Totoro and Mei, from My Neighbor Totoro
When kirie artist Akira Nagaya isn’t creating fantastical paper cutouts of flowers, leaves and other natural objects, he entertains himself with this side-project. Using typical store-bought Post-Its Nagaya cuts out beloved anime characters. Many are from Ghibli films, which he obviously adores. Others are from well-known manga or TV shows. But in each case the entire scene, or the entire character, is from the same slice of paper.
Build pen, ink and watercolor skills to create inspired, original compositions. Enter to win the online Craftsy class Mixed Media: Pen, Ink & Watercolor — a limited-time giveaway for Spoon & Tamago readers — and join professional illustrator Matt Rota as he guides you step by step from blank page to extraordinary artwork.
During class, you’ll learn to work with a pen and nib to create a variety of marks and line widths, before using your brush to apply washes, tones and drybrush textures. Then, discover techniques for adding watercolor to accentuate details and develop a powerful sense of atmospheric space.
Enter to win lifetime access to Mixed Media: Pen, Ink & Watercolor, and bring captivating visual stories to life.
Two winners will be randomly selected on September 2, 2014 at midnight MT.
Kirie (切り絵, literally cut paper) is the Japanese art of papercutting. Akira Nagaya is a self-taught artist whose creative roots are, surprisingly, in the culinary world of sushi. Roughly 30 years ago, as a young 20-something, Nagaya was working at a sushi shop. One of his first tasks was to learn sasabaran, a technique to create decorations by cutting slices into bamboo leaves. Back at home, and recalling his boss’s demonstration, Nagaya tried to practice using paper and a utility knife. He found that the technique came quite naturally, and he enjoyed doing it.
Shirokanedai Kobayashi is a relatively new Japanese restaurant and the brainchild of Kazumichi Kobayashi. The Hyogo native worked as a chef at a local restaurant, preparing exquisitely refined dashi using kombu (kelp) and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes). Mr. Kobayashi and his wife eventually decided to fly solo, setting their sites on the upscale neighborhood of Shirokanedai where their small but intimate restaurant is now serving lunch (starting at 2,400 yen) and dinner (a selection of 10 dishes for 10,500 yen).
[Shirokanedai Kobayashi]
– Google Map
– Tel: 03-5420-5884
– Hours: Lunch 12:00～14:00 | Dinner 18:00～22:00
– Closed Wednesdays
Like to gamble? Try rolling the dice. Taking their cue from the way a dice rolls around revealing different sides, Torafu Architects have designed a piece of furniture for kids and adults. Simply titled “Dice,” the piece can be oriented 3 different ways: a small desk and chair for a child, a stool for adults or a shelving unit for books and magazines.
Not much remains constant in Harajuku, the epicenter of Tokyo fashion that has seen trends like takenokozoku and the vintage craze come and go. But this old Italian restaurant has been serving up classics to the locals for 34-years. Originally in the apparel industry, the owner became enchanted by Italian food while visiting the country and decided to open his own shop convinced that Harajuku could be both a hub for fashion and food. Toshio Tachibana, the current chef, hand-picks all his fresh vegetables in Kamakura, where he commutes from.
[Vine E Pasta]
– 3-27-15 Jigumae, Shibuya (Google Map)
– Tel: 03-3478-0417
– Hours: Lunch 12 ~ 14:30 | Dinner 18:00 ~ 21:30
– Closed Sundays and holidays
Are you a programmer in love? Do you have trouble telling that special person how you feel? If so, Japanese web and graphic designer Akihiro Mizuuchi has created the fun little guide that made me laugh. Coding love in HTML is a simple project that involves telling someone you love them, but in HTML language used to code web pages.
Fennica is one of the more refined and interesting labels under the large Beams umbrella. Beginning in 2002, Fennica offers a curated selection of western furniture combined with Japanese handmade crafts like pottery. They also have various rotating exhibitions, which offer a more careful investigation into sub-genres like Okinawan pottery.
[Fennica]
– 3-25-15 Jingumae 2 Floor, Shibuya (Google Map)
– Tel: 03-3470-3948
– Hours: 11:00 ~ 20:00
photo by twitter user @nerina_ro
Gachapon toy vending machines usually spit out junky toys that you play with for an hour and then forget about. At least that’s how I remember them. But these toys would actually be worth spending money on. Japanese company Nature Technicolor has been making all sorts of vending machines toys that inspire kids to learn including species of frogs, shapes of snowflakes and varieties of mushrooms. But their latest are these histological slides that capture cross sections of microscopic life.
Chazuke (茶漬け) is a simple Japanese dish made by pouring green tea or broth over rice and savory toppings. It’s been nursing hangovers, both at night and in the morning, for decades. And if there’s anyone that knows a thing or two about chazuke it’s Kabiya in Shinbashi, who has been serving up late-night cures for hunger for 56 years. Dishes typically are priced under 1000 yen. The 82-year old chef Yoshida-san’s emphasis on fresh, organic ingredients is sure to satisfy any night crawler.
[Chazuke Kabiya]
– 2-9-13 Shinbashi, Minato-ku (Google Map)
– Tel: 03-3591-8042
– Lunch 11:00 ~ 13:00 | Dinner 17:00 ~ 23:00
– Closed weekends and holidays
Japanese Aquarium Drops 2026 Version of Flowchart Illustrating Their Penguin Relationships. This Year There’s an English Version.
Antiwar Posters by Graphic Designer Shigeo Fukuda
Keisuke Aiso’s Ubume Sculpture that was Missappropriated as the Face of the Momo Hoax
Whimsical Ceramic Banana Peel Art by Koji Kasatani
Kirie Artist Carves Playful Narratives Into Tree Leaves
