Questions?
Most questions I get about KAIKO&CO come down to the same things: where the objects are from, what to expect when something old arrives at your door, and what happens if something goes wrong.
This page covers all of that.
If your answer isn't here, write to me at hello@kaikoandco.com. I read everything and I answer personally.
About the shop
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That's me, Hannah. I'm based in the Netherlands and I travel to Japan a few times a year to find things.
Every piece in this shop I picked up myself, usually at antique markets or from dealers I've come to know over the years.
Nothing is bought through a middleman or selected from a catalogue. I look at things in person, hold them, and decide.
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No. Everything ships from the Netherlands.
The shop lives here, online.
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Japan, always. Markets, dealers, auction houses. Cities I return to regularly and new places I find along the way.
I don't source in Europe or buy from other dealers here. The point is direct access to Japan, and that's what KAIKO&CO is.
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Most weeks something new goes live. The newsletter and Instagram are the best ways to stay close.
If you're waiting for something specific, you can always leave your email on a coming soon or sold page and I'll write to you directly.
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Once or twice a year. I come back with a lot so not everything appears on the site straight away.
Each piece takes time to research and photograph properly, so items trickle out over the weeks and months after I return.
The inventory
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Tea ceremony objects, kokeshi, sound and meditation objects, and a category I call rare finds, which is where the things that don't fit neatly anywhere else end up.
Within those categories you'll find chawan, natsume, kōgō, hanging scrolls, ikebana vases, orin, singing bowls, mōkugyo, and more.
It changes constantly because nothing is made to order and nothing is restocked.
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Sure! Write to me at hello@kaikoandco.com. If I have it in the backlog but haven't listed it yet, I can check. If I don't have it at all, I'm happy to keep an eye out on my next trip.
I can't promise anything, but I will pay close attention when sourcing.
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The piece is here, in the Netherlands. I'm just not done with it yet.
Researching, photographing, writing. Leave your email on the page and I'll reach out before it goes live.
Before you buy
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Yes. Not everyone who buy from KAIKO&CO are not specialists. Some are collectors and some just want something real in their home, something with a story and a weight to it.
A chawan is a bowl you drink tea from. An orin is a bell you strike and listen to. You know when something is beautiful. To you.
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Always. Write to me at hello@kaikoandco.com. I'll share more photos and video, tell you how something feels in the hand and fill you in on whatever you like to know in more detail.
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Yes. You can enter a different delivery address at checkout. If you'd like a handwritten note included, send me the text either during checkout or soon after you've ordered through hello@kaikoandco.com.
I'll add it to the parcel. I don't do gift wrapping as standard, but these objects are packed with care and they arrive looking like something worth keeping. Just reach out and I’ll see what I can do.
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Because they're there, and you should see them. A glaze variation, a faint scratch, a small chip from a century of use. These are not flaws I'm hiding. They're part of the object.
Anything significant other than age related wear is described and shown. What you see is what arrives.
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It means I'm being honest. The attribution is based on what I can see: marks, style, technique, what the tomobako says, what specialists told me. But it's not certified by a museum or an auction house.
Vintage Japanese objects rarely come with that kind of documentation.
When I attribute and item to a maker or time period, it means I believe it, but I won't claim more certainty than I have.
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Physical examination first, then whatever evidence the object carries: signatures, seals, marks, tomobako inscriptions.
Then research: registers, auction records, reference materials.
Then what dealers and specialists in Japan told me when I bought it. Where the evidence is solid, I say so clearly from the documentation (shiori).
Care for your unique finds
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The main rule is simple: no dishwasher, ever. The heat and detergent will damage the glaze and can crack the clay body.
Rinse by hand with lukewarm water and a drop of mild soap if needed. Then let the piece dry fully in the air before you put it away. Moisture sitting inside porous clay is what causes problems over time.
If you're using a chawan, rinse it with warm water before you make the tea. A cold bowl meeting hot water too quickly can stress the clay. It takes ten seconds and makes a difference.
Porous clays like Hagi-yaki need more attention than fully glazed pieces. They absorb liquid and over time that changes them. Many people consider this part of the point. The bowl becomes yours. But it also means you treat it differently than a mug from a shop.
Each listing has specific care instructions for the piece in question. Read those first.
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Keep it out of direct sunlight. UV light fades urushi and can cause it to crack over time. The same goes for dry air.
A bowl sitting next to a radiator all winter will not thank you for it. Stable temperature, stable humidity, away from the window. That's the environment lacquerware wants.
For cleaning, a soft dry cloth is usually enough. If you need to remove a mark, use a lightly damp cloth and dry it gently straight away. No abrasive sponges, no chemicals, nothing sharp.
Urushi is hard but it's not indestructible, and scratches in the surface are not something that can be undone.
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The one thing to avoid is water. Don't clean a kokeshi with a wet cloth. The paint can lift and the wood will swell.
A soft dry brush for the details, a lint-free dry cloth for the larger surfaces. That's all it needs.
Keep wooden pieces away from radiators and heating vents. Wood that dries out too fast can crack or split, especially older pieces that have already been through decades of seasons.
A spot where the temperature stays reasonably consistent is where they'll be happiest.
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Vintage silk is not fragile in the way people expect. It has survived decades already. But it does have rules.
The main one: don't wash it at home. Silk this old needs dry cleaning, and even then, only if it genuinely needs it. Cleaning puts stress on aged fibres. If a piece just needs to be freshened, hang it in a ventilated room away from direct light for a day. That is usually enough.
Store it folded, not hanging. Hanging pulls the weave over time, especially along the shoulders of a haori. Wrap it in acid-free tissue if you have it, or clean cotton. Not plastic. Silk needs to breathe, and plastic traps moisture.
Keep it away from light. Silk fades, particularly dyed silk, and once the colour has shifted it doesn't come back. A drawer or a box is better than an open shelf or a hanger in a bright wardrobe.
For moths: cedar or lavender nearby is fine, but not touching the fabric directly. The oils can leave marks on silk over time.
If you need to press it, turn it inside out and use the lowest heat setting with a cloth between the iron and the fabric. Better still, hang it in a steamy bathroom and let the creases fall out on their own.
Payment and shipping
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Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna, and Wero, among others. The full list is shown at checkout.
Payment is handled securely through Squarespace Payments. I never see or store your card details.
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I hold the order for 3 business days. After that, if payment hasn't come through, I cancel and make the piece available again.
Every item here is one of a kind. I can't keep it off the shop indefinitely.
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Yes, that's correct. KAIKO&CO works under the margin scheme (margeregeling), the standard VAT arrangement in the Netherlands for second-hand and antique goods.
VAT is calculated on the margin only and doesn't appear as a separate line. The price you see is the price you pay, nothing added at the end.
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All EU member states. Outside the EU I don't ship at the moment.
If you're based outside the EU, write to hello@kaikoandco.com and we can see if there's a way.
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I dispatch within 2 to 3 business days of payment, via PostNL.
You get a tracking number by email when your parcel leaves.
Exact delivery times depend on where you are and are shown at checkout.
In the worst case, delivery should happen within 30 days.
If something goes wrong with that, I'll let you know and you can cancel for a full refund.
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Under the current rules, no. Goods shipped between EU member states from the Netherlands don't attract customs duties.
But rules can change, and you're responsible for checking what applies to your country when you order. I'll never mark a parcel as a gift or understate its value to help avoid import charges. That's not something I'll do.
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Carefully and with experience. Every ceramic and lacquer piece gets proper padding.
I use recycled and reused materials where I can, so don't be surprised if your order arrives in a repurposed box. What matters is that what's inside arrives the way it left.
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Write to hello@kaikoandco.com within 48 hours of delivery.
Send your order number, photos of the damage, and photos of the packaging including the outer box.
Keep everything until we've sorted it out.
As a small independent business I rely on those photos to claim against the carrier. I'll do everything I can to find a fair solution.
Returns and refunds
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Yes. You have 14 calendar days from the day you receive your order to let me know you want to return it, no reason needed.
Write to hello@kaikoandco.com with your order number. After you've notified me, you have another 14 days to send it back.
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You do. I don't provide return labels.
A tracked and insured parcel within the EU typically costs between EUR 10 and EUR 25 depending on where you are and how heavy the piece is. Get a quote from your carrier before you start the return.
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The same condition it was in when it arrived.
Unused beyond what you needed to look at it properly.
Packed carefully for the return journey.
If something comes back damaged, used, or incomplete, I may need to reduce the refund to reflect that.
A return without the tomobako, documentation, or any other included materials isn't a complete return, and the refund may be adjusted accordingly.
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Within 14 calendar days of receiving the returned item, using the same payment method you used to order.
Outbound shipping costs are refunded at the standard rate if you return the whole order.
The objects themselves
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Something real. Light marks, a little crazing, patina where the hand has been. It is what makes these objects different from something made last month.
Anything beyond ordinary age wear, like a big chip, crack, or repair, is always described and shown in the listing.
If you're unsure about a specific piece before you order, ask me.
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If that is the case, please write to me at hello@kaikoandco.com within 14 days. If the piece is genuinely not what I described, we'll work it out.
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It can happen. Attributions are my best honest assessment, not a guarantee. Opinions differ, and Japanese antiques don't always come with conclusive evidence. If you believe the piece is materially different from what I described, contact me within 14 days and we'll look at it together.
If you simply have a different expert opinion, I'm interested to hear it, but that alone doesn't constitute grounds for a return.