Japanese Twitter user and handmade clay figure designer Pobotto (@CocoGfj) has a knack for making figures that we’re not quite sure you should pet or eat. That’s because @CocoGfj combines snacks–many of the traditional Japanese variety–and animals into adorable hybrids that have confused more than one person on Twitter. While they can’t actually be eaten, they look every bit as delicious as a real sweet treat and even cuter. Here are just a handful of their excellently crafted figures that are cute enough to double as a pet. Be sure to follow on Twitter for even more! Flap Jack Octopus Sweet Potato Source: @CocoGfj Source: @CocoGfj Source: @CocoGfj Source: @CocoGfj…

Avogado6 (アボガド6) is a talented Japanese artist doesn’t offer much information about himself other than their fondness for chemistry and creating video works, but there is a ton of conversation to be had about their dark and though-provoking artwork. Avogado6’s illustrations, which we’ve had the pleasure of introducing before, often use powerful imagery and symbolism to reflect on societal problems, but also personal depression and trauma. All of Avogado6’s work can be seen on their official website and Twitter account, but below are some recent standout pieces that will leave you thinking! Hollow Avogado6 Responsibility Source: Avogado6 Affirmation Source: Avogado6 Disassociation Source: Avogado6 Powder Avogado6 Path of Humanity Avogado6 Changing…

The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls: Starlight Stage, made by Cygames and Bandai Namco Studios for the Mobage mobile social network platform, is a free-to-play simulation game for smart phones where you manage the career of a producer interacting with and training Japanese pop idols on their road to success. The game’s latest function takes interaction a step further by allowing players to use AR to insert their favorite idol character into the real world. デレステARで夢が叶いました。方々の皆様、本当にすみません。#デレステ #デレステAR #橘ありす pic.twitter.com/iBAKyYhnLW — こうや (@ky_gtr) 2018年9月7日 The characters are customizable with a variety of different costumes and impressive 3D modeling (after setting a waypoint in you local vicinity for the idol to appear, you can…

Creative members of the Minecraft community have been building intricately designed worlds for years, even going so far as to recreate the entire world of Studio Ghibli’s beloved My Neighbor Totoro. One of the most recent Minecraft wonders isn’t inspired by a world of fantasy however. In fact, it’s the spitting image of a thriving Japanese metropolis, and many were surprised to find that it doesn’t actually exist. ※マインクラフトの画像です#Minecraft #minecraft都市開発部 #佐山市 pic.twitter.com/ncgTINFLpe — 佐山県(公式)@ワールド配布中 (@Sayama_City) 2018年8月26日 50 Minecraft players have come together to create Sayama City–a fictional Japanese city that while nowhere near close to completion, has all the landmarks and details of major Japanese cities such as Tokyo, Osaka,…

If you have enough years of gaming under your belt, you may remember the days before the mountain of information available on the internet and even the days before official guidebooks, when dedicated gamers would jot down their trial and error solutions to puzzles and yet uncharted stages. Whether Japanese Twitter user, animator, and avid video game fan @ishikoro18 remembers those days or not, she as least has an impressive collection of notes from her father to look at. @ishikoro18 recently posted her father’s collection of gameplay notes on his video game journeys through Silent Hill 3, Kingdom Hearts Final Fantasy X-2, Siren, Ico and other classic titles. The tome…

Although often associated with the nostalgic tastes of childhood in Japan, sweets and snacks maker Morinaga has never been afraid to shake up their lineup, going so far as to offer maple syrup pancake hot springs. Recently they released a conveniently packaged set of pudding and ice cream bars with the flavor of perhaps their most well-known product, their popular pancake mix. Morinaga’s latest release, a new squeezable pancake mix in a bag is turning heads on Japanese Twitter with pancake fans excited to revolutionize the breakfast game and cut back on dish-washing at the same time. 人類の歴史が変わるレベルの革新的ホットケーキミックスが発売されたので買ってみた。あの面倒な洗い物がなくなるなんて！家で食べるだけじゃなくてキャンプにも持って行くつもり https://t.co/1ln4Birkmq pic.twitter.com/KHhfrGn8wW — 佐藤健太郎 (@kentarow) 2018年8月29日 The “Momi Momi Hot Cake Mix”…

Energy drink fans are familiar with the iconic “slash marks” that adorn the label of Monster Energy cans and help illustrate the brand’s “unleash the beast” slogan, but Japanese original figure maker @nendoseizin1987 couldn’t help but imagine just what creature was causing those marks. The freelance artist mused in a Tweet, “After drinking a Monster Energy, I imagined just who was behind these claw marks, so I tried making it.” The result is a cycloptic taloned creature with a a psychedelic aesthetic fitting of the energy drink brand, made from sculpey polymer clay. Source: @nendoseizin1987 Source: @nendoseizin1987 Source: @nendoseizin1987 モンスターエナジーを飲んだ後、この爪痕の主はどんなのだろーと妄想してたので作ってみました。#モンスターエナジー pic.twitter.com/ToOXeDhUvK — RYO@ねんど星人 (@nendoseizin1987) 2018年8月28日 @nendoseizin1987’s talented works and garage…

Over the past few years, several Japanese cardboard artists have impressed by crafting awesome Gundam Mobile Suits and tanks, and even giant mechas for their cats. Japanese Twitter user and cardboard artist @odonger2 might be outshining others with his outstanding level of detail, however. ダンボールで工作をしています動物やポケモンを作るのが好きです！シンプルな構成で綺麗な曲面やディティールを作ること、正確さより魂を込めることを心掛けていますご興味有る方は、以下モーメントを覗いてみてください！！https://t.co/cJQB8ZlpZFInstagramhttps://t.co/SZwbygBaUH… pic.twitter.com/ZyoN6Tatv4 — オドンガー大佐 〈シンクリ10/13〜10/21〉 (@odonger2) 2018年5月9日 @odonger2 says that the theme of his projects are creating an element of density, as well as works that appear to have no unused or empty space no matter what angle they are viewed from. As you can tell from the intricate folds and detailed flourishes, he’s done well to accomplish that. The long-tailed rooster took nearly two months…

We have previously introduced the incredible works of Japanese painter Kei Mieno, whose women painted in oils are depicted on canvas with such skill and astounding attention to all details ranging from sunlight, shadow, skin tone, texture and even individual strands of hair, that they seem to have been captured in real life. His most recently completed work reveals, once again, how uncannily lifelike his paintings can be: Source: @mienokei Source: @mienokei Source: @mienokei Source: @mienokei If you need more convincing that this is a painting, Kei Mieno has provided the following evidence: あと1週間は髪の毛だけ描いてそう#art #oilpainting #wip #油絵 pic.twitter.com/uZ9liGAnlt — 三重野 慶art (@mienokei) August 18, 2018 #art #oilpainting #wip #油絵 ☺️…

One look at the Twitter and Instagram of Taishi Arimura will show you that the Tokyo-based graphic designer has a witty and creative style of art. When he’s not depicting Mt. Fuji as sukiyaki noodles or giving us a double-take worthy contrast of Japanese city and country life, Arimura is working away at a series that combines samurai spirit and delicious appeal with “noodles who fight”–or bushido warriors crafted out of noodles! Source: Taishi Arimura Arimura makes use of Japan’s famously realistic and delicious Japanese food samples and transforms their styrofoam packaging into impressively detailed replication of traditional samurai armor. 　With layered and detailed crafting, even the innocuous packaging of…

Japanese cosplayer wows with awesome horror film costumes from It and Child’s Play Anime and video games have always been two major pillars of cosplaying, but given the level of special effects and makeup detail that go into making standout horror films, we’ve started to see more and more attention to the frightful corner of cosplay. Japanese cosplayer and horror film enthusiast Calcium sets the bar high in that category. On her Twitter she writes that in cosplay, she wants to transform to the point where people can’t even recognize who is underneath, and she definitely accomplishes that with a high quality costumes and incredibly detailed makeup. Her most popular…

Whether it’s vintage Japanese sukaban jackets embroidered Princess Mononoke characters, or a No-Face Piggy Bank that devours coins, burps, and plays the Spirited Away soundtrack, Japan always seems to have a new and interesting take on Studio Ghibli-themed merchandise. One latest addition, however, celebrates the always charming My Neighbor Totoro with the touch of ancient and traditional Japanese pottery. Shigaraki ware is a type of stoneware and pottery that belongs to Six Ancient Kilns of Japan, produced in Shiga prefecture. The jars and pots made from Shigaraki Ware are known from using sandy clay found in Lake Biwa, and often have a glass-like glaze with finger prints left behind on…

Live together with your favorite anime character as your personal hologram assistant. When Gatebox Lab announced it’s ambitious project to design a “Hologram Communication Robot” that captured the experience of living and interacting together with your favorite animated character, otaku all over the world buzzed with anticipation. Beyond accessing your IoT devices to help assist you with daily duties such as turning on the television, checking weather, and looking up information on the web, Gatebox was designed with the goal of having a hologram assistant detect your behaviors and deliver a unique and intimate experience to support its user. The device uses sensors to detect and remember the presence of…

In recent years, Japan has experienced a bit of a boom in popularizing the culture, or at least the aesthetic appeal, of its historical swords. Katana-themed hairpins and letter openers make for fun souvenirs, and recently a Katana-themed cafe even opened up in Tokyo. Swiss watch manufacturer Ulysse Nardin may be riding the peak of that sword wave, however, with a new luxury watch that depicts Japan’s most famous and storied samurai duel–the legendary Miyamoto Musashi versus his prodigy rival, Sasaki Kojiro on Ganryu island. The hour-striking watch is dubbed the CLASSIC SAMOURAÏ, and is equipped with a rare automatic hourly striking mechanic (also able to be set to half…

Every once in a while, you may find yourself staring at a viral image that has appeared on one of your social media timelines so bizarre, it seems to challenge the limits of reality. Talented Japanese Twitter user and modeling enthusiast @meetissai has taken up the task of removing the impossibility of those images by bringing them to life. @meetissai breaks out modeling putty, paint, and other tools to handcraft figure versions of weird and intriguing images that show up on his Twitter timeline, and the results show that sometimes the best inspiration is found in the dark depths of the internet. The figure maker once took this mashup of…