Spoon & Tamago
Toyota's Future City Near Mount Fuji
One of Japan's leading automotive manufacturers, Toyota, is planning to bring their vision of the future to life at the foot of Mount Fuji.
See Through Your Mistakes with Clear Erasers
The rubber eraser is roughly 250 years old. But for all its old age, the partner to any pencil has always had one major flaw. You can’t see what you’re erasing. Until today.
Preserving History with Newspaper Sculptures
Japanese visual artist Atsushi Adachi creates miniature replicas of objects from the past using old newspaper clippings and articles sourced from the same period, including replicas like this battleship and other historical moments.
Tsukiji Market Memories Through Photogrammetry
The Tsukiji Fish Market relocated to Toyosu in 2018 and officially closed their doors forever. Using thousands of archival photographs, however, designers have created an immersive artwork that explores the former largest fish market in the world.
200-Year-Old Soy Sauce Manufacturer Rebuilds
Historical Shops , Kumamoto Earthquake
In April of 2016, a powerful earthquake rocked Kumamoto, toppling parts of Kumamoto Castle and damaging many other historical sites. One of those was 200-year-old soy sauce maker Hamada Shoyu. This is the story of their historic redesign by Kengo Kumo.
Cool Kanazawa Hotel Connecting People & Places
Kumu opened during the summer of 2017 in a building renovated by architect Yusuke Seki, who set out to design a space that is both inclusive and engaged with its context. Spoon & Tamago has the full story.
Ritual for the Regrets of Unused Paid-Time-Off
In Osaka, a Buddhist monk sat at the front of a large room chanting, surrounded by 300 lanterns. The chants, however, were not Buddhist scriptures. They were the regrets and remorse of individuals who had been unable to take their paid-time-off.
No Need for Fire with Self-igniting Incense
Incense and matches, combined as one. This ingenious yet intuitive design comes from a 90-year old Japanese match manufacturer, who never stopped innovating.
A Stunning Photographic Look at Japan 2019
As the year comes to an end, we’re afforded several opportunities to reflect on the past 12 months, such as the Kansai Photojournalism Awards., where exceptional photojournalism and videography from 2019 were recognized by the association.
Make Your Own Chopsticks from 'Hamidashimono'
For more than 100 years, a town in Nara Prefecture has been using leftover, high-quality cypress wood from the home construction process to create disposable chopsticks. And now, you can make your own at home.
20,000 Bamboo Lanterns Light Up Oita
As the sun set on Taketa City last month, tourists and locals alike gathered together near the Oka Castle ruins to be amazed by the Chikuraku Festival.
Marvelously Modern Metal Company's Work Space
Located in one of Japan’s industrial hubs of Osaka is Nakanishi Metal Works, a company that manufactures metal components. And it's about time the 95-year-old metalworking company got a makeover of its own.
Watch as Sea Life Pulsates in New Short Video
This new work from Japanese animator Eugene is a beautiful short video of the undulating world of underwater sea life.
Paper Relief Images Capture the Glory of Tokyo
"Farewell My Tokyo," by designer Megumi Takami, sets out to preserve the essence of Tokyo's architecture and landmarks, cut from paper in captivating detail.
Fire Extinguishers Combining Safety & Style
One fire extinguisher company had the interesting idea to combine the fascination of home decoration with disaster preparedness, with very stylish results.
Usual Landscapes Painted on Unusual Canvases
Working with acrylics, painter Daisuke Samejima uses irregular canvases to paint realistic yet regular scenes of the Japanese suburban life.
Tokyo's Most 'Mundane' Halloween Costumes
Come take a look at 'Jimi Halloween,' celebrating the average run-of-the-mill characters you'll find across the metropolis.
Miniature Storefronts Preserving Tokyo's Past
There’s a certain allure to Tokyo’s storefronts–the colors, the textures, the urban decay–that have inspired many artists and designers. That includes Stockholm-based designer Christopher Robin, who created these marvelous scaled-down Tokyo storefronts.
Get Artsy at This Gorgeous Art Retreat Garden
Found at the foot of the Nasu Mountains just north of Tokyo is Art Biotop, an art retreat offering classes in pottery and glass-blowing along with spa treatments. But a major highlight is the water garden created by master architect Junya Ishigami.
Cup Noodle Created the Perfect Fork for Ramen
It took a team of obsessive designers to create this marvel of delicious engineering.
