Tavoan Kyoto
“Tavoan" - the land of confluence and the land of the sea. The word Tavoan was used in ancient times by the indigenous Siraya people of Taiwan to describe the beautiful island they inhabited.
1800 km away at Kyoto, we aim to recreate the essence of Taiwan’s ancient heritage through an exploration of the artisans, craftsmanship, and people that helped shape this land and its culture.
As a conceptual multifunctional venue, Tavoan Kyoto also serves authentic Taiwanese refreshments and beverages and provides a gallery space for irregular events and exhibitions
Formosa Craft
Sailing past Taiwan in the year 1584, a Spanish ship captain referred to the island in his logbook as “As Ilhas Fermosas" meaning the Beautiful Islands. The Spanish would later create a sea chart in which they named the island "Hermosa". When the Dutch arrived in 1624, they decided on the name "Formosa" and since then this has been a Western designation for the island.
Taiwan（台灣） is a small island located at the crossroads of Northeasst and Southeast Asia, traversed by the the Tropic of Cancer. The subtropical north and tropical monsoon climate of the south have given rise to a land abundant in natural resources.
Taiwan’s biodiversity has supported the life of not only the early settlers such as the indigenous tribes like the Gaoshan people but also transient visitors like the Spanish, Dutch and Portuguese, and later, settlers and migrants including the Han Chinese, Japanese, and modern-day Taiwanese.
This confluence of cultures has led to the development of a rich and diverse heritage of traditional crafts, intricately intertwined with nature and infused with a strong ethnic flavor. Wood, rattan, rush, bamboo, ramie, barringtonia, banana leaves, are just some of the many indigenous plant fibers used by the inhabitants of Taiwan in the weaving of traditional crafts. This includes the tools created by indigenous people for working in the mountains and at sea, bamboo (竹) crafts introduced by the Han Chinese, and the products of the rush weaving industry of the Japanese colonial period.
Although the rise in inexpensive plastic products has posed challenges to the craft industry, the deep respect within the hearts of the Taiwanese people for their ancestors and nature continues to evoke a strong dedication towards natural craftsmanship.
Tavoan hopes to share with you the stories and traditions of Taiwan in Kyoto,
a city known as the capital of crafts.