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Spoon & Tamago: The Most Popular Posts of 2015

Dear Readers –

It’s that time of year again where we tally up our most popular posts of the year. But more importantly, it’s a time of acknowledgement; a time to say thank you to each and every one of you who stopped by Spoon & Tamago.

Some of you have been with us from the start, which was 8 years ago! And some of you discovered us more recently. But either way, thank you for spending time with us. Our articles aren’t always the most flashy but we spend a lot of time crafting our thoughts and typing them out. And we hope to keep doing that next year as we inch closer to turning 10.

2015 was an important year for us. While our online shop continues to grow, we also made our first step out of the internet and into real life in the form of a pop-up gallery! Thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hi. We loved meeting you and talking with you about art and what excites us. Stay tuned for more next year! Wishing everyone a safe and happy holidays.

Takodana: The New Star Wars Planet That Was Named After Takadanobaba

December 18, 2015 / Johnny / 2 Comments

I haven’t seen the new Star Wars film “The Force Awakens” myself. So I don’t think it’s possible to leak any spoilers, but consider yourself warned. In the new film Director JJ Abrams includes a new planet called Takodana. The name sounds oddly Japanese because, well, it is! At a press conference in Tokyo last week Abrams himself, after much prodding, revealed a fun fact: Takodana was named after the Tokyo neighborhood Takadanobaba.

Architectural Ikkôan Book Captures the Beauty of Wagashi

December 18, 2015 / Kaori Freda / Comments Off

Utilizing an architectural approach to design a photobook that portrays the seasons depicted in the world of wagashi

Japanese patissier Chikara Mizukami dedicates this gorgeous book to the art of traditional sweet cakes called wagashi. Wagashi is an art form that evolved from the ancient imperial capital of Kyoto. Today, these delightful morsels continue to accompany Japanese tea ceremonies. Wagashi’s delicate fragrance and appearance accentuates the flavor of ceremonial tea. As Mizukami explains, “Tea is the main star while the confectionary plays the supporting role.”

Post-Apocalyptic Thomas the Tank Engine Hack

December 17, 2015 / Johnny / 2 Comments

It’s a little-known sequel to Thomas the Tank Engine. In an apocalyptic war Sir Topham Hatt, the manager of the North Western Railway, loses everything he has. In a state of misery-induced madness he goes to work on Thomas, an AI-equipped tank engine. When Thomas emerges from the mad scientist’s lab he’s no longer that cheerful and lovable tank engine we all know. He’s become a ruthless killing machine that looks like it’s right out of a page from Mad Max.

The Secrets Hidden Within the Design of Japan’s 2016 New Year’s Cards

December 17, 2015 / Johnny / 1 Comment

Each year, Japan Post delights us with tiny details hidden within their standard New Year’s postcards known as nengajo. They’re so small that it’s easy enough to miss.

Around this time of year it’s easy to get swept up in the hustle and bustle of year-end business. We’re certainly guilty of it ourselves. But let’s slow down for a moment, take out our microscope to examine the small details.

Sho Shibata Captures the Snow Monsters of Northern Japan

December 15, 2015 / Kaori Freda / Comments Off

“Snow monsters” in the Hakkoda mountains. all photos by Sho Shibata

Imagine fir trees disguised as snowmen, a forest covered with powdery snow that envelops everything in sight. The landscape all around you is decorated with peculiar white formations, which, upon closer examination, reveals themselves to be hundreds of trees and shrubs immersed entirely in snow.

The snow muffles all sound and renders everything in sight a sparkling white. Japanese photographer Sho Shibata, 34, stumbled upon this wintry wonderland during a hike to the Hakkoda mountains in Aomori. His snaps of these remarkable snowdrifts allow us to share his special experience.

Japanese Online Retailer Uses Drones To Perfectly Censor Nude Dancers

December 14, 2015 / Johnny / Comments Off

Over the weekend Japanese online retailer BUYMA launched a unique ad campaign that aired on Japanese television. A male and female dancer, naked except for socks, dance across a stage doing twirls, kicks and even lifts. Nudity laws would have prevented the segment from ever airing on TV if it weren’t for a series of carefully programmed “Kind Drones” that float around the dancers with white flags that censor what would be deemed as obscene.

Finalists Unveiled for the 2020 Tokyo National Stadium

December 14, 2015 / Johnny / 1 Comment

Proposal A (left) and Proposal B (right). Architect names have been redacted, but we think we have a pretty good guess.

Today the Japan Sports Council released plans submitted by two competing groups who are proposing designs for Tokyo’s 2020 Olympic Stadium. Although the names of those involved have been redacted – each proposal is simply referred to as Proposal A and Proposal B – it was reported by Nikkan Sports that architects Toyo Ito and Kengo Kuma were facing off.

If you assume that information is correct then it’s pretty easy to guess which proposal belongs to who based on aesthetics. We’re going to say Proposal A is Kengo Kuma and Proposal B is Toyo Ito. But either way, let’s go to the renderings to see what they’ll potentially look like.

New Japanese Karaoke Bouldering Facility Wants You To Climb While You Sing

December 11, 2015 / Johnny / Comments Off

There’s no argument that karaoke is one of Japan’s most favored pastimes. But with the ascent of bouldering as an alternative activity, karaoke joints are beginning to feel the heat. So to cope with the competition a Japanese operator of karaoke chains is combining bouldering with karaoke to create an entirely new and grueling activity called boulkara.

Yuki Ideguchi Paints Waves of Life and Death

December 10, 2015 / Johnny / 1 Comment

Turbulent currents. Skulls and bones. Natural geometries. Solar and lunar imagery. These are some of the recurring motifs in the work of Yuki Ideguchi, a Japanese painter who creates vibrant and hypnotic compositions. Although only 29, the young artist’s work is currently the subject of a solo exhibition in New York City.