illustrations by koyori

there is a talented and mysterious person in japan named koyori, who makes beautiful illustrations. i love the beautiful delicate style and strokes and the perspective in the scenes. and i can’t say much else due to the language barrier.

see more goodness and mystery right here.

via mint-unz

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japanese housewares at moma

the moma shop is offering some exclusive, lovely and odd products for their destination japan limited edition shopping adventure, the highlights of which include these fun chat plates and this cute apple jar.

if i had a precocious child (or husband) who wouldn’t eat vegetables i think some persuasive messages might be spelled out in peas on those plates.

see it all right here.

via nobody — i know this is circulating around the blogosphere right now but believe it or not, i found it all by myself!

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jurgen lehl tableware

i love this beautiful tableware from jurgen lehl. highlights of the collection include hammered copper woks, quince serving utensils and simple, elegant pottery.

purchase the collection and see more things right here, and be sure to check out jurgen’s gorgeous blog too.

via hoping for happy accidents

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ema takahashi jewelry

love this elegantly feminine and graphic necklace collection from japanese born, new york-based ema takahashi. it’s made of hand hammered 10k rose gold.

i like that if you look at these slightly off center some of the designs just look like loopy abstract script, and the words are revealed upon closer inspection.

purchase these pieces here, and see ema’s full collection on her website.

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cool and clever chocolate-pencils

look at these terrific chocolate pencils used for enhancing desserts. they were a creative collaboration between renowned boutique patissier tsujiguchi hironobu and architect oki sako for his company nendo. the set includes chocolate of varying intensity and comes with a special “sharpener” to put as little or as many shavings you like on your sweet treat!

someone clever needs to make a (tuile cookie or meringue) dessert that looks like “crumpled” pieces of “paper” that is sitting in a (cookie cup) “trash can” with the shavings sitting on the very top of the pile.

or you could just sharpen in onto your cake. whatever works best.

sadly, this special item is only available in japan right now. the best place to find it is in one of tsujiguchi’s shops in tokyo.

via cool hunting

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felt vase cover transforms old wine bottles

it’s a cozy cover, it’s a vase. it’s a cozy vase? repurpose your used wine bottles into something pretty with this printing vase cover from tokyo’s furnish (cannot find website!) for molla space. felt panels are sewn together and fun lattice or blossom patterns applied, to make the bottle look like a classically styled urn. simply turn it around to reveal no pattern, if you like that kind of thing.

it’s fun, it measures about 8″w x 10″h and you can purchase it for $30 right here.

via betterlivingthroughdesign

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kazuhiko tomita porcelain accessories

i like this paon collection of simple porcelain bathroom accessories, from kazuhiko tomita for germany’s authentics. i like the simplicity and organic style (and the fact that they have elephant trunks doesn’t hurt either).

coming in march to unica home, but they’re taking orders now!

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mayuko fujino paper art - let’s chat!

look at the beautiful, delicate work of japanese artist mayuko fujino! these are not illustrations but paper cutouts with additional collage work. i love the organic themes and joyful compositions. her techniques are precise and eye for color admirable. i think you could just dive right into some of these and land on a fluffy cloud. let’s have a chat with mayuko and find out more!

q: where do you live?
a: tokyo, japan

q: what inspires your artwork?
a: i think what inspires me most are the challenging technical restrictions of paper cutout. sometimes when i have an idea it does not fall within the conventional rules for my method… and when i see something then the rules decide 1) if i can actually craft it or not and 2) how to go about making it. it’s fun for me to see how far i can go within the limitations. to do that, i always have to make the best use of inventiveness, and sometimes unexpected ideas occur. sometimes i think it almost acts like a guide for me to understand the world. and of course music (like moondog) and literature inspire me a lot. a sound body with storing of memory in five senses.

q: can you tell me a little about your technique?
a: they are paper cutouts and i color them with magazine pages, papers and collage. i use a special cutting tool (not scissors) to make the special cut shapes.

q: how large are these finished pieces and are they for sale?
a: they range in size from 10cm x 10cm to 79.0cm x 54.5cm (about 4″ x 4″ up to 31″ x 21.5″). i am preparing to sell them.

q: are you currently in any shows, and is there anything else special you would like to mention?
a: i will have an exhibition from february 6 through february 10th at fall gallery in tokyo, and on february 9th i am going to perform a new shadow show titled “mr. and mr.mysteries” there. i sometimes act as the “georama” or shadow play unit. also, our short film is available at myspace here.

be sure to look at mayuko’s flickr stream for more gorgeous work.

thank you mayuko!

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gochemoche tsunami kanzashi accessories

i need to look at these pretty silk hairpins and accessories from florida’s gochemoche. she is a self-described japanese culture-obsessed turkish lady who crafts these little flowers using traditional japanese methods. some pieces are made from material which is dyed by hand, and others are made from repurposed vintage silk kimonos.

these traditional and elaborate hair ornaments were worn by apprentice geisha or maiko, which would instantly indicate their status to those in the know. more experienced geisha did not wear as elaborate an accessory.

i love these colors on a grim winter day.

see everything else that’s available from gochemoche right here.

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takumi dinner bells

i’ve been leaving on my things
so in the morning when the morning bird sings
there’s still dinner on my dinner jacket
til the dinner bell rings

i don’t want a pizza, i don’t want a piece of peanut brittle, i don’t want a pear.
i don’t want a bagel, i don’t want a bean, i wouldn’t like a bag of beef or a beer. or a cup of chowder, corn, cake, or creamed cauliflower cause i’m waiting for the dinner bell to do the bell thing,

dinner bell dinner bell ding ding ding

{lyrics from the ebullient, beloved and oh-so-clever they might be giants}

it sure beats a triangle any day, doesn’t it?

$325 for the marvelous set at moss. –>

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mini chocolate bar puzzle

cute alert! look at this funny chocolate bar puzzle. it comes from japan in white, milk, and dark (easy, medium, and hard) varieties.

at $6.45, this could make a cute stocking stuffer if you’re thinking ahead…

find it at the strapya shop right here.

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recycled train ticket art masterpieces

look at this marvelous piece of art. this pixelated rendition of the mona lisa is one of four classic paintings that are currently on exhibit through october 16 at takashimaya in osaka. the reproductions are made from 320,000 used tickets from the local nankai namba train station. nearly 300 employees worked for three months on their breaks and free time to create these amazing works.

if you are not familiar with takashimaya, it is a serenely fabulous (the tea room!) japanese department store, found internationally and on 5th avenue between 54th and 55th in manhattan.

via pink tentacle

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