Wooden Puppet Samurai Come to Life

this week's most popular posts and other tidbits from around Japan

"The First Peach Blossoms" (Microseason 8) Mid-March is the time of year when the peach trees begin blossoming. The current microseason is written in Japanese as 桃始笑 and students of the Japanese language will notice that the kanji character for blossom is 笑, or smile. That's because in the olden days people would refer to flowers blossoming as "smiling" and when it occurred en mass along a mountain, a mountainside was smiling. (Do you want more seasonal events, recipes, poems and art in your inbox? Become a member!) the spoon & tamago dispatch HIDARI We kick off our newsletter premiering this pilot for a stop-motion film. Made using wooden puppets, the film tells the epic tale of a legendary sculptor so talented he brings his carvings to life. Read more... Keita Sagaki Next, we stopped by a gallery adjacent to Tokyo Station where we were mesmerized by an artwork by Keita Sagaki. The replica 1000 yen bill is composed entirely of tiny doodles that only reveal themselves as you get closer to the artwork. Read more... A Frigid Bouquet Lastly, we venture up to Hokkaido,for one last blast of frigid cold, where floral artist Makoto Azuma installed his latest site-specific artwork. A unique blend of art and nature, Azuma worked with the already beautiful flowers, installing them in one of Japan's most harsh environments. Read more... Become a Spoon & Tamago member and support independent journalism! Membership comes with a members-only newsletter, shop discounts and more! tidbits from all corners of Japan Aso Shrine's famous gate collapsed from the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake. But after years of renovation, the gate has been restored and visitors were offered a rare chance to climb the scaffolding and view the gate up close. Jumpei Mitsui's LEGO replica of Hokusai's "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" (featured here) is headed to Boston's Museum of Fine Arts for a Hokusai exhibition opening March 26th. From the Shop Awaglass Designer Norihiko Terayama has given birth to an entirely new kind of hourglass: the awaglass. Awa means 'bubbles' in Japanese, and it's what replaces sand to create this mesmerizing and soothing object. view collection Copyright © 2023 Spoon & Tamago, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website. Our mailing address is: Spoon & Tamago 253 Tompkins Ave Brooklyn, New York 11216 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.