Spoon & Tamago

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Cherry Blossoms Are in Full Bloom, But This Year Let’s Enjoy Them From Home

The cherry blossoms are in full bloom now across Japan. Tokyo’s parks, in particular, are covered in pink and white blossoms. So yes it’s tempting to go out and enjoy some good food and booze under the trees with your friends. But given the uptick in confirmed coronavirus cases across Japan, there’s an organized effort to encourage folks to stay home this season. We support the digital hanami effort, and hereby present to you a series of photographs and videos you can enjoy from the comfort of your sofa. Not hanami but homenami, amiright? The cherry blossoms will bloom again next year.

SOUR’s Music Video for Hibi no Neiro was the OG of social distancing

March 25, 2020 / Johnny / Comments Off

Over 10 years ago, art director Masashi Kawamura teamed up with Japanese band SOUR to produce a fantastic music video for their song hibi no neiro (“tone of everyday”). Needless to say, this was before our current reality, in which millions are staying home due to the coronavirus outbreak.

In the video, a cast, selected from the band’s actual fan base, choreograph a perfectly-timed dance that was filmed purely via webcam from locations all over the world. It’s the perfect music video for the age of social distancing.

Boxes Stacked on the Side of a Cliff Form this Home in Hiroshima

March 24, 2020 / Johnny / 3 Comments

When architect duo Mai and Kazuhiro Narita first came to view a plot of land for which they were being asked to construct a family residence, two things immediately became clear. First, the site, situated on the side of a cliff, offered stunning views of the city of Hiroshima. But second, no heavy equipment would be able to access it. Solving for both parts of the equation would go on to inform the ultimate shape of the house.

An Exhibition of Designer Noren Celebrating Nihonbashi

March 19, 2020 / Johnny / Comments Off

In 1805 an unknown artist created “Kidaishouran,” an epic picture scroll stretching over 40 ft (12.3 meters) and depicting the bustling life of Nihonbashi during Japan’s Edo era 200 years ago. In a section of it (above) one can see a busy part of Nihonbashi, lined with sellers and their noren curtains hanging above their stores.

Amabie: the Japanese Yokai That Can Stave Off Epidemics

March 13, 2020 / Johnny / 3 Comments

As legend has it, in the 1800s a mythical yokai appeared off the coast of Kumamoto, Japan. The Amabie, as it was called, was described as a mermaid-like creature with long hair, a beak and 3 legs. It made several predictions related to bountiful harvests and, before disappearing back into the sea, left the locals with some advice in case of an epidemic.

(top image: the original edo-era tile carving, courtesy Kyoto University Digital Archives)

A Glass Jug That Looks Like Running Water Designed by Jin Kuramoto

March 12, 2020 / Johnny / Comments Off

Nedre Foss is a Norwegian label for interior products, founded and backed by the design studio Anderssen & Voll, who reached out to Japanese designer Jin Kuramoto to create a household tool the embodies the power of sculpture.

Wild and Mythical New Bricolage Paintings by Yusuke Asai

March 6, 2020 / Johnny / Comments Off

*“The earth is falling from the sky” (2019). Installation view at Wulong Lanba Art Festival, China*

Born in Tokyo in 1981, the artist Yusuke Asai (previously) continues to travel the world, creating wild and unrestrained art with whatever canvas and materials are available to him locally: soil, water, dust, flour, tape, and pens.

Picturesque Photos of Toyama Prefecture Will Make It Your Next Travel Destination

March 5, 2020 / Johnny / Comments Off

Who knew that Japan had their very own Swiss Alps?

Just 2.5 hours by train from Tokyo is Toyama Prefecture, one of Japan’s smaller prefectures that borders Ishikawa and Nagano. It may be small but with the Hida Mountains to their back and the Japan Sea to their front, the prefecture boasts an abundunt amount of pictureque beauty, as showcased by local photographer Yasuto Inagaki, who has been sharing photographs of his home on social media.

Nendo Designs a House in Japan with Stairs Running Through It

March 4, 2020 / Johnny / 4 Comments

Akihiro Ito knew that if he was ever to build his own home he would want Oki Sato, his business partner, to design it for him. The two met in school and have been friends ever since and partners ever since Sato established his design studio Nendo in 1997. As Chief Operating Officer, Ito acts as Sato’s right-hand man, and has been with him as the company grew from a start-up in their family’s garage to 50+ employee company with offices in Tokyo, Milan and Shanghai.

UKIYO: the Floating Worlds of Illustrator Shinji Tsuchimochi

March 3, 2020 / Johnny / Comments Off

Shinji Tsuchimochi is a Tokyo-based illustrator who creates unique views of Tokyo and Japan, inspired by ukiyo-e but produced with a modern sense of whimsy and surrealism.