LAist Goes Shopping: Japanese Art and Design at Tortoise

Tortoise General Store on Abbot Kinney in Venice was opened by husband and wife Keiko and Taku Shinomoto at the end of October 2003, after they moved to Los Angeles from Tokyo. The Shinomoto's envisioned a general store full of beautiful and practical items. Recently they expanded their company to include a gallery space, also on Abbot Kinney.

They describe the Tortoise life as "'things' which have been here for long time, 'technique' which has been fostered through history, 'shapes' which never change in time".

LAist headed to Venice to check out Tortoise and find out how they apply the ideas from the slow-food movement to their store and gallery full of 'slow' objects.