Why “Noren”
Why a shop curtain, and who is behind the studio.
A noren is the fabric curtain hung at the entrance of a Japanese shop. Dyed with the shop’s name, it tells passers-by that the doors are open, and offers a first glimpse of the character within.
Today, your website does the same job. Most first-time guests look you up on their phone before they visit, so the curtain you hang there deserves the same care as the shop itself.
I have spent years face to face with guests, at a hotel front desk and lounge, and as a personal trainer. I learned what makes a first-time visitor hesitate, and which words put them at ease. I bring that same eye to every word and screen I make for your business.
With my wife, I spent a year travelling around the world, writing street calligraphy in cities along the way. In Bolivia I ran a calligraphy workshop and co-hosted “Shodo Ramen”, an event with a local Japanese restaurant. Sharing Japanese culture with people of other languages is the foundation of the bilingual sites I build.
Noren Web Studio Keisuke Iwata