All About Japan

Spoon & Tamago

Spoon & Tamago

All About Spoon & Tamago
Drawing from an extensive multicultural database and resources, Spoon & Tamago attempts to comprehensively cover all aspects of Japanese design, from fine art and architecture to product and graphic design.
Marvel at Remarkable Single-Stroke Paintings

Marvel at Remarkable Single-Stroke Paintings

Daigoro Yonekura is a Japanese artist who creates abstract paintings that resemble billowing plumes of smoke or ink. At once both mysterious and beautiful, they pull the viewer in, offering familiar shapes and forms, leaving us with a particular question.

Official 2020 Summer Olympics Posters Unveiled

Official 2020 Summer Olympics Posters Unveiled

As 2020 kicks off, the real countdown to Tokyo’s Summer Olympics begin and the organizing committee isn’t wasting any time. The series of official Olympics and Paralympics posters have been released, designed by renowned artists from Japan and abroad.

Shohei Otomo's Hyper Realistic Pen Drawings

Shohei Otomo's Hyper Realistic Pen Drawings

The artist Shohei creates dauntingly dense and bold ballpoint pen drawings. He also happens to be the son of Katsuhiro Otomo, the creator of Akira.

Toyota's Future City Near Mount Fuji

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

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

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

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

200-Year-Old Soy Sauce Manufacturer Rebuilds

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

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

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

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

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'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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