Spoon & Tamago

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Sculptural Satsuma Kiriko Glasses Designed by Shizuka Tatsuno

Satsuma Kiriko (薩摩切子) is a type of cut glass Japanese craft that dates back to the mid-1800s. It was originally manufactured by the Satsuma clan but the craft was almost completely wiped out after several wars ravaged the region. Today there are a handful of studios and craftsman that are faithfully creating reproductions and one of those is Satsuma Vidro. The Kagoshima-based studio recently partnered with designer Shizuka Tatsuno on a new brand of contemporary tableware called grad, a nod to the gradients that result from the craft.

The Ancient Japanese Art of Sleeping In

August 14, 2020 / Johnny / 3 Comments

“a rooster and a couple” (1767) by Harunobu Suzuki

Are you planning on sleeping in this weekend? Well, you can try hiding your alarm clock, lowering your heavy curtains and wearing an eye mask. Or, since you’re already turning to Japan for their art of tidying, forest bathing, fixing, and accepting things, you might as well try their art of sleeping in.

In 1767, Harunobu Suzuki, a Japanese designer of woodblock print art, created this print titled Niwatori to Danjo (鶏と男女) which translates to ‘a rooster and a couple.’ It depicts a male and female couple who are looking forward to spending a long, fun night with each other. And to ensure they’re not woken up early they’ve brought out a pot of sake and are trying to get the rooster so drunk that it doesn’t crow in the morning.

And judging by the look on it’s face, the rooster may have caught on the the couple’s plan. This print, along with many others, is part of a large Ukiyo-e exhibition in Tokyo that’s going on now through September 22, 2020.

Have a great weekend!

Akihabara Train Station Now Home to Wall of Over 150 Gachapon Vending Machines

August 14, 2020 / Johnny / 2 Comments

a wall of over 150 gachapon vending machines newly installed at Akihabara Station

For fans of the miniature capsule toy-dispensing gachapon vending machines, Kenelstand is your new best friend. Wall-to-wall gachapon vending machines filled with fun, whimsical and sometimes surreal miniature toys have recently popped up at train stations around Tokyo.

Origami-Inspired Optical Illusion Oil Paintings by Momo Yoshino

August 13, 2020 / Johnny / Comments Off

Kami #63 and Kami #62 (2020) installation view at Seibu Shibuya

Yoshino Momo is a Tokyo-based artist and painter who renders architectural optical illusions on flat canvases. Her “Kami” (or paper) series, which she began in 2014, is inspired by the the Japanese art of origami and skillfully replicates the lines and shadows that emerge from folded paper.

Designer Wallpaper: Twilight at Nihonbashi by Shinji Tsuchimochi

August 12, 2020 / Johnny / 1 Comment

Shinji Tsuchimochi is a Tokyo-based illustrator who creates views of Tokyo and Japan that are inspired by ukiyo-e but produced with a contemporary sense of whimsy and surrealism. This image is titled “Twilight at Nihonbashi” and is one of his most recent works, which the artist has kindly allowed Spoon & Tamago members to use a wallpaper on their favorite device.

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Tree Rings of Light Illuminate 35 Years of Art & Design at Spiral in Omotesando

August 12, 2020 / Johnny / Comments Off

The Spiral design complex in Tokyo’s Omotesando neighborhood opened in October of 1985 with the concept of connecting lifestyle and art. And for the past 35 years it’s done just that with several creative marketplaces and rotating art exhibitions. For its 35-year anniversary, graphic designer Shin Obita, inspired by tree rings, has created in installation of light on the store’s windows.

Some of Japan’s Most Notable Architects Are Redesiging Shibuya’s Public Restrooms

August 11, 2020 / Johnny / Comments Off

Japan’s public restrooms have in international reputation for being clean and well-maintained, but apparently that still wasn’t good enough. Shibuya’s public restrooms are currently undergoing a huge facelift in a project called Tokyo Toilet. Sixteen renown designers have been hired to redesign 17 public restrooms in locations all throughout Shibuya.

The project was spearheaded be the Nippon Foundation, who explains that “toilets are a symbol of Japan’s world-renowned hospitality culture.” All the toilets will be wheelchair-accessible and will be maintained by dedicated cleaning crews so that they “stand the test of time.”

Some locations are still under construction and won’t be completed until 2021 but below are the locations that have already opened. There’s also a handy map showing the location and status of each restroom.

Modern-Day Chindōgu-Maker Marina Fujiwara’s Wasted Creations

August 10, 2020 / Johnny / Comments Off

Back in the 90s, magazine editor Kenji Kawakami coined the term Chindōgu, literally meaning “unusual tool” and gave birth to a global craze of wonky Japanese inventions that were simultaneously ingenious but also useless. Fast-forward 3 decades to internet-era Marina Fujiwara, who was born right around the time Kawakami was getting ready to publish his book The Art of Chindōgu.

Colorized Photos of Hiroshima Show Daily Life Before the Atomic Bomb

August 6, 2020 / Johnny / 1 Comment

On the 75th anniversary of the atomic bomb being dropped on Hiroshima, a new photobook is being released by a university student and professor. What’s unique about the photographs is that they have been colorized and brought to life as if just taken the other day. Memories, imagination and technology worked hand-in-hand in the colorization process, which combined interviews with those seen in the pictures, people who remembered what was depicted in the pictures, and artificial intelligence. The team that worked on the book called the process “unfreezing memories.”

Panasonic Will Help You Transform Your Living Room Into an Office Cubicle

August 6, 2020 / Johnny / 4 Comments

With an extended work-from-home environment, do you find yourself missing your office cubicle? A new offering from Panasonic called Komoru (which translates as ‘seclude oneself’) will let you create your very own partitioned desk and cubicle in your living room.