Spoon & Tamago https://spoon-tamago.com japanese art, design and culture Sun, 19 Apr 2026 16:40:17 +0000 en hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 Shizuoka Aims to Reclaim Top Tea Status With New Branding Project https://spoon-tamago.com/japan-tea-shizuoka-branding-project/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=japan-tea-shizuoka-branding-project https://spoon-tamago.com/japan-tea-shizuoka-branding-project/#respond Sun, 19 Apr 2026 16:40:15 +0000 https://spoon-tamago.com/?p=58710 Shizuoka has long been Japan’s most iconic tea-producing region. But in today’s global market, heritage alone doesn’t guarantee recognition. Several years ago, Shizuoka was overtaken for the first time by Kagoshima in terms of the value of tea production. The global boom in matcha-powdered green tea has spurred increased competition not just in Japan, but […]

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]]> https://spoon-tamago.com/japan-tea-shizuoka-branding-project/feed/ 0 Japanese Aquarium Drops 2026 Version of Flowchart Illustrating Their Penguin Relationships. This Year There’s an English Version. https://spoon-tamago.com/japanese-aquarium-penguin-relationship-flowchart/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=japanese-aquarium-penguin-relationship-flowchart https://spoon-tamago.com/japanese-aquarium-penguin-relationship-flowchart/#respond Wed, 15 Apr 2026 01:15:09 +0000 https://spoon-tamago.com/?p=58697 Penguins, the way they waddle around and protect their eggs, are often thought of as cute, cuddly and romantic. But those who observe them for extended periods know they have a dark side. Two aquariums in Japan, Kyoto Aquarium and Sumida Aquarium, have been keeping obsessive tabs on their penguins, maintaining an updating annual flowcharts […]

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]]> https://spoon-tamago.com/japanese-aquarium-penguin-relationship-flowchart/feed/ 0 Winners of the 2026 Kokuyo Design Awards https://spoon-tamago.com/winners-of-the-2026-kokuyo-design-awards/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=winners-of-the-2026-kokuyo-design-awards https://spoon-tamago.com/winners-of-the-2026-kokuyo-design-awards/#respond Sun, 05 Apr 2026 16:03:56 +0000 https://spoon-tamago.com/?p=58681 The Kokuyo Design Awards, (previously) arguably Japan’s most-prestigious stationery design award, has been held for almost a quarter of a century now. Hosted by 120-year old stationery firm KOKUYO, the award receives close to 1500 entries each year for new products that have yet to be commercialized, with winning concepts given the opportunity to become […]

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]]> https://spoon-tamago.com/winners-of-the-2026-kokuyo-design-awards/feed/ 0 The Other Ceramics: An Exhibition of Non-Ceramicist Pottery https://spoon-tamago.com/the-other-ceramics-an-exhibition-of-non-ceramicist-pottery/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-other-ceramics-an-exhibition-of-non-ceramicist-pottery https://spoon-tamago.com/the-other-ceramics-an-exhibition-of-non-ceramicist-pottery/#respond Sun, 05 Apr 2026 14:33:09 +0000 https://spoon-tamago.com/?p=58669 a clay pot by the artist Nara Yoshitomo What happens when some of Japan’s most celebrated creatives step outside their usual disciplines and into the world of clay? That’s the question at the heart of “The Other Ceramics,” an exhibition currently on view at the BANKO Archive Design Museum in Yokaichi, Mie prefecture. a pair […]

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]]> https://spoon-tamago.com/the-other-ceramics-an-exhibition-of-non-ceramicist-pottery/feed/ 0 Shibuya’s New ‘G-CHA & Ba-CHA’ Cafe Is Run by Senior Citizens https://spoon-tamago.com/shibuya-senior-citizen-cafe/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=shibuya-senior-citizen-cafe https://spoon-tamago.com/shibuya-senior-citizen-cafe/#respond Fri, 03 Apr 2026 22:26:03 +0000 https://spoon-tamago.com/?p=58655 In the heart of Shibuya—a district known for youth culture and constant reinvention—a refreshingly different kind of café has just opened its doors. G-CHA & Ba-CHA is not just another trendy tea stand; it’s a celebration of energy, community, and a reimagining of what it means to grow older. What makes this takeout tea shop […]

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]]> https://spoon-tamago.com/shibuya-senior-citizen-cafe/feed/ 0 The Humble Beef Bowl, Elevated to Fine Cuisine at New Gyudon Specialty Restaurant Kikiya https://spoon-tamago.com/gyudon-kikiya/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gyudon-kikiya https://spoon-tamago.com/gyudon-kikiya/#respond Sat, 28 Mar 2026 21:49:12 +0000 https://spoon-tamago.com/?p=58645 Often referred to as the soul food of Japan, gyudon, which literally translates to beef bowl, dates back to the 1800s. Its origin can be traced to an izakaya in Yokohama but by the early 20th century, gyudon had become a staple of urban working-class life, especially with the rise of fast, inexpensive eateries such […]

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]]> https://spoon-tamago.com/gyudon-kikiya/feed/ 0 In Rare Exhibition, Kenya Hara Offers a Look Into His Design Process https://spoon-tamago.com/kenya-hara-draw-exhibition/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=kenya-hara-draw-exhibition https://spoon-tamago.com/kenya-hara-draw-exhibition/#respond Fri, 27 Mar 2026 20:34:46 +0000 https://spoon-tamago.com/?p=58634 Kenya Hara, the internationally acclaimed Japanese designer, has long been associated with clarity, restraint, and the quiet power of minimalism: traits that are evident in his work as creative director for MUJI. But an upcoming exhibition promises to reveal something more intimate: the restless, searching lines that come before any finished idea. Opening next week […]

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]]> https://spoon-tamago.com/kenya-hara-draw-exhibition/feed/ 0 A Spoon & Tamago Guide to Tohoku https://spoon-tamago.com/a-spoon-tamago-guide-to-tohoku/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-spoon-tamago-guide-to-tohoku Sun, 22 Feb 2026 21:55:57 +0000 https://spoon-tamago.com/?p=58294

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]]> Five Art Exhibitions to See in Japan This Spring https://spoon-tamago.com/five-art-exhibitions-to-see-in-japan-this-spring/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=five-art-exhibitions-to-see-in-japan-this-spring Sat, 07 Feb 2026 15:09:22 +0000 https://spoon-tamago.com/?p=58619 Spring in Japan isn’t just about cherry blossoms. Ok, fine it’s mostly about cherry blossoms. But if you’re looking to combine some gallery hopping in between the ohanami, we’ve got you covered. From futuristic anime retrospectives to centuries-old woodblock prints brought together in major museums, here are five art exhibitions not to miss in Japan […]

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]]> Cats to Blame for Octopus Deity Enshrinement Delay https://spoon-tamago.com/cats-to-blame-for-octopus-deity-enshrinement-delay/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cats-to-blame-for-octopus-deity-enshrinement-delay Mon, 02 Feb 2026 20:12:05 +0000 https://spoon-tamago.com/?p=58609 Hayasuhime Shrine in Oita prefecture is a rarity in Japan because it is dedicated to the octopus. When local sculptor Kousei Hashimoto was tasked with creating a new deity to be enshrined, he expected for it to be completed by the end of the year. But the neighborhood cats had different plans. Hashimoto explained that, […]

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