Category — Kids

I am currently on a quest to replace all our silverware with wood because I have never liked metal in my mouth, or the way it sounds when rubbed up against ceramics.This CO ZEN urushi cutlery set for kids could work nicely for little Huey. Urushi, also known as Japanese lacquer ware, is made from the sap of a tree and has been used to make dishes and utensils since the Jomon period. The beautifully hand-crafted set instills a sense of tradition and significance in the child and ritualizes the act of sitting down to eat. I am all for teaching kids the importance of eating, and what you put in your mouth.

The CO ZEN set (18,000 yen) comes with a spoon, fork, knife, desert spoon and chopsticks. The lid also flips over to serve as a place mat. It reminds me a lot of the Fun Fam Table Manners set.

thanks to @skrtr for the tip

I wonder what little Huey would think if I replaced all his Tomica (トミカ) die-cast toy vehicles with these pieces of art by Japanese duo Paramodel? I am guessing he wouldn’t be too pleased but I would certainly get a kick out of it.

Each tommy sushi ($270) is an authentic piece of artwork. (Yes, it would be an expensive practical joke.) In the words of the artist, “Fundamental to our artwork is the incorporation of toys we used to play with, and the picturesque sceneries we imagined in childhood. We enjoy combining scraps such as broken pieces of wood or screws left in factories with daily necessities or the toys that we played with as kids.” If you want to learn more about Paramodel, allow me to point you in the direction of this article published back on ’07.

Masahiro Minami, while he is not designing furniture modeled after pizzly bears or tasty delights modeled after hair, also finds the time to teach a design seminar at the University of Shiga Prefecture. Occasionally he shares some of the work that his students create. A byproduct of his latest seminar, which just wrapped up last month, was this awesome kids dresser, table and chair. I can’t believe that was done by a student. I would buy that!

Love, love, love this new design from Sasaki Kogei. Almost as much as I love the fun fam table manners set.

Sasaki Kogei was recently awarded the Gift Show 2009 Eco Company of the Year award. Their commitment to sustainability is quite impressive. Their all-natural paints and oils, as well as their recycling/reusing efforts are one thing. But the fact that they have maintained an active tree-planting program over the last several years sets them apart from other eco companies. And their products are gorgeous. I love this wood-worker set, which I featured 2 years ago in my gift guide from Japan. A recent favorite is this wooden measuring stick that helps you track the growth of your toddler. But uuum, …how shall I put this? Only in Japan could a company like this get away with actively promoting smith and Wesson toy guns and gorgeously crafted cigarette holders. That’s Japan for you.

Want to know more great things about Japan? Check out cnngo’s recent article on 50 reasons why Tokyo is the greatest city in the world.

Here is another great find from Nagoya Design Week. Takehide Sawada and Keishi Oyama, both graduates of Nagoya University’s Graduate School of Design and Architecture, established Studio Point in 2004. The two designers have amassed an impressive portfolio of product, architectural, and interior designs. I especially love this Flannel Sofa with that cubby hole for all your sofa essentials.

I also became a fan of their No Conditions drawing table for kids. I admire how it emphasizes the sheer area of the drawing paper. However, I would also caution that it probably encourages kids to move along too quickly to a new canvas. I know if Little Huey had this he would make a couple marks and then proceed to the next sheet!

We all know that Japan is a small, condensed island but do you know where the narrowest passageways in all of Japan are? The 55cm-wide turnstiles of Japan’s railways. And guess who did their homework? Goto Design Office, the designers responsible for coming up with the specs of this new stroller that was unveiled earlier in the year.

The Curio Avventura has everything; a UV-blocking sun screen, a rope that automatically collapses the stroller, fabric that completely detaches to be thrown in the washer, ample storage space (even a place to put your grocery basket), all in a package that can roll right through Japan’s narrowest passageways. Finally, I don’t have to rely on lousy humans to get me into the train station.

Found at the 2009 Nagoya Design Awards

Here’s another great find from kami no kousakujo, and a fun little project for you and your toddler. The Kotori Mobile (1,260 yen) is  a paper mobile (even the string is made from paper) that you assemble yourself and is a great way to learn about the concept of balance. Your order will come with 2 sets but the mobile is infinitely customizable. You can add as many sets as you like and because it’s made from paper you can even draw pictures on it, like a forest for your kotori (baby birds) to live in.

It was designed by passkey design, who you may be familiar with via their animal rubber bands.

It is a yucky dreary rainy day here in New York. I just dropped off Huey at daycare. First he wanted to hold his own umbrella, then he wanted to be held while holding his own umbrella and then he just wanted to be held.

I wish I had this. Oh yea, and this umbrella pot by Kyouei Design.

The 2009 Kids Design Awards were announced recently in Japan and the results, honestly, were a little lackluster. I felt like there wasn’t the same playful creativity that we saw last year. However, the winner of the architecture category, a public kids activity center in Okinawa, certainly stood out from the crowd. The space was co-designed by Jin Hosoya Architects and Sachiko Funaki. I love that funny looking man that keeps popping up everywhere. But I find the panoramic shots (click to enlarge) annoying…very blog-unfriendly.

Related:

• Kids Design Awards 2008