japanese art, design and culture

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MARNA | Playful Household Items from Japan

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Kirie Artist Carves Playful Narratives Into Tree Leaves
Tama – the station master cat who raised over $10 million and helped save a train line
Duct-Tape Typographer Shuetsu Sato Honored With Design Award

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Family Mart Designed Teary-Eyed Stickers to Combat Food Loss. They Worked So Well Now They’re Giving Them Out for Free
October 23, 2025
This Housing Project for Noto Earthquake Refugees, Constructed Without Any Nails or Adhesives, Just Won Japan’s Most-Prestigious Design Award
October 18, 2025
Meet the Artist Creating Humorous, Nihonga-Style Images of Daily Life with Their Rescue Cat
October 6, 2025
Is the Human Washing Machine of our Dreams Finally Becoming a Reality?
October 5, 2025
Student Artists Awaken Mythical Beasts of the Echigo Region Using Straw
September 28, 2025
Five Art Exhibitions Worth Travelling Japan For this Fall 2025
September 20, 2025
Japanese Art to See in New York: Fall 2025
September 14, 2025
GAKUponi: A Self-Sustaining Loop of Fish and Plants that Hangs on the Wall
September 13, 2025
Exploring the Toilet Culture Museum: Celebrating Craftsmanship, Innovation,and Humanity’s Essential Rituals
September 9, 2025
WA Table Lamp: Where Transit History Meets Timeless Design
September 1, 2025

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TRENDING RIGHT NOW

Kirie Artist Carves Playful Narratives Into Tree Leaves
Tama – the station master cat who raised over $10 million and helped save a train line
Duct-Tape Typographer Shuetsu Sato Honored With Design Award
Noma’s New Pop Up by OEO Studio in Kyoto
JR East to Retire Iconic Suica Penguin After 25 Years of Service

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Our 2025 gift guide is a curated collection of hom

Our 2025 gift guide is a curated collection of homeware and accessories with an emphasis on handmade craftsmanship.

Yokohama City University, in collaboration with Da

Yokohama City University, in collaboration with Dai Nippon Printing, announced that they will begin clinical trials to treat depression using anime characters.
Dai Nippon Printing developed original anime characters whom psychiatrists will pose as in an attempt to improve depression among young people.
Japanese anime characters can depict and empathize with inner struggles and suffering, making them an effective tool to treat mental health, explains Francesco Panto, an Italian psychiatrist working in Japan who spearheaded the initiative.
The team is looking for test subjects age 18-29 to participate in the study, which will look into the safety and feasibility of “anime counseling.” The study will run from October 2025 - June 2026.

After years of delays, Nara Prison Hotel is finall

After years of delays, Nara Prison Hotel is finally set to open next year in 2026.
Nara Prison was built in 1908 and was designed by architect Keijiro Yamashita, the grandfather of prison architecture and the architect behind what are known as The Five Great Prisons of Meiji.
Japan incarcerates its citizens at a far lower rate than most developed countries: 37 per 100,000 people compared with 132 in Britain and 629 in America. And the inmate population in Japan has seen a steady decline over the past decade, which helps explain why Nara Prison was shut down in 2017.
But with beautiful gardens and eye-catching architectural details, it’s only natural to wonder why so much care and attention went into the design of a prison.
When the prison was built in Meiji-era Japan, the country had recently been forced out of isolation by the West. Japan was scrambling to develop “civilized” laws and institutions that they could show off to the West, who had seen Japan’s legal system as barbaric.
A museum dedicated to the preservation of historical artifacts related to Nara Prison will open on April 27, 2026, followed by the actual hotel which will open later that year.
More: https://spoon-tamago.com/nara-japan-prison-hotel/

Japan takes Christmas very seriously, but in a com

Japan takes Christmas very seriously, but in a commercial sense rather than a religious sense. Which is perhaps why, each year, we find some very interesting, unorthodox Christmas trees.
So each year we make a point of cataloguing our favorite trees. This year we expanded our scope to include not just Tokyo but Osaka as well. From hand-knitted trees and hinoki wooden trees to trees made from 1000 prisms, here are the ones the wowed us the most.
① Hand-knitted tree by @knitchihiro (Osaka)
② Kabuki-inspired hinoki tree (Osaka)
③ White KITTE (Tokyo)
④ 1000 Prisms Tree by @lucent_by_takahiromatsuo (Tokyo)
⑤ Dreamlight Hotel tree by @yuni_yoshida and @130_magnarecta (Tokyo)
Read more about each tree on S&T: https://spoon-tamago.com/japan-designer-christmas-trees-2025/

Over a decade ago, high school art teacher @hamacr

Over a decade ago, high school art teacher @hamacream asked himself the question, what are some free activities that would inspire students to take an interest in art?
The answer lay at his feet: the vibrant colors of the fall foliage that had fallen to the ground. So he picked up a broomstick and got to work.
For over 10 years, every autumn, the art teacher has been creating popular anime or game characters using a broomstick and the tree leaves that have fallen into the school’s courtyard. At first his creations were ignored but over time they grew in popularity and now he chooses his subjects based on popular demand from his students. His creations are popular not only with the students but with the school janitors too!
More on S&T today: https://spoon-tamago.com/hamacream-fall-foliage-art/

Given the news of the passing of Nitama, we’re sha

Japan is in mourning today after Wakayama Railway

Japan is in mourning today after Wakayama Railway announced that Nitama, the stationmaster cat, passed away on Nov. 20, 2025. He was 15 years old.
Nitama was rescued when he was just 2 months old after nearly getting run over by traffic. He was taken in by employees at Wakayama Railway and lived there along with Tama, the original stationmaster cat.
When Tama passed away in 2015, Nitama was the natural successor and continued Tama’s legacy. Together, they were single-handedly (pawedly?) responsible for rescuing the rural train line, which had been experiencing declines in ridership before the feline stationmasters were hired.
For his hard work and dedication, Nitama was promoted to Ultra Stationmaster in 2021 and was given responsibility for all 14 stations.
Nitama will be missed, but not forgotten. He is now in cat heaven with Tama.
A memorial service will be held at Kishi Station on December 13, 2025.

Now that the Osaka Expo has ended, many of the fac

Now that the Osaka Expo has ended, many of the facilities including the iconic Grand Ring designed by Sou Fujimoto are facing demolition. While an original vision called for a small section of the ring to be preserved, the rest would be dismantled.
But real estate startup Not a Hotel has put forth a bold a vibrant vision, proposing to keep the ring in entirety and convert it into a park, hotel and marina.
The plan, while not formal nor even requested, also sees the iconic rooftop walkway preserved “with a heartfelt wish to carry forward Sou Fujimoto’s vision for the Expo’s legacy into the future” wrote Not a Hotel CEO on social media platform X.
The renderings certainly speak for themselves. We can only hope that they reach the right people 🙏🏻

PlayStation is running this brilliant campaign at

PlayStation is running this brilliant campaign at Ryogoku Station, the gateway to Tokyo’s sumo arena. The area is also known as the heart of sumo town, and features sumo stables, restaurants serving chanko-nabe, and a Sumo Museum.
The campaign is running through November 14, 2025.

JR East announced today that their beloved mascot,

JR East announced today that their beloved mascot, the Suica penguin, will retire after 25 years of serving as the iconic face of IC cards.
The penguin was designed by picture book author and illustrator Chiharu Sakazaki and was modeled after the Adelie penguin, which lives in Antarctica.
The Suica penguin debuted in 2001 along with the launch of the prepaid electronic money service and has been a beloved icon for close to a quarter century.
“I was happy to have been able to walk the path of the ‘Suica Penguin.’ I will do my best in my final year,” said Sakazaki in a comment.
JR East plans to run various campaigns aimed at penguin fans and others in the lead up to the penguin’s graduation at the end of fiscal year 2026.
The baton will be passed to a new character who will be selected and revealed in the coming months.

Happy Jimi Halloween to everyone who celebrates. I

Happy Jimi Halloween to everyone who celebrates. It’s that wonderful time of year when our favorite Japanese festival, Jimi Halloween, is on full display. Mundane Halloween, as we coined it back in 2018, is when people dress up in costumes so mundane they have to be explained.
The tradition was started in 2014 by a group of adults at the website Daily Portal Z who kind of wanted to participate in the festivities of Halloween, but were too embarrassed to go all out in witch or zombie costumes. So instead of the flashy and flamboyant costumes they had been seeing gain popularity in Japan, they decided to dress up in mundane, everyday costumes.
we present to you some of our favorites from this year’s festivities.
#jimihalloween #地味ハロウィン

Almost 20 years ago, on a tiny plot of land in eas

Almost 20 years ago, on a tiny plot of land in eastern Tokyo, a young architect named Keisuke Oka began to construct a tower of concrete entirely by hand. Located just a short walk from Mita Station, the Arimaston Building (蟻鱒鳶ル) is an intricate, organic structure whose uniqueness has earned it the nickname, the “Gaudi of Mita” after Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí.
For the past 3 months, a team of engineers has been painstakingly relocating the build 30 ft using a traditional Japanese technique known as hikiya (曳家). The relocation is part of an agreement the architect had with developers, who allowed him to keep his masterpiece despite a massive redevelopment of the neighborhood.
And after nearly 20 years of doing everything from gathering materials to mixing concrete himself, Oka is nearing the completion of the Arimaston Building in February 2026.
Once Oka’s masterpiece is completed, he plans to live there on the 2nd and 3rd floors, with plans to rent out the first floor as retail space.
Read more about the building on S&T: https://spoon-tamago.com/keisuke-oka-arimaston-building/

Family Mart, one of Japan’s largest “conbini” oper

Family Mart, one of Japan’s largest “conbini” operators with over 15,000 stores across the country, has aggressive goals to reduce food waste. And an unexpected strategy were a series of adorable, teary-eyed stickers that the company launched in March 2025.
With a message that reads “help us,” the stickers are placed on foods with an approaching expiration date and come with a small discount. But as it turns out, it’s not just about the money.
In an experiment, the company found that the stickers actually resonate with customers, reminding them of the problem of food waste.
“In selecting the design, we created several illustrated designs based on the criteria of ‘being able to gain consumer sympathy’ and ‘being able to effectively appeal to the problem of food waste’” said the company. Based on a an experiment, they adopted the design that received the most support.
After rolling out the stickers, feedback has been strong. Family Mart expects that the initiative will lead to a food loss reduction of approximately 3,000 tons per year.
Propelled by the effectiveness of the stickers, the company is now giving them out for free and encouraging all shop owners to use them. They even created additional stickers for other foods as well. The lineup now includes onigiri, bread, sliced ham, a slab of salmon and a slice of cake.
Anyone who sells food can use them. Head to the official website below to download your own:
https://www.family.co.jp/sustainability/material_issues/environment/circulation.html#store

We’re obsessed with these rikishi living their bes

We’re obsessed with these rikishi living their best London life 🤩
Photos: sumokyokai / X

On New Year’s Day 2024, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake

On New Year’s Day 2024, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Ishikawa Prefecture’s Noto Peninsula, killing 245 and displacing 15,000. Architect Shigeru Ban responded with a plan for 9 buildings that would house 166 households.
Recognized for their quality, speed and sustainability, the project was recently awarded the Good Design Grand Award — the highest honor of the Good Design Award 2025, presented by the Japan Institute of Design Promotion.
More: spoon-tamago.com

Japan’s numerous museums offer a little bit of eve

Japan’s numerous museums offer a little bit of everything. Whether it’s cutting edge, contemporary art in Tokyo or a tiny museum in the countryside dedicated to a single sculptor, seeking them out is always rewarding.
What’s also rewarding is the calm break at the museum cafe. Although unlike regular cafes, there’s usually the museum cover charge required to access it. But the space offers an opportunity to reflect on everything seen at the museum.
The menu too is often thoughtful and inspired by the art or architectural aspects of the museum. We present to you, a few of our favorite museum cafes. And whether they’re in Tokyo or beyond, each is definitely worth the visit.
More: https://spoon-tamago.com/japan-museum-cafes/

@poshichi_rou is a Japanese artist creating nihong

@poshichi_rou is a Japanese artist creating nihonga-style images of daily life. The digitally-rendered, anachronistic artworks often feature the artist’s cat in playful, humorous settings that are, at times, quiet and reflective while other times whimsical and even surreal. We spoke with the artist about their background, art style and, importantly, their cat.
More: spoon-tamago.com

Wandering the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion at Expo 20

Wandering the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion at Expo 2025, we felt like we had stepped into an episode of Doraemon. One of the talk-of-the-fair exhibits was a futuristic bathing pod — billed as a “Future Human Washing Machine” — that promises to wash and dry a person in roughly 15 minutes using ultra-fine bubbles, sensors and AI to adjust temperature, pressure and even the visuals you see while inside.
These gadgets can be gimmicky, and often don’t make it beyond the walls of the pavilion. But the company, Science Co Ltd, revealed that it had already booked orders for six devices and would be delivering the to hotels and spas across Japan.
Read more on S&T today: https://spoon-tamago.com/osaka-expo-human-washing-machine/

芸術の秋 (geijutsu no aki) — “autumn, the season for a

芸術の秋 (geijutsu no aki) — “autumn, the season for art.”
In Japan, fall symbolizes freshness and new endeavors. And with the country's record-breaking summer heat finally losing steam, we've found ourselves with a renewed enthusiasm to pick up our bags and encounter artistic inspiration.
If you're like us and want to travel Japan but not sure where to go, let art guide you.
Today on the blog we’re sharing 5 art exhibitions (and destinations) worth travelling for.
More: spoon-tamago.com

A Japanese research team’s experiment involving di

A Japanese research team’s experiment involving disguising a cow as a zebra to fend off bloodthirsty insects received the 2025 Ig Nobel Prize’s biology category on Sept. 18, making this the 19th consecutive year a team from Japan has won.
Researcher Tomoki Kojima and team found the white-striped bovine had half as many bug bites on it as the rest of their control group, indicating that painting cows and other livestock to look like zebras is an actual viable alternative to insecticides.

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