Craftmanship fused with expo mascot proves a popular mix
The bizarre appearance of Myaku-Myaku, the official mascot of the 2025 Osaka Kansai Expo, has turned heads. Now, the multiple-eyeballed creature is helping a crafts maker turn a profit.
Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten, a long-established sundry designer and vendor headquartered in Nara, has created several products themed on Myaku-Myaku for the international event.
The company primarily handles practical crafts, so its artisans faced as challenge using Myaku-Myaku as a 'model.'
Its unexpected strong sales at the expo have provided encouragement for artisans of old-style craftworks.
All formally licensed products of the expo have been developed under the concept of 'Myaku-Myaku meets craftsmanship.'
Measuring 25 centimeters tall, a Myaku-Myaku statue made of Nabeshima porcelain from Imari city, Saga Prefecture, carries a price tag of 550,000 yen ($3,790), including tax.
Brisk sales of the sculpture since the expo opened on April 13 led to Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten's decision to ramp up production.
A public relations representative of the company said the statue's detailed pattern was drawn carefully stroke by stroke.
'Our customers may find the creation not only cute but also novel and attractive,' the official said.
A pair of 25-cm-tall lacquerware dolls of Myaku-Myaku are available for a tax-inclusive 1.65 million yen.
One of the limited-edition items was bought within a week of its release. The other is expected to be sold through a lottery by the end of May.
The many eyes of the lacquer-processed doll are inlayed with mother-of-pearl and have undergone 'rankaku-bari,' a skill in which finely crushed eggshells are applied to the surface before being coated with another layer of lacquer.
The doll's body sections were finished through different painting techniques, such as colorful 'kawari-nuri' and blacking 'shin-nuri,' giving the creation a luster and unique presence, according to the company.
Tiny plates of renowned Arita ware porcelain, characterized by subtle Myaku-Myaku designs, have also been popular. They cost a tax-inclusive 2,750 yen each.
A small 'o-mikuji' oracle statue, crafted from famed Seto ware and priced at 1,650 yen after tax, is named O-myaku-ji. It dispenses random fortunes on strips of paper when the string at its bottom is pulled.
These goods have drawn crowds at the official souvenir store on the expo's venue, according to the company.
'Our artisans are delighted that the international fair offered them an opportunity to not only take advantage of their skills but also refine their techniques,' a publicity official of Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten said.
For details of the crafts, visit the Japanese website of Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten at (https://www.nakagawa-masashichi.jp/).
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