【Sunday Slow Moments】A grocery store that upholds the artisan spirit — Wen Shi in Taipei

Text by TRAVELER Luxe Traveler　

 

 

Owner Rick said that the items in the shop are all treasures the couple discovered while wandering around Japan. With the desire to share these wonderful finds with others, they decided to bring these works to Taiwan. Due to the artisans' dedication, the items are only made after receiving an order, so they often have to wait half a year or more to receive the products. It’s also common for artists to deem a batch unsatisfactory after three months, resulting in only half being delivered. Such experiences have deeply impressed the couple with the unwavering commitment of Japanese artisans.

 

Four years ago, the “Mi Li Lifestyle Grocery” website launched, and the pair began selling Japanese groceries online, carefully curating high-quality artisan pieces. Gradually, Japanese artisans expressed interest in having exhibition space in Taiwan, prompting the idea to open a physical store, which led to the birth of Wen Shi. Rick joked that selling things online is like sending a pigeon post—customers imagine the products through photos and text. But in a real store, with personal interaction, customers can feel the power of the items by touching them.

The same is true for old houses. “Living in an old house moves you with its power, because you can't artificially replicate its aged look.” Visitors to Wen Shi can sense the historical ambiance and traces of time in this building through many evocative corners. Look up, and you’ll see the ceiling on the first floor adorned with hand-blown glass lampshades, deliberately preserving sixty years of water stains. There was no need to cover them up with spotless paint; instead, they silently tell the story of the years the old house has weathered.

 

Then there’s the ceiling on the second floor, where Rick cleverly utilized the unique space of the sloped roof by patchworking hundreds of pieces of aged wood onto it. These wood pieces vary in color, with patches of paint worn off and differing thicknesses, giving the carpenters at the time quite a headache. Each piece had to be considered for color coordination, pieced together like a puzzle, and every nail driven required going up and down the stairs. This massive project took a week to complete, but the result blends surprisingly well with the building itself.

 

Rick explained that this patchwork technique only works well with sloped roofs. The triangular structure draws the eye upward, creating a very stable visual effect that makes people feel secure beneath it. A flat roof, on the other hand, would feel too heavy, making people want to escape the space.

 

Beyond the “sky,” the “ground” also required a lot of effort. The original tile flooring stood out awkwardly against the rest of the building. After removing them entirely, old wood planks sourced from salvage yards were used to replace them. But because these boards came from various old houses, “one hammer strike and the wood would come off.” Their severe damage meant that two square feet of material might only leave two-thirds usable. As a result, Wen Shi’s flooring uses three types of wood: teak and beech on the first floor, and the hardest-to-source aged hinoki (Japanese cypress) on the second. Rick said that anything at eye level can be changed at any time, but the sky and the ground remain constant. Just stopping to observe them reveals the dedication infused within.

 

At Wen Shi, aside from admiring Japanese lifestyle goods, you can also book a visit via letter to enjoy the tranquil moments in the second-floor space alone. Mi Li and Rick, who are passionate about tea culture, have designated the second floor as an exhibition space for Japanese folk art artisan works. Rick personally explains Japanese tea culture and history, as well as the proper usage of various tea utensils, allowing guests to appreciate the millennia-old dedication of Japanese artisans.

 

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