Spoon & Tamago

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Spoon & Tamago Member Lecture with Kintsugi Artist Tomomi Kamoshita

Join us next month on June 18, 2021 (EST) for an intimate talk with kintsugi and ceramic artist Tomomi Kamoshita. Kintsugi — literally ‘golden joinery’ — is the traditional Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with a mix of gold powder and Japanese lacquer called urushi to seal it back together. Based in Tokyo, Tomomi will discuss the history and philosophy of kintsugi, as well as share her modern practice of kintsugi and yobitsugi, which is her style of inventing objects from broken ceramic pieces in an artful mosaic rather than repairing broken pots. We even have some of her one-of-a-kind piece in the shop right now!

The online lecture will be available to Spoon & Tamago members. Already a member? Awesome! Members will automatically be receiving a link by email to join. Leading up to the talk, members will also get an exclusive look inside the studio space where Tomomi creates her work, as well as early access to several coveted pieces we’ll be selling in our shop. Not a member? Consider joining us and getting access to this talk, as well as many other perks!

Online Member Lecture Series with Tomomi Kamoshita
WHEN: June 18, 2021 (EST) | 8:00 – 9:00 PM
WHERE: Zoom Meeting
HOW TO JOIN: All members will be receiving an email with a link to join the meeting.

Reductive Architecture Reduces the Burden of Maintaining Large Japanese Townhouse

May 19, 2021 / Johnny / Comments Off

all photos by Nao Takahashi

When people renovate their home it’s often with the objective of creating more space. But the opposite can also be true. Take, for example, this family in Saitama, a suburb just north of Tokyo, who were looking to reduce their overall living area while maintaining the legacy and history of their 50-year old townhouse.

Mirume: A New Eco-Friendly Green Tea Cafe in Nagoya

May 18, 2021 / Johnny / Comments Off

all photos by Ryo Yahara

Mirume is a new green tea cafe and shop that opened this month in Nagoya. The cafe has in-store offerings but what makes them unique is their morning bottle (朝ボトル) service. For 300 yen, you get a cold-brewed bottle of green tea that can be refilled with water up to 3 times a day. At the end of the day, simply return the bottle into the shop’s stylish concrete slab and pick one up the next morning.

Kamawanu is Breathing New Life into the Ancient Japanese Craft of Tenugui Hand Towels

May 18, 2021 / Johnny / 3 Comments

Tenugui are a type of cloth that has been a part of Japanese life since the Heian Period beginning in the 800s. The word tenugui literally means hand wipe, but the utilitarian towels have been used for everything from drying and cleaning to wrapping. Endlessly versatile, they were even used as fashion accessories in the Edo Period.

Founded in 1990, Kamawanu is a Tokyo-based company dedicated to preserving the craft and culture of tenugui towels.

Music Monday: TEKE::TEKE

May 17, 2021 / Johnny / Comments Off

The Montreal-based TEKE::TEKE started off as a tribute band to Japanese guitar legend Takeshi Terauchi, who rode the wave of the Eleki boom, a musical style encompassing surf and beat instrumentals. But the septet, headed by performance artist and vocalist Maya Kuroki, had ambitions of their own. And this month they’re releasing a debut album of original songs titled Shirushi, a Japanese word meaning sign or symbol.

Family Mart Debuts New Line of ‘Convenience Wear’ Essentials

May 14, 2021 / Johnny / Comments Off

Family Mart, one of Japan’s three major convenience store (conbini) chains, has released a new line of essentials called Convenience Wear. From t-shirts and underwear to towels and totes, the collection spans 68 different items, each priced between 390 yen to 990 yen (about $3 – $9 usd). Our favorite is definitely the striped socks: an homage to the Family Mart logo. Watch out UNIQLO!

Dense Pencil Drawings of Retro-Future Worlds by Yota Tsukino

May 7, 2021 / Johnny / Comments Off

from left to right: Toguro Tower, Higashiyama University of Art and Expo Memorial Farm

Yota Tsukino is a Japanese pencil artist who creates dense, imaginary cityscapes in a retrofuturistic style that often incorporates elements of steampunk. Filled with small details and minutia, the black and white drawings lure in viewers who can spend hours obsessing over new discoveries.

The artist has created a triptych that represents three different eras: Showa, Heisei and Reiwa, which will become the centerpiece of an upcoming exhibition.

An Elongated Roof Extends from an Abandoned Home to Form an Island Kitchen on Teshima

April 30, 2021 / Johnny / 1 Comment

all photos by Sadao Hotta

Shima Kitchen was originally built in 2010 as part of the Setouchi International Art Festival. It was designed by architect Ryo Abe, who has continued to visit the island for the past 10 years, making small improvements, structural enhancements and replacing roof material. New photographs capture it in its current state, which serves as a community eatery and event space where locals and visitors can come together under a single roof to enjoy good food and art.

Shibuya’s New Redeveloped Kitaya Park Includes a Blue Bottle Designed by Keiji Ashizawa

April 27, 2021 / Johnny / 2 Comments

photos by Ben Richards & Masaaki Inoue

Shibuya has been undergoing a massive face-lift in recent years, transforming private and public spaces into hip hangouts. Walk north along the newly completed Miyashita Park and you’ll soon arrive at the neighborhood’s newest redevelopment: Kitaya Park.

Craft, Coffee, and Cuisine Converge at the New Shika Saru Kitsune Building in Nara

April 26, 2021 / Johnny / Comments Off

all photos by Satoshi Asakawa

From across Sarusawa Pond are views of Kofukuji Temple’s five-storied pagoda. Wander uphill a bit and the Kasuga Taisha Shrine comes into view. Nara’s famed wild deer lazily munch on grass as if knowing that they’re held securely in the palm of Todaiji Temple’s Great Buddha. It is this neighborhood where Nakagawa Masamichi Shoten laid down roots over 300 years ago and is the location of their latest initiative: the Shika Saru Kitsune Building.