If you think there’s something new and old about Kyoto-based illustrator Kyoko Nakamura’s work, then she’s been successful. Using a combination of digital tools like Photoshop and analog materials like acrylic gouache, Nakamura creates colorful, neon illustrations inspired by her modern and traditional surroundings.
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This week’s Music Monday pick is a softer, more contemplative tone than usual. Ray Kunimoto is a sound artist who has primarily been creating acoustic sounds to accompany art installations at museums, galleries and other spaces such as this digital greenhouse in Tokyo. Currently based in New York, the artist has recently put out his first solo EP titled Amane.
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Arisa Kumagai is a Japanese artist who lives and works in Kyoto. Using primarily oil paints, and still in her late 20s, she’s developed a style of masterful realism that deftly balances black, negative space to create solemn scenes of life & death, rich & poor.
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Dubbed ‘wasabi pearls’ and ‘green caviar,’ Wasabeads (わさビーズ) have become one of Japan’s most sought-after condiments. They were developed by Tamaruya, a 140-year old producer of wasabi, as well as various wasabi-related products like wasabi salt and salad dressing. Wasabeads, which hit the market in December of 2018, are the company’s latest and are shaping up to be one of their most popular.
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Donuts are having a moment in Japan right now. In a land that’s been dominated by Mister Donuts for as long as I can remember, the country is suddenly seeing a numerous artisnal donut shops, both domestic and from abroad, pop up in major cities. The most recent is Koe Donuts, which opened in Kyoto in March.
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In the world of Japanese snacks there are kashi, and dagashi. The latter are the cheaper, penny candies; the lesser yet equally beloved snacks that can be bought with pocket change. Dagashi is derived from the Japanese words da (駄, meaning ‘futile’). Japanese art duo Gendai Bijutsu Nitouhey create dagashi of the art world – what they call, dabijutsu.
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The complex lunar surface was formed over billions of years and through a combination of volcanic activity and meteorites slamming into the moon, which created craters of all shapes and sizes. The result is an exquisite, one-of-a-kind surface that tells the story of the history of our solar system.
That complex surface has now been faithfully replicated down to the finest detail in the form of leather clutch bags that can be carried in our hands.
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The banana peel is perhaps one of the most recognizable symbols of humor. If I had a banana for every time someone slipped on a banana peel in a vaudeville show or movie, I’d have… well, a lot of bananas. Interpreting this symbol and incoporating it into his own form of comedic art is Japanese artist Koji Kasatani.
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On a side-street in Shonan near Enoshima, which runs along Japan’s Route 134, there is a peculiar scene that looks like something out of a Hayao Miyazaki film. Hundreds of bollards occupy the street like black ghosts poking their head out of the ground.
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If you’re in Osaka, stop by the Grand Front shopping complex for a new-era surprise. The massive stairway in front of Osaka Station has been illuminated with shadow graphics that read 令和元年 (First Year of Reiwa). The stairway looks especially beautiful at night.
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Japanese Aquarium Drops 2026 Version of Flowchart Illustrating Their Penguin Relationships. This Year There’s an English Version.
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