Our Story

It has been fifteen years since I left Japan.

I’ve built a life here in America, and I love it. But some part of me has never stopped missing home.

Every time I go back, I fill my suitcase with small things: everyday goods, pieces of cloth, little finds I want to bring home. Back near Chicago, I unpack them slowly. The colors, the textures, even the faint scent of something that traveled all the way from Japan—and for a moment, I’m there again.

I’ve always given most of them away. To friends, to family, to anyone who might enjoy a small piece of Japan. Sharing something chosen with quiet care, and watching someone feel a little of what I feel, became one of my favorite things.

That is where MATORY began.

A careful stitch, a seasonal pattern, a cloth made to be used for years: it’s the little details that stay with me. I want to share that sense of care here in America, in the middle of an ordinary day.

My brother, who lives in Japan, helps choose each piece. Some are finds from across Japan; others are our own designs. Each is chosen with the same question in mind: will this bring someone a small moment of Japan?

MATORY is a small, independent shop based in Calumet City, Illinois, just outside Chicago. Our name comes from the Japanese word matou (纏う): to wear, or to wrap yourself in. We hope these pieces let you fold a little of Japan into everyday life.

Whether you’ve visited Japan, dream of going, or miss it from far away, we hope you find something here that feels like coming home.

— Noriaki, founder of MATORY