Spoon & Tamago

Page 27 of 395

Artists and Artisans Collaborate on Exhibition of 144 Maekake Aprons

January 3, 2022 / Johnny / Comments Off

all images courtesy Creation Gallery G8

The new year marks a time of firsts: the first dream, the first temple prayer or the first workout of the new year. If you’re thinking of starting off 2022 with an art show, make your first one the 100-Year Maekake exhibition, going on in Tokyo.

Maekake are traditional Japanese aprons worn by workers. You may see your local rice seller, purveyor of sake or grocer wearing one around the waist. This exhibition brings together 144 artists to design original maekake aprons, which were then fabricated from cotton cloth woven and dyed by artisans of Toyohashi City using traditional methods.

Fishmallow: The Fish-Shaped Marshmallow

December 27, 2021 / Johnny / Comments Off

Yachiyodo is a 110-year old snack-maker based in Osaka. And for the past 80 years they’ve made just one thing: marshmallows. But business hasn’t been sweet. Japan has a fairly saturated snack market and despite the company’s diverse line-up of shapes and sizes, the campfire-friendly confections are still considered 2nd or even 3rd tier snacks. But an unlikely marshmallow–the fishmallow–has proven to be a surprise hit product.

Spoon & Tamago’s Most Popular Posts of 2021

December 26, 2021 / Johnny / 2 Comments

As we wind down our 14^th (!) year of blogging, we embark on our annual exercise of ranking our most popular posts based on viewership. It’s always fun and interesting to see what captivated readers the most. It was supposed to be a year of sportsmanship and athletic excellence but the Tokyo Olympics were unfortunately overshadowed by the ongoing pandemic. And although Japan selected 金 (kin; gold) as their kanji of the year to celebrate the Olympics, it was very much a year of the homophone 禁 (kin; ban) as Japan’s strict border controls locked out so many.

So we felt particularly motivated this year to continue doing what we do best: connecting Japan with the rest of the world. Whether you’re tuning in for the first time or have been reading us for years, we hope that we’ve been able to add a little bit of beauty into your daily lives by delivering stories about Japan through an art & design lens.

Now, without further ado, our top 10:

Artist Shoko Kanazawa’s Large-Scale Calligraphy Shines Bright Like the Moon

December 22, 2021 / Johnny / 1 Comment

心に光を夜空に月を (illuminating the soul, the nighttime sky)

Renowned for her artistry with brush and ink, Shoko Kanazawa is one of Japan’s most acclaimed contemporary calligraphers. And her down syndrome has never kept her from shining brightly. The artist is currently staging a solo exhibition at the Mori Art Center Gallery in Roppongi Hills, a venue that represents Kanazawa’s largest solo exhibition to-date.

Pencil Shavings Become Bonito Flakes in Whimsical Okonomiyaki Pencil Sharpener

December 16, 2021 / Johnny / Comments Off

all images courtesy @mitiruxxx

Bonito flakes are a popular garnish on many well-known dishes in Japan like okonomiyaki and takoyaki. But those coming across it for the first time often mistake them for pencil shavings. Thanks to the imagination of one product designer, the two have become intertwined in a single, perfect pencil sharpener.

Bread Bugs: Intriguing and Adorable Four-Legged Felt Pastries by Atelier Hatena

December 14, 2021 / Johnny / Comments Off

all images courtesy atelier hatena

Usually we would not want bugs around the house. But we’ll make an exception for these incredibly adorable bread bugs created by felt artist Atelier Hatena. Based in Hiroshima, the artist knits together one-of-a-kind, whimsical creatures out of felt.

Miniature, Ornate Wooden ‘Danjiri’ Floats Carved Entirely by Hand

December 11, 2021 / Johnny / 1 Comment

One of Japan’s most-rowdiest festivals is the Kishiwada Danjiri Festival, which takes place in Osaka during the month of September. The 300-year old festival features thirty four large, elaborate floats known as danjiri. Each float represents a different neighborhood and teams of hundreds compete to pull their floats at high speeds through the narrow streets of Kishiwada.

But for one individual, spectating the event was not enough. Armed with carving tools, they are on a mission to carve miniature replicas of every single danjiri.

Viscous Slime Covers the Faces of Portraits Painted by Kotao Tomozawa

December 10, 2021 / Johnny / Comments Off

Kotao Tomozawa with her large paintings | all images courtesy the artist

Kotao Tomozawa is a Tokyo-based painter currently attending Tokyo University of the Arts. Using her masterful grasp of texture, translucency and softness, she creates large, unique portraits that feature highly viscous slime-like substances covering the faces of her models. They are simultaneously disturbing yet gentle.

Kotatsu Have Been Around Longer Than We Imagine. And Art History Has the Proof.

December 9, 2021 / Johnny / Comments Off

As temperatures continue to drop, households around Japan will begin setting up their kotatsu: low tables covered with a heavy blanket whose underbelly holds an electric heater. Central heating is uncommon in Japan, where the preferred method of keeping warm are site-specific heating solutions like this one. And we often think of the kotatsu as a modern-day luxury but they’ve actually been around for hundreds of years, way before electricity was harnessed for household usage.