First Release: Salad-Sized Spoons and Forks Only

The Reason for Smallness

Consider a four-and-a-half-mat tatami room. It remains a four-and-a-half-mat room, yet it can transform into a reception room for guests, a place to lie down and read, or a simple dining space. After overeating, one can do stretching exercises, and at the end of the day, it becomes a bedroom with the laying out of futons. Beyond being a four-and-a-half-mat space, there are no fixed uses. The tatami room has a powerful ally in the oshiire (closet), where anything can be stored when not in use, returning the space to its neutral state. This freedom allows for anything to be done there.

Consider slightly smaller spoons and forks. In Europe and America, this is the size used for salads; the ones for main courses are larger. For us in Japan, with our limited space, dining tables, hands, and mouths, things are not so large. We have various dishes, diverse cuisine, and varied ways of eating. Many are not easily categorized by cuisine or style. We love to improvise. There should be cutlery suited for us. In our daily meals, dishes are not served sequentially. Several small bowls might be arranged, or large dishes shared, allowing us to eat various foods simultaneously. Typically, we use a single pair of chopsticks during a meal. Chopsticks are not designated for a specific purpose. Such should be the nature of this cutlery. It should pair harmoniously with Japanese, Western, or even indefinable tableware, and not be obtrusive on the dining table. If there is room, it can even be used for dessert. Upon actually using them, you will realize with surprise that this size is perfectly adequate. While our dishes and their arrangements are in our own style, there is no need for our cutlery to be the same as in Europe and America.