Rice Cracker 2

This rice cracker contains special seaweed produced in Ariake Bay in Kyushu. I bought it as a souvenir from Saga. The combined taste of the seaweed and soy sauce was so GOOD!

Arita-produced Vase

Saga prefecture is famous for its pottery. Arita, Imari, and Karatsu produce various pottery, from chopstick pillows to large, gorgeous vases. When we went to Saga City this April, there was a large Arita-produced table lamp in the hotel room, so large that I could not draw all of it in the limited time. So, I just drew half.

Rice Cracker

Rice cracker, or senbei, is one of the most popular confectioneries in Japan. Virtually every city or town has its original cracker. It is fun to try them when you travel around Japan. I found this cracker when I visited Fukuchiyama City, Kyoto. The design on the package made me smile because it reminded me of the old game fukuwarai. The face is called "otafuku," the name of an imaginary woman having many fortunes.

In the game a blindfolded player is given the eyes, eyebrows, nose, and mouth of the otafuku, all made of paper, and the player has to put them in the appropriate places on the faceless otafuku. You can imagine how funny the face will be when the blindfold is taken away.

A Ceramic Tumbler

The hotel in Fukuchiyama, where we stayed in early April, had ceramic tumblers. I liked the simple design and the touch of the tumbler. The actual tumblers are shorter than the one I drew, but I altered it to fill the length of the envelope.

- MT

A Room Light

They had two full-moon-shaped lights in the hotel room where I stayed with my wife at the end of this March. One was tall, another short. I incorporated the interesting shape in this efuto.

- MT

Old Leather Boot

I saw this boot at a coffee shop in Yonago City, Tottori prefecture this March. It was a big one and standing atop a table. I didn't believe that anyone could have a foot so large. I just assumed that it was made to display. But why? I wondered what the coffee shop and the boot had in common. I couldn't find anything but...the color brown. Anyway, the boot was very impressive.

- MT

Kumadori

A kumadori is a decorative work a kabuki actor puts on his face upon playing. It enhances emotional expressions by the actor. Ukihyoe artists of Edo period liked drawing kabuki actors on wood prints. The Boston Museum of Arts, with its largest collection of ukiyoe prints, has a branch in Nagoya City. When we went to the city in the mid-March, I made this efuto after seeing an ukiyoe exhibition at the museum.

- MT

Plum Blossoms

Plum blossoms signify the arrival of Spring in Japan. Osaka Castle Park has one of largest collections in Japan of different plum trees, which begin to bloom in late February to early March. I went to Osaka with my wife this March but hesitated to go there because of the crowd. It was rather late in the afternoon and the air was cold. So, I drew this efuto incorporating the design of a picture that was hung in our hotel room overlooking the park.

- MT

Iyokan Orange

Iyokan orange is one of many oranges produced in Ehime prefecture. Iyo is an old name for that prefecture and kan means orange. This particular iyokan, however, was brought to us when we stayed at a hotel in Miyazaki prefecture. The figure behind the orange is Mayor Higashikokubara, the most popular mayor in Japan today. He is a comedian-turned politician who has been successful in promoting economic growth in the prefecture amid declining national economy by associating himself with many products of the prefecture.

- MT

Boston Bag

　　This is my wife's Boston bag, which I bought at our wedding anniversary several years ago. She carries it whenever we go on business trip, so it began to look waned a bit. But actually it is still strong. I drew it on efuto in the mid February when we went to Kyoto.

- MT

Japanese Sweets

My wife loves wagashi, or Japanese sweets. She likes to buy some wagashi when we visit various places in Japan on business. These sweets were bought at a small traditional Japanese wagashi shop in Kashiwara city in Nara prefecture. I liked the color combination they presented.

- MT

Nekoryoshka

A Matryoshka doll has 4 to 5 smaller dolls inside. Althgough it is sometimes considered to be a Russian cultural craft, it originated in Japan. I found this curious Matryoshka at a souvenir shop in a Kobe hotel. It was named "Nekoryoshka," presumably a short-hand for "cat-shaped Matryoshka." Neko means a cat in Japanese. It is fun to find unusual things while travelling.

- MT

A Can of Juice

I saw this can of mango juice at a souvenir shop in an Okinawa hotel. It struck me with the combination of bright colors that are not usually seen on the Japanese mainland. It was mid December of last year, and this efuto was sent to warm the recipient a bit with the tropical atmoshpere.

- MT

A Wooden Doll

A small wooden doll was being sold at a souvenir shop in the hotel. It was early December and the air was cold. I walked back and forth in front of the doll, wondering if it was a good idea to buy this smiling lad. I said to myself that it was worth buying because I could make a bigger doll similar to it myself.

- MT

Riverside Building

I sent this efuto from Kochi City in Shikoku in December, 2007. The yellow leaves of a gingko tree made me draw this building, which seemed quite ordinary if it weren't standing between the tree and the river. Sometimes the environment of an object is more important than the object itself.

- MT

Autumn Leaves

Usually leaves of trees do not change colors until autumn arrives. In Hokkaido, the nothernmost island of Japan, they do change colors quite unexpectedly in August. I found some of those leaves in a park in Obihiro City last August and sent this efuto to surprise the recipient.

- MT

A Tin Lantern

I saw this tin lantern at a coffee shop in Yokohama last August. It did not have fire inside, but I imagined that it would make the dark most beautiful with the twinkling stars. (with a fountain pen and watercolor)

- MT

Flowers

Flowers attract insects with their brilliant colors and fragrances. Man may share common genes with insects on this regard. Anyway, I put the stamp at the bottom to keep the balance.

- MT

Sweet Fruits

This is my first efuto that flew over the Pacific ocean, from New York to Tokyo. I drew the fruits at Woldorf Astoria Hotel on it and mailed on August 6, 2007. It reached the destination 4 days later. A remarkable speed. The efuto was later used to decorate my book.

- MT

Plastic Tiles

This efuto incorporates a stamp into the row of plastic tiles, which was a part of the wall decoration of a hotel room. The color combination was attractive.

- MT