Spoon & Tamago

Page 86 of 408

Spoon & Tamago’s Most Popular Posts of 2018

December 18, 2018 / Johnny / Comments Off

As we wind down our 11^th (!) year of blogging, we embark on the annual exercise of ranking our most popular posts based on viewership. It’s always fun and interesting to see what captivated readers the most and looking at the top 10, at times it almost feels like a review of Japan’s news in general. News tends to be sad and depressing, especially these days, but we hope that we’ve been able add a little bit of beauty into your daily lives by delivering stories about Japan through an art & design lens.

Half a Century in the Making: Tree ‘Crop Circles’ Emerge in Japan

December 17, 2018 / Johnny / 2 Comments

the two tree ‘crop circles’ | photo courtesy Sankei News

Two peculiar ‘crop circles’ have recently been spotted in Japan’s Miyazaki Prefecture. Viewable only from above, they were formed by sugi (Japanese cedar) trees.

Hokusai’s ‘Great Wave’ Emerges on a Giant Building Facade

December 16, 2018 / Johnny / Comments Off

Katsushika Hokusai’s “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” is perhaps on of the most iconic images that Japan has ever exported. And it’s now emerged as a giant mural on the facade of a new development in Moscow.

The Tabletop Gas Burner Gets a Modern Redesign

December 16, 2018 / Johnny / Comments Off

If you’re a fan of sitting around hot pots during the winter, you’re probably familiar with the tabletop gas burner. Bulky and ugly, it’s a necessary evil that delivers portable flames to any tabletop. But this redesigned gas burner us unlike anything we’ve ever seen.

Famous Paintings of Flowers Recreated in Real Life

December 13, 2018 / Johnny / Comments Off

sunflowers by vincent van gogh, recreated in real life by makoto azuma

Van Gogh, Picasso, Redon and Renoir. Almost every great painter in history has been fascinated with flowers as a subject for still-lives. And some of the most famous of their paintings depict simple flowers. So what did these artistic minds see in the bouquet? This is the question that led Japanese flower artist Makoto Azuma on an investigative series. And for the past 3 years he’s been creating exact replicas of famous flower paintings but using real flowers.

Japanese Food Reimagined as Stationery

December 13, 2018 / Johnny / Comments Off

Japan’s love for all things stationery can’t be denied. And their reputation as a nation of foodies also holds true. So it was only a matter of time before the two collided.

60-Year Old Illustrations of Kobe Contrasted with Contemporary Photos

December 12, 2018 / Johnny / 2 Comments

In the 1950s, woodblock print artist Hide Kawanishi produced a series of color illustrations that depicted the changing city of Kobe after WWII. In 1962 he published the artwork in a book titled One Hundred Scenes of Kobe (神戸百景色). It would become the artist’s last major accomplishment before passing away in 1965.

Nendo Channels MC Escher in New Immersive Installation

December 11, 2018 / Johnny / Comments Off

Oki Sato and his design firm Nendo have created an immersive installation that spans across nine display areas within The National Gallery of Victoria, in Melbourne. The spaces serve as a frame to compliment, and at times contrast with, 157 prints and drawings by the renowned Dutch graphic artist M. C. Escher.

Music Monday: Masakatsu Takagi

December 10, 2018 / Johnny / Comments Off

The holiday season always seems to be more hectic than it should be. In fact, Japan’s ancient word for December is shiwasu (師走), which is literally “teacher run” because this month is so busy that even the priests have to pray while running. That’s why this week we’re listening to the sounds of multimedia artist Masakatsu Takagi.