The five winners of the second Japanese Traditional Culture Grand Prix have been announced! The contest was spearheaded by the Japan Traditional Culture Promotion Project, established in May 2020 as a collaborative effort among companies, associations, and local governments to establish a sustainable framework for the continued development of Japanese traditional culture.

The project is headed by Seiichi Kondou, the Former Commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs. United Arrows Honorary Chairman Osamu Shigematsu serves as Vice-Chairman. Along with Nobuo Yoshida, the 14th generation head of the 400-year-old traditional paper fan store Ibasen, the Japan Cultural Promotion Project began this Grand Prix as a way to honor outstanding works of Japanese culture by companies, organizations, and individuals. Anyone can enter, regardless of nationality, residence, or age. The jury consists of 11 people from various fields, including Richard Collasse, the Chairman of Chanel LLC, and popular model Kozue Akimoto.

Grand Prix Winner

Dustpan x Broom

Luo Qi

Each dustpan is shaped by hand to match the special shape of the Matsumoto broom, which is then dyed with natural Tokushima indigo dye. The broom is the only one in the world made from home-grown broomcorn, and each is made by a third-generation craftsman with years of experience.

Runner-up Prizes

Japanese Lacquer Art – Ether

Takehito Sasaki

[Critique]

Both traditional and innovative. The spirit of Japanese culture and the meaning of this award seem to have taken shape in this work. The zippers do not open. The surface looks like leather, but it isn’t. When the lid is opened, the glossy lacquer seems to spread out. My expectations were surpassed. Anyone who sees it or uses it will find themselves lost in imagination, and I’m sure that thinking about that will bring a smile to the creator’s face. This beautiful craftsmanship was born from plenty of care and attention. What a pleasant surprise. (Risa Tanaka)

Sake Drinking Set – Japanese nagomi Sake Cups

Nagomi Fujita

[Critique]

There’s something about this piece that shares a spirit with Art Nouveau. The delicate plants superimposed on the bright transparent glass are a powerful image. In traditional Japanese nagomi art, the linear appearance of the plants is painted a bit more lightly, but these overlapping layers and shapes resonate and make an impact. The artist used traditional techniques such as lacquer and foil in a subtle manner, while still making the plants look alive. I’d consider this as a modern take on ecology. (Yuko Hasegawa)

Excellence Award

Floating Boat Counter

Masafumi Kodama (Registered Architect with a First-Class License) / Taiki Ishikawa (First Class Carpenter/Registered Architect with a Second-Class License)

[Critique]
The motif that inspired this piece is the traditional Japanese architectural technique of funahijiki. It’s an outstanding piece that utilizes practical architectural practices to create a piece of furniture at the center of a home, somewhere that the family relaxes. It brings the beauty of Japanese wood into the modern age. Funahijiki is a technique that has been used in incredible places, such as the Kyoto Imperial Palace and Kojoin Temple. It’s graceful and elegant, and not often seen in the current age. (Hidetsugu Horikoshi)

Folding Chair to Assist in Seiza
patol stool SEIZA

Hirayama Daily Goods Shop, Makiko & Kazuhiko Hirayama

[Critique]

The judges liked this folding chair for assisting seiza sitting, as it’s something that could be put to practical use right away. It’s sure to help people enjoy tatami culture, and will be a big help for people who seldom sit on the floor in this traditional way. The height and size of the chair, as well as its ability to be folded for easy storage, are nice touches. I’d consider this a masterpiece with incredible potential. (Yuji Akimoto)

These pieces of artwork managed to connect traditional Japanese culture with future sensibilities, so give them a look!

Japan’s manhole covers are known around the world for their intricate designs and unique local motifs. Used to promote towns and destinations, a new apparel brand has taken notice of these neat pieces of culture, releasing t-shirts to continue boosting communities around Japan.

In most cases, local governments are in charge of designing manhole covers. The Japan Underground team travels around the country in a van, finding the most inspiring manhole covers and negotiating with local governments to use the designs. They are then posted daily on social media.

Hokkaido Collection (Otaru / Ishikari / Wakkanai / Kushiro / Sapporo)

Tohoku Collection (Aomori City / Akita City / Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture / Higashimatsushima, Miyagi Prefecture / Higashine, Yamagata Prefecture / Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture)

Hokuriku Collection (Sanjo, Niigata Prefecture / Ojiya / Namerikawa, Toyama Prefecture / Komatsu, Ishikawa Prefecture / Fukui City / Katsuyama)

In July 2021, the group began their travels to sell the new products, starting in Hokkaido and continuing to the Tohoku and Hokuriku regions. In the future, they will continue to the Kanto, Chubu, Kansei, Shikoku, Chugoku, and Kyushu regions, adapting at least one manhole cover design from each municipality per prefecture. The goal is to reach Okinawa in September 2022.

With 130 entries submitted from all parts of Japan, the 8 winners of the first Japanese Traditional Culture Grand Prix have finally been announced. The contest was spearheaded by the Japan Traditional Culture Promotion Project, established in May 2020 as a collaborative effort among companies, associations, and local governments to establish a sustainable framework for the continued development of Japanese traditional culture.

Grand Prix Winner: Nakagawa Woodcrafts Hira Studio “Wave” series (left) “YORISIRO” series (right)

The winner of the top prize was Nakagawa Woodcrafts Hira Studio, in which the craftsmen still use a 700-year-old technique to create their famous wooden buckets. These buckets, once used for storing rice and miso, are still used today for a variety of different purposes, from bathing to cooling champagne! In stepping away from their typical works, the Nakagawa Woodcrafts studio created the more freeform “Wave” series, and the name surely fits–each bucket looks too free to have been manmade. The “YORISIRO” series, rather, keeps the natural curvature of the wood. Both are signature pieces of traditional Japanese artisanal culture.

Runner-up: Cubism in Calligraphy “Natural Stance,” Atelier Sisyu, Sisyu

Excellent Award: Kyo Braided Cords Sanjiku-Kumiori “Kujaku Kouki,” Saiko Ltd., Koichiro Murokado

Excellent Award: Structured System “Kumiko Endurance Wall,” Tosa Kumiko Co., Daisuke Iwamoto

Excellence Award: Porcelain “Yuragi” Hiroshi Taruta

Excellence Award: Lacquer Art “Tataeru” Shinsuke Aoki. 

Excellent Student Award: Picture Frame “KOZAI” Ryohei Nomura. 

Special Award: Rinku, a group of young female craftswomen from the Toukai region

The Japan Traditional Culture Promotion Project began this contest as a way to honor outstanding works from creators around Japan. The jury consists of 18 people from various fields, including Richard Collasse, the Chairman of Chanel LLC, and popular model Kozue Akimoto. A collection of online presentations and interviews with the winners is planned in future events, and the project aims to help these artists continue to work sustainably. The second round of applications will open in November 2021.

With just a small bit of ingenuity, turn everyday food into something cute using Kaori’s recipe series! With a few simple ideas, an ordinary recipe magically transforms into a cute dish.

For this recipe, you’ll learn how make mini Pompompurin pumpkin tarts! This is a simple recipe you can make with just a blender.

1: Ingredients

12 Tart shells

150g Pumpkin (deseeded, skin taken off and made soft)

50ml Fresh cream (In this recipe I used soy milk)

20-30g Sugar (Depending on the sweetness of the pumpkin)

1 Egg yolk (small egg)

Sliced Chocolate

Tinned yellow peach

2: Steam and make the pumpkin soft in the microwave. Place the softened pumpkin, sugar, fresh cream (or soy milk) and egg yolk into a blender.

3: Blitz until it’s mixed like in the photo above.

4: Pour the mixture from Step 3 into the tart shells and place into a 180℃ preheated oven. Lower the temperature to 140-150℃ and cook for 10-15 minutes. (You don’t want to brown anything, so we cook it on a low heat.)

If it looks like it’s about to start browning, cover with aluminium foil as this will prevent it from burning.

5: Once your cooked tarts have fully cooled down, use a round cutter to make a hat out of chocolate and a tear-drop cutter to make ears out of the yellow peach. The round ball on top of the hat can be made by breaking off some sliced chocolate and rolling it with your fingers.

Finally, drawn on the eyes, nose and mouth with a warmed chocolate pen!

The crunchy tart shells and moist pumpkin paste go pair together wonderfully! And the sourness from the yellow peach is perfect, making is really tasty♡

Kaori invites you into her world of character-themed food dishes in her recipe series!

Please check out her Instagram where she has uploaded many pictures of her character dishes!

“MOCOLLE” which realizes everybody’s delusions is now selling its third version of the “Wafu (Japanese-style) Room Share” series.

“Yuru Hakama (Japanese male skirt)”was designed by the very popular illustrator, Shun Akagi.

It is a room wear which is designed like a “hakama” so it is very easy to wear since the bottom and the top are attached.

Each of the four patterns has their own image concept. These image concepts are “Kiku (chrysanthemum): a girl who loves reading,” “Tsubaki (camellia): a girl who loves retro-songs of Showa Period,” “Sakura (cherry blossom): a charming and active girl” and “Asagao (morning glory): a girl who loves tea and inviting her friends to her house.”

This cute and comfortable room wear is suitable to be used when holding parties like a music-listening party or a tea party!

Who is your favorite “Showa-modern” girl?

LUCY ALTER DESIGN manages the world’s first “hand-dripped” Japanese green tea specialty company, “Tokyo Charyo,” and on November 3^rd, (Fri.) Tokyo Charyo opened the green tea specialty store “Senchado Tokyo” in Ginza, Tokyo. Here they will sell only single-origin, high grade “Sencha” from throughout Japan.

 “Sencha” is one kind of Japanese tea and almost all the green tea Japanese people drink is “sencha.” “Senchado Tokyo” was opened at this time with the Tokyo Olympics in mind. They know that people coming to the Olympics from throughout the world will want to know more about Japanese green tea so they decided to open this store in Ginza, Tokyo, a world-renowned tourist spot, and from here they hope to sell green tea and disseminate information about high-quality “sencha” and teach people how to enjoy “sencha.”  “Sencha” has played a vital role in the making of the Japanese “living room” from the Edo era. Senchado Tokyo hopes promote a new style of drinking green tea, a style that will match our present day and age.

In Japan, the use of teapots to steep tea in started in the 6^th year of the Horeki Era (1756).  And now 260 years later, a new tea steeping method is being promoted and sold. That is the “Toumei Kyusu” (see-though teapot). With the concept of “the ultimate simplicity” in mind a new teapot design was developed. This teapot matches the present day lifestyle of people and it is made to steep one person’s cup of tea.

Many people’s idea of “teapots” is “It breaks easily. It takes up space, and they are difficult to wash.” Other people often say, “I don’t know how to brew tea.” The new teapot is a solution to all these teapot worries.

This new teapot looks like it is made of glass but it is actually made of a special plastic. Accordingly, it is non-breakable, doesn’t become hot and takes up little space. The teapot is made to steep one person’s cup of tea at a time (120ml) and the recipe for brewing tea is simple. It can be used in various situations. Of course, it can be used at home but it can also be used at outdoor events, at cafes and at pop-up shops.

They are offering this Sencha in a new packaging design so that you can enjoy single-origin sencha by choosing your favorite strength and flavor.

Using a unique algorithm design, each single-origin sencha has been given numerical rankings as to the strength and flavor of the tea and this ranking has been expressed in colors. Accordingly, the information about each tea has been expressed as a color. Therefore, persons do not need a special language to talk about the taste of Sencha. At the store it is possible to sample these single-origin senchas to find the tea of your liking before you purchase one of these senchas.

Find your favorite green tea and along with some tea sweets please enjoy a quality tea time.

Fuerza Bruta—the theatre show that has captivated people all around the globe, tickling all 5 of their in new and unimaginable ways with its myriad of performances. The show has made its way to 30 countries to date, across 60 cities and to 5.5 million people worldwide. And their new project, WA!, finally made its much anticipated debut on August 1st.

The show’s subtitle is “Wonder Japan Experience,” and just as the name suggests it takes inspiration from Japan (‘wa’ being a word that means “Japan). From the moment you step in the entrance of the venue, you are transported into a parallel universe—the wonderful world of “WA!”

Upon entering, you are plunged into total darkness. It’s then that the deep snowy mountains come into view, and you are greeted by the echoes of chanting, and then the curtain falls… You can really feel the wonderment and anticipation of the people around you. And just when that tension reaches its apex, it begins. The audience become one with the stage performance are sucked into a mysterious and thrilling fantastical world.

The chief ambassador for this performance was the actor Gorō Kishitani, who was immediately spellbound upon seeing the new entertainment offered by this project for the very first time in New York back in 2003.

On the first day of this performance, before the show began, actor Ryohei Otani and actress Airi Matsui, as well as Yukinojo Mori, Sunplaza Nakano-kun, and P-kawai, all ambassadors, followed Kishitani down the red carpet. Around 50 famous people in total were there to greet everyone and open the first day of the show.

After the show finished, during the talk, Kishitani responded to a reporter’s question, who asked “Would you like to try participating in this show as a performer?” Kishitani responded, enthusiastically, “It’s just too amazing, I wouldn’t be able to do what they do! Because they are freely using the latest technology and original set-ups that aren’t found in any stage settings in Japan yet. That’s why I am truly happy that the Fuerza Bruta team have tagged up with a Japanese cast and have created a show themed around Japan. And this is the show’s world premiere! I don’t want to miss this opportunity. I want to see it!!”

Sunplaza Nakano-kun became hooked by Fuerza after seeing a performance in Japan three years ago. The other ambassadors spoke in utter excitement too. Ryohei Otani said, “I have waited eagerly to finally see this – and it has completely exceeded my expectations! I even participated myself unconsciously – I stretched out my hand without even thinking!” Airi Matsui said, “The distance between the audience, the cast and the staff is so close – the feeling of unity was just tremendous!”

Extra shows have promptly been added and will run from October 1st to December 10th. Fuerza Bruta’s newest show “Panasonic presents WA! -Wonder Japan Experience” has been acclaimed since its first showing. It is currently being held at the Stellar Ball in Shinagawa Prince Hotel.

Fuerza Bruta gives you the chance to experience a true world of fantasy. There is no question that once you have fallen down the rabbit hole, you won’t want to come back up.

If you’re looking for the kind of experience that showcases beautiful and dazzling performances on a grand scale, the kind that stimulates your auditory senses and visual senses, then look no further.

Related Article：Collaboration Between “Jingu Gaien Hanabi Taikai” Firework Festival & Anime “Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom?”

Related Article：6000 People to Gather and Dance Together for the “Super Yosakoi 2017” Festival in Harajuku

“Cafe comme ca” serves up delicious cakes using traditional Kyoto ingredients such as matcha, light-brown miso, black soy bean, yatsuhashi, Japanese pepper, and more. As a one-time only occasion, their Kyoto-based café will be collaborating with the long-standing sweets shop Gion Tsujiri to hold a special tea class.

This class will allow you to experience authentic tea from Gion Tsujiri together with delicious sweets from Cafe comme ca. You’ll be able to enjoy learning about the different types of Uji tea and how to properly brew them, as well as learn about pairing tea with sweets.

This is a rare opportunity to learn from experts on the real way of preparing and pouring tea. Make sure you don’t miss out!

Related article：Finally “Tujiri” will come to Kanto area from Kyoto, 『Tujiri Ginza Shop』will be opened at GINZA SIX!

Related article：The popular annual event, Ochanomizu “Maccha Beer Garden” will be held again this year.

With just a small touch, you can turn everyday food into a gorgeous dish worthy to be part of your SNS thread. This is the continuation of Arisa Shirai’s recipe series! With just a few ideas, an ordinary recipe can be shaped up to produce a photogenic masterpiece! Today we will be looking at a recipe that has an intense aesthetic impact — the “Cotton Candy Cocktail”.

■Ingredients (Fills 2 champagne glasses )

・40g Frozen mixed berries

・Soda — appropriate amount

・ 6g — syrup

・Mint leaves — small amount

・ Cotton candy — to your liking

・ 1g sprinkles/sugar toppings

■ How to make

① Add the frozen mixed berries, mint, syrup and soda into a champagne glass

②Use your hands to shred the cotton candy to size and place on top of the glass as a “lid” to the champagne glass.

③ Add toppings to the candy floss to your liking.

Pour soda into the champagne glass through the cotton candy barrier and watch it melt! It’s easy to make and very photogenic too so try it for yourself!

■Arisa Shirai

Visual food creator and researcher of colourful bentos. Arisa Shirai shows how fun it is to make and eat your own homemade food.

Instagram：arigohan

Blog：http://ameblo.jp/arinko0917/

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■Related article：A recipe for photogenic food #15 「Strawberry Cup Parfait.」

■Related article：A recipe for photogenic food #13 “Marshmallow Pops.”

This feature is made possible by Arisa Shirai, a cooking specialist who posts regular photos of her gorgeous food via her social media. She makes every day recipes look photogenic with her small twists.

This recipe shows you how to make a “Strawberry Cup Parfait.”

■Ingredients (serves 2)

・4 slices sandwich bread

・200g fresh cream

・25g sugar

・120g yoghurt

・8 strawberries

■How to Make

①Use a cup to cut circles out of the bread.

②Mix the fresh cream and sugar until they become frothy, then add the yoghurt and mix again

③Thinly slice the strawberries

④Add a piece of the bread you cut out and the remains, then the strawberry slices, and finally the cream you made in step ②. Repeat this until you reach the top, then finish it off by adding some more strawberries to decorate.

Doesn’t it look cute! The yoghurt and cream go perfect together so you can just scoop and lick everything out. It’s worthy of posting a photo of too. Be sure to try making it yourself.

■Arisa Shirai

Visual food creator & charaben researcher.

Arisa Shirai shows how fun it is to make and eat your own homemade food.

Instagram: arigohan

Blog: http://ameblo.jp/arinko0917/ 

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■Related article：A recipe for photogenic food #13 “Marshmallow Pops.”

With just a small touch, you can turn everyday food into a gorgeous dish worthy to be part of your SNS thread. This is the continuation of Arisa Shirai’s recipe series! With just a few ideas, an ordinary recipe can be shaped up to produce a photogenic masterpiece! Today we’ll be looking at a recipe for cute, round sushiー “Prosciutto ribbon sushi”.

■ Ingredients (Serves 4)

・ 4 Dry-cured ham slices

・ 1/5p Radish sprouts or salad cress (Kaiware)

・ 200g Japanese sushi rice

・25cc Sushi rice vinegar

■ How to make:

① Mix the vinegar with the rice.

②Roll and press the rice into a sushi shape.

③ Cut the ham into rectangular pieces

④ Make pleats in the centre of the rectangle and then use a remaining strip of ham to tie the middle to create a ribbon out of the ham.

⑤Add the Kaiware sprouts/salad cress to the top of the rice and wrap a remaining strip of ham around the rice. Finally, place the ham ribbon on top.

The sweetness of the rice and the saltiness of the ham are an exquisite match.

Although this sushi may look small and cute, it holds a lot of volume and is surprisingly filling!

■ Arisa Shirai

Visual food creator & Kyaraben researcher Arisa Shirai shows how fun it is to make and eat your own homemade food.

Instagram: arigohan

Blog：http://ameblo.jp/arinko0917/

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■Related article：A recipe for photogenic food #7 「SUSHI CAKE」

■Related Article: A recipe for photogenic food＃3 “Japanese Style Onigiri Pinchos”

This feature is made possible by Arisa Shirai, a cooking specialist who posts regular photos of her gorgeous food via her social media. She makes every day recipes look photogenic with her small twists.

For this recipe, we will take a look at how to make “Marshmallow Pops.” They might be simple, but they look gorgeous, and are a perfect Valentine’s Day gift!

■Ingredients (serves 6)

・6 straws

・6 marshmallows

・50g chocolate

・Your favourite chocolate pens and toppings

■How to Make

①Pierce the marshmallows with your straws

②Dip the marshmallows into the melted chocolate

③Decorate with chocolate pens and toppings to make different designs

If you use giant marshmallows, then one will be enough to fill you up. And all the different ways to decorate them are limitless! You can even finish them off by tying the straw with a ribbon.

■Arisa Shirai

Visual food creator & charaben researcher.

Arisa Shirai shows how fun it is to make and eat your own homemade food.

Instagram: arigohan

Blog: http://ameblo.jp/arinko0917/