It is perhaps one of the most famous anecdotes in the history of science. In 1666, a young Isaac Newton is sitting in his garden when an apple falls on his head. In a stroke of brilliant insight, he comes up with a theory of understanding gravitational force. Applying that anecdote to play is artist Yasuhiro Suzuki, who came up with the idea of replacing the ball of a kendama with an apple.
Japanese illustrator Noryco is many things but one of those things is a cat lover. And it shows in her work. Her portfolio is full of emblazoned cats, cherry blossom cats, working cats and even a section dedicated to cats inspired by Tim Burton. One of our favorites though are these simple but charming watercolors of different types of cats wearing different styles of eyewear.
From Exotic shorthairs in teardrop frames to a Bombay in a pair of styling Wellingtons, we’re here to give you your full fix of bespectacled felines.
all photos by Nacasa & Partners Inc. courtesy the architects
9h is stylish and futuristic take on Japan’s capsule hotels. Featuring tiny pods large enough for just 1 person to sleep, 9h has proven popular and has since grown to 6 different locations since launching in 2010. Now, they’re hoping to reach an even broader clientele by adding a sister brand ℃ (pronounced do-she) that offers sauna and accommodation.
Among the many different traditional Japanese arts, Japan’s special relationship with nature is perhaps best seen in ikebana, or flower arrangement. Taking this art form to new heights is “flower artist” Takayuki Tanaka and his floral design firm United Flowers, who collaborated with Tsutaya Electrics for their spring 2016 advertising campaign.
Nature has a funny way of imitating itself. Have you ever picked up a stone and thought it resembled an animal? Indeed, many of us probably have. But Akie Nakata takes that thought one, two and even three steps further by breathing a life and soul into the stones she finds.
excavate notable landscapes as you exhaust the Omoshiro Block note pad
Leave it to the stationery-loving Japanese to come up with a new way to enjoy writing notes. The Omoshiroi Block (loosely translated as ‘fun’ or ‘interesting’ block) utilizes laser-cutting technology to create what is, at first, just a seemingly normal square cube of paper note cards. But as the note cards get used, an object begins to appear. And you’ll have to exhaust the entire deck of cards to fully excavate the hidden object.
Naomi Watanabe is huge in Japan. With 7.5 million Instagram followers, the comedian is a distant 1st; at least 2.5 million ahead of any of her Japanese Instagram peers. Appearing on TV, radio and in ads left and right, she’s often referred to as Japan’s top influencer. But behind every well-crafted image, as we’ve found, is a strong design team. And for Watanabe, she’s increasingly teaming up with art director Yuni Yoshida.
Happy New Year of the Dog! Many readers will be familiar with our annual tradition here at Spoon & Tamago of choosing some of our favorite designer New Year’s cards of 2018. We began this tradition in 2010 (if you’re interested in going back in time, here are the archives) so we’re slowly making our way to having a full 12-zodiac animal archive! Now prepare yourself for lots of tail-wagging and howling as we post our favorites, in no particular order.
2017 marked the 4th-year of running our little shop alongside our blog, which this year turned 10. Both continue to be entirely bootstrapped and operated internally for maintaining both quality and experience. Doing everything in-house poses several challenges but it enables us to form relationships with our favorite artists, makers and designers and be the bridge between them and the world. That gives us so much joy and is what keeps us going. With that said, here are the top 5 products we carry that our readers and customers loved the most.
