Spoon & Tamago

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Spoon & Tamago’s Most Popular Posts of 2020

What. A. Year.

As we reflect upon our 13th year of blogging, there’s one thing we’ve learned for sure: just as you think you’re sailing smoothly, life has a way of upending everything you’ve become accustomed to. But regardless of the challenges, we’re thankful that we’ve been able to continue doing what we do, and proud of the new challenges we’ve taken on. In addition to our daily coverage of Japan, this year we launched a membership program – thank you to everyone who has already joined!

Our shop faced its own unique challenges: although it was a strong year for online shopping, when Japan Post halted overseas shipping, our shelves quickly emptied out and we ran out of inventory. That’s when my partner and in-house seamstress began making face masks. Her level of craftsmanship and attention to detail quickly won over fans and she single-handedly carried our shop through much of the year, while also helping so many stay safe!

Whether you read one of our articles, purchased something from our shop or became a Spoon & Tamago member, thank you so, so much for your support this year! We’re so happy to have been able to be your connection to Japan during a year defined by distancing and isolation.

Read on for our 10 most popular posts of 2020.

1000 Handmade Mizuhiki Cord Balls Embedded with LED Lights Forms this Christmas Tree in Tokyo

December 14, 2020 / Johnny / Comments Off

photo courtesy Kitte Marunouchi

The KITTE department store just outside Tokyo Station is known for their annual effort to stage a beautifully designed Christmas tree. But this year they’ve outdone themselves, collaborating with artisans from Iida City in Nagano to craft a Christmas tree made from 1000 mizuhiki cord balls, each embedded with LED lights and suspended in midair.

Hokusai’s Great Wave, Sculpted in Lego Blocks by Jumpei Mitsui

December 13, 2020 / Johnny / 2 Comments

all photos courtesy Jumpei Mitsui

Jumpei Mitsui (previously), a certified professional LEGO builder, has completed what can only be described as a masterpiece: a LEGO replica of Hokusai’s “The Great Wave off Kanagawa,” one of Japan’s most iconic images.

Yuni Yoshida Transforms Japanese Celebrities into Works of Art for Fashion Magazine Soen

December 11, 2020 / Johnny / Comments Off

Volume 38: the unique body shapes of each member of comedy duo Banana Man were used to create flower vases

The art director Yuni Yoshida (previously) has an ongoing series in Japanese fashion magazine Soen, in which she collaborates with different celebrities for an artful spread called “Play a Sensation.”

Japanese Decorative Cinder Block Cookie Cutters

December 10, 2020 / Johnny / Comments Off

This holiday season, why not shake things up a little by baking your holiday cookies in the shape of sukashi-buroku, Japanese decorative concrete cinder blocks. These blocks are ubiquitous throughout residential neighborhoods of Japan, forming walls between homes, yards and roads. They can be easily overlooked but are all beautiful in their own right.

Odd Internet Animal Photos Sculpted into Miniature 3D Figurines

December 8, 2020 / Johnny / 1 Comment

The Internet is teeming with animals. Photos of animals that is, many of which rise to meme-level stardom. Some make us chuckle or gush, others puzzle us. But for one Japanese sculptor who goes by the name meetissai, they stoke his creative juices, pushing him to render these animals into miniature 3D figurines.

Our Favorite Things from artKYOTO 2020

December 5, 2020 / Johnny / Comments Off

After a successful inaugural show last year, artKYOTO is back. The 3-day art fair is taking place this weekend at the Kyoto National Museum, along with a number of satellite locations. “The event aims to engrave in our minds the history of culture and art, which our predecessors have long protected and nurtured, as present-day wisdom. The Kyoto National Museum, an Important Cultural Property, will also serve as a venue in addition to Nijo-jo Castle, a World Heritage site.”

The programs includes an art market, a live performance at Nijo-jo Castle, spotlights on up-and-coming artists and art history tours, all while taking the utmost precautions to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Below are some of the artworks that caught our eye.

KANOGU: Aromatic Paints Stimulate Your Sense of Sight & Smell

December 4, 2020 / Johnny / Comments Off

Painting primarily involves the sense of seeing and touching. Kanogu (香の具), which means “aromatic paints” in Japanese, is a new tool that combines 100% natural essential oils with paints to offer a new way of painting that also involves the sense of smell.

Imaginative Drawings of Travel During a Pandemic Lockdown by Oscar Oiwa

December 3, 2020 / Johnny / 1 Comment

Tsutenkaku, Osaka (created in March 2020) “I was supposed to travel to Osaka at the end of March, to have a meeting with a museum curator and prepare for a show that would take place at the end of year. I was thinking about preparing a series of works with a local theme, and hoped to also spend the trip researching the history and culture of the area. However, after the coronavirus outbreak hit Japan, I needed to give up that trip too”

The Brazilian-born Japanese artist Oscar Oiwa (previously) found himself in the same state as many of us when the pandemic struck earlier this year: projects and trips were all postponed. Instead of meeting with curators, going to his studio and walking around New York City where he’s based, he found himself confined to his apartment. So he did the only reasonable thing: he used his craft to begin a series that would transform his feelings into visual art.

Arata Endo’s 1928 Kaji Villa in Hayama Renovated as a Short-Term Rental

December 3, 2020 / Johnny / 1 Comment

Frank Lloyd Wright first arrived in Japan in 1917 and that same year he met Arata Endo – 27 years old at the time and fresh off the team working on plans to construct Meiji Shrine. The two architects bonded and Endo would go on to become Wright’s primary protégé, overseeing many of Wright’s projects in Japan after he left the country.