Flowers

Conger Roll

Wooden Frog

Saddle Maker

When I went to Takigawa City in Hokkaido, the Northernmost large island of Japan, I visited a saddle maker which also makes bags, purse, and other leather products. There I found this emblem hanging on the wall.

Carp Streamer

Gourd

A small gourd was sitting on top of the television in the room where I stayed. I liked the shape and colors of yellow and dark green.

- MT

Roof Tile

This is a tile used on the roof of Kaichi Primary School in Matsumoto City, Nagano. Width and hight of it exceed one meter. I saw it when I visited the old wooden school in mid-July and was impressed with its size and complex design. Nowadays, no primary school has luxury of being decorated with such elaborate roof tiles. It may show the intense zeal for education in earlier days.

Hotel Buena Vista

This is the hotel in which my wife and I stayed on business in mid-July. It was a clear day and we took a walk around a shopping center near the hotel in the late afternoon. The sky was blue and the greens of trees around the hotel were conspicuous. I took a picture or two of the hotel and drew this efuto from them. While drawing, I changed the color combination rather drastically.

Water Bottle

Sometimes the summer heat in Japan gets almost unbearable with its high humidity. Many people therefore carry water bottles during the summer to ease their thirst that comes from perspiring so much. Since the Japanese archipelagoes are mostly mountainous and covered with forest, Japan produces good-quality water. Tap water in most areas is good for drinking. But, for some reason, trendy people here prefer imported water, such as this one from France, despite the global water shortage. At my house in Tokyo we put purified tap water in used plastic bottles to help cut CO2 emissions.

Old Town Hall

Echizen City in Fukui prefecture was formed recently by joining a few towns around Takefu. It may sound as if the area is growing. But, according to what I observed of the area in the evening in early July, it seemed to be declining both in economy and population. I got this impression especially when I saw this old town hall of Takefu. They had an art exhibition in the building but I saw no one entering or exiting. The shopping arcade around the hall was dark and most shops were closed even thought it was Saturday evening. The hall itself, however, was shining in the sun.

Watermelon

My wife and I went to Echizen City, Fukui, on July 6. At a supermarket I suggested to my wife that we buy this watermelon because of its colors. The combination of the yellow rind and red inside is rare among Japanese watermelons. However, it was rather expensive compared to the other ordinary types around it. As we were discussing prices, a clerk came to us and changed the price tag to make it more affordable. We thanked her and decided to buy it .

Steam Locomotive (2)

This efuto was created from a photo I took from a hotel room at the end of June. It is the same locomotive I drew previously. The smoke engulfed almost the entire train and I could not help imagining the misery of passengers if the train windows were open upon entering the tunnel ahead.

Steam locomotive

A steam locomotive gives us a sense of power and industriousness. It also reminds us of the day when human efforts to conqure nature were never questioned but received with enthusiasm. I saw this locomotive when I went to Kitami City in Hokkaido at the end of June. It was a special occasion on which this old machine was revived to carry fans and tourists marking the beginning of Summer.

Kamaboko (steamed fish paste)

Toyama Bay produces an abundance of marine products--fish, squid, shellfish, sea urchin, and seaweed. Despite being a city boy, I have acquired the taste for them largely because my grandmother, born and raised in Toyama prefecture, shared her favorites with her grandchildren, including me. Kurozukuri, chopped squid marinated in its ink, was one of her favorites. It is salty but tasty. I used to love it, but nowadays, I try to avoid salty food. I was therefore glad to see my wife buying kamaboko, which does not contain salt, as a souvenir at Toyama airport.

Piggy Censer

On June 16, I stayed at the official residence of Seicho-No-Ie Head Temple in Nagasaki prefecture. On the tatami mat of the corridor of the residence I found this pig-shaped mosquito-coil hanger. It looked familiar and made me feel a little nostalgic. I briefly recalled my boyhood when I used a similar-shaped hanger while studying or reading. Nowadays, we rarely see this type of hanger. I liked the color combination, too.

Wooden Cat

My eldest son recently came back from a vacation in Bali. His souvenir to me was this green wooden cat. Not one, but three cats of the same form with different sizes. Seeing them, I realized the face of the three is almost identical to that of other wooden cat I bought several years ago at a shop in Tokyo. I was happy to realize that we share the same taste.

Cocoon Animals

Before WWII Japan was famous for its silk production. Nawadays, however, you seldom see people raising silkworms in rural areas. In the late 1960s, Mikijiro Murata in Morioka, Iwate prefecture, came up with the idea of creating toy animals from silkworm cocoons. This turned out to be a long-lasting popular folkcraft.

I bought these three animals at a souvenir shop in Morioka station. These are three of twelve kinds, (from left to right) monkey, wild bore, and dragon, representing the twelve signs of the Chinese/Japanese zodiac. Aren't they cute?

Piggy Pot

I saw this pig-faced pot standing by the window of a small house when I visited the souvenir shop in Aomori City. The name of the shop was Kohgen-Sha, and it was not merely selling souvenirs but it was a compound consisting of a souvenir shop, a pottery, a small museum, and a coffee shop, all related to the poet-storyteller Kenji Miyazawa. This particular pot, however, did not seem to have anything to do with Miyazawa. It even looked foreign to my eyes. I simply assumed that it was an imported pot, probably from Africa. But for some reason it matched well with the place where Miyazawa's numerous fairy tales were once published.

Apple Cookie

Aomori prefecture is famous for its great many apples. It produces about one half of Japan's total output of appr. 842 thousand tons (in 2003). Naturally, products made from apples make good souvenirs from Aomori. My wife bought apple cookies and other sweets for her friends. I drew some of them in a way that they somehow represent the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. China is the world's top apple producer, with its 2003 production of 20 million tons.

Telephone Booth

In the age of cellphones and PDA's, telephone booths have become an endangered speices in large cities in Japan. However, in many smaller cities, such as Aomori, where the population is rapidly ageing, access to public telephones has to be maintained for those elderly citizens who are not entirly satisfied with cellphones.

I saw this telephone booth in Aomori, the Northernmost city of Honshu Island, when I visited there at the end of May. It was built on a concrete mount about one meter higher than the level of the street.

Taiyaki (fish-shaped pancake)

Taiyaki is a popular sweet which is mainly sold from Fall to Spring. It is sea bream-shaped pancake filled with sweet bean paste. When I went to Nagaoka station last Saturday, I found a taiyaki shop saying that they are closing soon because Spring is ending. It was a cool evening and I thought it was a good time for me and my wife to warm ourselves with the hot, sweet taiyakis.

Boxed Dinner

On the train trip back from Nagaoka City, Niigata prefecture, I had this boxed dinner. The box was made from the skins of bamboo shoots, a material not commonly used for this type of boxes. It reminded me of the bamboo shoots I took out this Spring in my garden. The skins might actually be imported from China, but the association and the soft touch of the box made me choose this out of several kinds. The hope was that the appearance would not betray the content.

Wheat

On the edge of Meiji Park in Tokyo I found an unusual patch of greens. The grass didn't look like the usual kind we see in other parks. It was not a lawn. I took a bunch of it home with me. Upon seeing it, my wife immediately said that it was wheat. The idea of someone growing wheat in a Tokyo park is mind-boggling.

Yokan (jellied bean-paste)

Yokan is not my favorite because it often is too sweet. But this particular yokan is made of persimmon fruit and not so sweet. I like the idea of putting it in the bamboo container because by doing so the whole product becomes biodegradable. I also like the way they color and fold papers to decorate it.

Foliage Plant

As the breeze from the window in my offce touched my forehead, the plant by the window drew my attention. The color of green was so gentle, the joggle of the leaves so soft. But I drew this efuto, rather wildly.

Kumpei Raccoon

Kumpei Higashi produced an abundance of manga books, illustrations, and children's stories. There is a museum of his works, called Kumpei Dohwa-Kan, not far from our mountain villa. In early May we went there to see his work. There I bought this stuffed animal, called Kumpei Tanuki (raccoon), representing one of his characters. According to his widow, the face somehow resembles Kumpei himself.

Taranome

Every Spring my wife and I look forward to getting taranome when we go to our mountain villa in Yamanashi prefecture. Taranome are Spring shoots of the taranoki tree, one of the most common wild trees in Japan, although it gets increasingly scarce as urbanization spreads toward the countryside. People are generally allowed to get into another person's property to take taranome and other Spring shoots of wild trees without permission. Therefore, we were expecting to see many of the shoots taken out when we get to the villa. This May we were fortunate to have a few shoots left intact. The taranome tempura was very good.

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

TV Controller

I saw this handy remote control in a hotel room and began to draw it. It suddenly occurred to me, however, that the proportion of the remote control was not right and that I should add a head to make it look like a robot. So I did!

- MT

Shoes and Bags (Efuto)

This is my daughter Akiko's first efuto which was sent to me as a response to my own.

- MT

A Wooden Cat (Efuto)

Efuto was created in the late 1970s between London and Paris, when the artist David McKee sent a letter in an envelope on which he drew a picture as an outpouring of his artistic talent. It has recently gained popularity in Japan, especially after Japan Post organized a big exhibition in Tokyo last June. This is one of my early attempts to explore this new area of art/entertainment.

- MT