Awesome Japanese

Mattel Creations salutes Japanese pop artist Keiichi Tanaami with a special version of the Magic 8-Ball. The fortune-telling sphere is decorated with Tanaami’s colorful and surreal imagery and includes answers inspired by the late artist. Comes artfully packaged with a certificate of authenticity. We also love their Fisher Price telephone 8-Ball.

Forget paper cups and sip your morning brew from the reusable Keyaki To-Go coffee cup. It’s shaped like a disposable cup but made from beautiful Japanese zelkova wood. Each cup comes with a matching wood lid with a hole for sipping. Thanks to nature, no two cups are identical. While it can take the heat of coffee or tea, handwashing is recommended.

These playful playing cards from magician Bao Hoang’s company BAOBAO Restaurant are the perfect deck for sushi lovers. The box art is designed to look like a bento box full of sushi, while each card is decorated with artwork inspired by delicious Japanese meals – and the royal court is chowing down. Choose from salmon or tuna nigiri card backs.

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.