Awesome Japanese

These beautiful playing cards from Neversleep Co feature imagery of cats dressed in samurai armor. Each face card illustrates a different feline warrior, equipped with swords and other accessories surrounded by flourishes. The number cards have unique geometric patterns. Add-ons include poker chips, enamel pins, and a red deck as a stretch goal.

These battery-powered tabletop alarm clocks from Seiko feature a face and bezel design inspired by the Japanese brand’s iconic dive watches. They measure about 3.7″ across and feature a backlight and snooze functions. Choose from Blue, Green, White, Black, Black/Gray, Blue/Red, and Black/Gold color schemes.

Hokusai’s Great Wave off Kanagawa is one of the world’s most iconic artworks. It’s been the subject of countless tributes over the years. LEGO builder Jumpei Mitsui assembled an enormous 3D model of the wave using 50,000 bricks and shared this time-lapse video of the build. He created the piece for an installation at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

Satisfy your sweet tooth with this assorted candy pack from Mashi Box. It’s loaded with tasty treats from various Asian countries. Depending on the luck of the draw, your tastebuds may travel to Japan, Vietnam, Korea, Thailand, or China. Each package includes bite-size packs of 20 different candies, with two of each type.

Artist Harukiru is an expert at making sculptures from product packaging. This time, they transformed a single box of Japanese Pocky candy into a skinny sword-wielding samurai riding on his second sword like it’s a surfboard.

This zippered carrying case from Japan’s Raymay Fujii provides plenty of space for pens, pencils, and erasers. What makes it special is that it doubles as a desktop pen caddy when opened up. Its internal container tilts diagonally for easy access, and its lid stays open thanks to a magnetic catch.

This very special collectible from Mighty Jaxx and design trio Ilustrata celebrates three amazing things – Godzilla, sushi, and The Great Wave off Kanagawa. The limited-edition 10″ vinyl art toy features Japan’s iconic kaiju made of imaginary sticky rice, raw salmon, and seaweed strips and stomping through the bluest bowl of miso soup we’ve ever seen.

We weren’t familiar with the Japanese manga and anime Jujutsu Kaisen, but now that we’ve seen that one character wields a sword with a human hand for a handle, we want to know more. Bladesmith and prop maker Tetrahymena created a knife inspired by the unusual weapon, and we’d like to shake his hand for a job well done.

Stonewall, Canada’s Origin handcrafts each of these beautiful fixed-blade knives from recycled file steel. The minimal utility knife is great for carving, cutting cords, and opening packages and features a 2″ cutting edge. It comes with a leather carrying case in brown or black.

It’s time to expand your LEGO art museum with this pixelated version of Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa. The kit brings the Japanese masterpiece to life with 1,810 LEGO bricks. The finished piece measures 20.5″ w x 15.5″ h, and comes with hangers, a Hokusai signature tile, and a QR code linked to an accompanying soundtrack.

Modern umbrellas are mass-produced from synthetic fabric and a metal frame. On the other hand, Wagasa umbrellas are painstakingly handmade from bamboo, string, tapioca glue, washi paper, and linseed oil. Business Insider visited artist Kotaro Nishibori to see how he carries this beautiful Japanese tradition.

It’s rare that we come across a weapon we haven’t heard of, but this is the first time we’ve seen a kanabō (金棒). This ancient Samurai war club was basically a spiked or studded baseball bat. Diesineveryfilm created a replica of the Japanese weapon, and it appears highly effective based on the melon and coconut carnage.

Handmade in Japan’s Nagao Kanekoma factory, these pocket folders have a Wharncliffe blade made from Warikomi steel, wrapped in a satin brass handle, and comes in three sizes. The simple design and antique style have been passed down through five generations over 125 years. It also comes in satin black.

Two whisky cultures unite in each bottle of Glendalough 7-Year Single Malt Mizunara Cask. The rare whiskey expression was first triple-distilled from Irish malted barley in the Wicklow mountains. It then matures for seven years in bourbon casks before being transferred into Japanese Mizunara oak casks for another 8-12 months.

We’ve always been wowed by the craft of Kumiko. Inspired by the elegant Japanese latticework, Make With Miles created a unique electric guitar with a body that incorporates the technique. After cutting and assembling the wood, he filled the openings with tinted epoxy for contrast. He also made a matching amp.

A fantastic Japanese import for fans of monster movies, this oversize 96-page coloring book is loaded with Yuji Kaida’s line art illustrations of classic monsters and creatures, including Godzilla, Gamera, Ultraman, and more. The book also includes small color images of the original paintings for reference.

This Japanese kei car has supercar looks, but the Autozam AZ-1 wasn’t exactly a powerhouse. Donut Media takes some time up close and personal with this awesome little lightweight that Mazda made from 1992-1995. Like a real exotic, it’s got a mid-rear-mounted, turbocharged engine, gullwing doors, and zero cargo space.

Award-winning mixologist Masahiro Urushido (of NYC’s Katana Kitten) shares his knowledge of Japanese spirits and cocktails with 80 recipes that exemplify Japan’s contribution to the cocktail scene, both from his own bar and from Japanese mixologists. Urushido analyses the Japanese approach and demystifies ages-old techniques.

We’ve seen artists create miniature and LEGO versions of The Great Wave off Kanagawa. Now watch as Minibricks crafts an incredible 3D rendition of Hokusai’s iconic Japanese illustration by sculpting foam blocks, then coating them with blue and white resins. The 3D-printed boats are even filled with tiny passengers.

The Great Wave off Kanagawa by ukiyo-e artist Hokusai is one of the most iconic works of art of all time. In this video, artist Jade shows us how created a miniature 3-dimensional version of the image inside of a block of resin. We amazed by those tiny boats they made from wooden bowls.

You might think that Japanese game shows and freestyle skiing have nothing to do with each other, but you’d be wrong. In this entertaining clip from Red Bull Snow, Swedish freeskier Jesper Tjäder lives out his childhood dream of participating in one of these famously madcap game shows, while showing off his personal talents.

Memes of the Floating World takes the classic Japanese art style known as Ukiyo-e and applies it to popular memes like the famed Shiba Inu Doge, Longcat, and Women Yelling at Cat. The images are also available as prints from Society6.

This distinctive and elegant sake vessel gets its inspiration from the drips that occur during the Japanese spirit’s distillation process. Each one is crafted from stainless steel and features a removable cup and saucer that looks like rippling liquid. The bottom of the saucer can also be inscribed.