We are two classical musicians exploring the many manifestations of kodawari in the world.

Kodawari is a beautiful concept word from Japanese. Although difficult to translate succinctly, kodawari essentially means pursuing perfection in a craft. It is the pursuit of an ideal even though you realize you can’t arrive there.

Kodawari is what drives musicians to spend countless hours in the practice room. It motivates a chef to make the perfect meal, a writer to suffer over their words, and a barista to craft the perfect drink.

But it is also an approach to life. We want to read bo...