Since ancient times, the Japanese have believed a life force resides in all things. It lives not just in people, but in rivers, handmade bowls, and the shifting light of a season. We call this quality Kokoro (心): a holistic word uniting heart, mind, soul, and spirit. It is felt before it is understood.
Auwa is built on this philosophy. In a culture of speed and disposability, we cultivate awareness of how you feel, the things you live with, and your connection to the world. True abundance is not material. It is a quality of attention. You don’t need a mountain temple to practice this. It is a way of moving through the world, shaping what you choose and what you pass on.
We bring this perspective to life through four paths: a journal that shifts how you see everyday moments, a daily awareness practice, a store of objects made with care, and an illustrated world you can step into.
Auwa, the name.
Auwa is the quiet act between the unseen and the seen. It also sounds, to an English ear, like “our.” Our life. Our world. Our awareness. Both readings are correct.
A · The unseen.
The source of all things. The world before it has shape.
U · The bringing.
The act of carrying one into the other. Awareness in motion.
WA · The seen.
The physical world we inhabit. The thing now in your hand.
The creators.
Auwa is made by two people: a Japanese designer who created the world, and a British designer who brings it to life. Twenty years working together across design, technology, and travelling Japan. They have always wanted their work to be of use to other people. Auwa is their offering: illustration, photography, writing, product design, gathered in service of an idea they believe in.
Co-founder
Rieko Maeda
Japanese illustrator and designer, also known by her artist name Eko. Creator of the Auwa illustrated universe: years of quiet devotion to stories about a character who reveals the Kokoro in all things. She tells how it came to her in The Beginning. Raised in Japan, where Kokoro is lived rather than studied. Co-founder of design studio More Air, and the Japanese voice behind Auwa’s store, working with craftsmen across Japan.
Co-founder
Tom Vining
British designer, strategist, and photographer. Twenty years building products in the design and tech industries. Fifteen years of photographing Japan; his images have appeared in Condé Nast Traveler, Vogue, Time Out, and across this site. Co-founder of design studio More Air, leading brand, strategy, and product. For Auwa, he produces the brand, the systems, and co-creates the products that bring Rieko’s world to life.
Get in touch.
For collaborations, press, craftsman partnerships, or just to say hello: .