Mealtime made fun.
It all started with making mealtime for his kids fun for both the little ones and the adults. Tomotaka Nagao, a product designer based in Fukuoka and a proud daddy to four lovely kids designed KINOKO (which means mushroom in Japanese), a 3-piece weaning set with the elements of fun and functionality.
We did a short interview with Tomotaka, an award-winning product designer on his design of KINOKO.
How did you come up with the design?
It was actually by chance! It was just yet another day, I was stacking sets of my children’s cutlery on the kitchen shelves upon cleaning up when that magic moment came, “Hey, that looks like a mushroom!”.
And with that moment and some creativity, I went on to design and create a set of children’s cutlery that is simple, fun yet functional and to be treasured for many years to come.
How long did it take you?
It took 5 months to conceptualize my idea, and a year to polish up and to refine the ergonomics and design of KINOKO.
Do you make your items by hand?
Each of these KINOKO wares are crafted by a skilled craftsmen in Oita Prefecture, using only local materials, hence making every item unique. Here are some photos of the workshop on my last visit before the pandemic.
Tell us a little bit about yourself!
I run my own design studio in Fukuoka at the moment. I am born in Hiroshima, and I taught myself carpentry while working in a corporate office. At first, I was into chair making, and it led me to craft lifestyle items. I am also a dad taking on an active role in parenting my kids so I guess that influenced me to start designing and making items for baby and kids.
If we were to visit Fukuoka and Hiroshima, are there any places that you would recommend us to visit?
For Fukuoka, I would recommend the Fukuoka Art Museum. They refurbished and reopened in 2019. If you love architecture, the museum was a work of Kunio Maekawa, a key figure of modern Japanese architecture. Surrounding the museum is Ohori Park with lush greenery, an impressive Japanese Garden and a huge calming lake.
Fukuoka Art Museum (Image Credit: Yokanavi.com)
Ohori Park (Image Credit: Tourist in Japan)
Shika-umi Shrine (Image Credit: Yokanavi.com)
I also like to visit Shika Island, an island off the city of Fukuoka. I spend the day taking a relaxing stroll on the coastal beach, and a visit to the nearby Shika-umi Shrine.
Thank you for your time, Tomotaka! :)
KINOKO is available is 3 natural shades - Cherry, Walnut and Maple. Each set comes with a dish, a cup/bowl, and a spoon. Ships Worldwide.
