well as several countries around the globe. Her beautiful temari creations are on display in the café.

There are several ways you can get hands-on with craft activities here. One is to get a Scented Temari DIY Kit. You can simply drop in whenever you like, purchase a kit (1,650 yen which comes with a drink) and have a go with making a plain Temari guided by a YouTube tutorial video with English sub-titles (Free wifi provided). With the lovely scent from the aroma ceramic balls embedded within the temari ball, wrapping the thread around the sphere is kind of therapeutic and it helps you unwind. No panic even if the thread gets tangled or breaks, you can just carry on. It is so satisfying when your own handmade temari ball is complete! This is definitely good for well-being. The proprietor and members of staff are keen to help and share their tips when you need them.

For those who would love to learn more in depth, Enneste offer various workshops lasting 2-3 hours on weekdays, weekends, daytime and evening. These include temari making, natural dyeing, embroidery, mizuhiki (Japanese artform using a stiff rice paper cord) and there are workshops designed for kids as well. Some workshops can be conducted in English. Prices include a drink from the café.

In addition to these workshops, they host ‘Creative Happy Hour’, informal social evenings inspired by knitting circles. It’s a platform for the participants to work on their own creations regardless of art form whilst having a drink, let conversation flow organically, find like-minded creatives and swap ideas and knowledge among them.

In the shop there is a wide range of original threads available, the eye-catching array of colours are all created from natural materials such as indigo, madder, mimosa and autumn leaves from local cherry trees. There are two types of thread to choose from, a thicker one for embroidery and finer one for temari. These are all dyed in-house by the proprietor’s husband, Keisuke, who also runs the natural dyeing workshops and offers a fabric or clothing dyeing service.

Enneste has several overseas stockists and an online shop so you should have no trouble obtaining more materials if you wish to continue with your new craft.

There is a constant flow of people popping in, drawn into the friendly creative vibes. Some come with a general curiosity for crafts or gifts, others are professional artists seeking materials or inspiration. Enneste is a perfect place for discovering the world of handmade crafts and yourself, too, perhaps . What an amazing way to spend an afternoon or evening getting inspired and exploring creativity through a temari ball and colours of threads over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine in the vibrant environment!

ACCESS

Writer/Photographer: Minako & Ian