Japanese Miniature Art Dazzles All

Japanese Miniature Art Dazzles All

Tomo Tanaka is a “miniature artist”. That doesn’t mean he is of small stature. Oh no, but his art certainly is.

Picture: nunus_house

Tanaka, who lives in Osaka, works with very small scales — such as 1/12 and 1/24 scale — and makes items for small-scale display. Tanaka creates everything from glasses to samurai swords and from cookware to meals (though, unlike this miniature cook, these meals aren’t edible — though, that’s not really the point here).

Japanese Miniature Art Dazzles All

Picture: nunus_house

Using tools like tweezers and x-acto knives, Tanaka can spend weeks on a single project, making his miniatures from everything from toothpicks, resin and bits of wire. As noted on Matome Naver, Tanaka taught himself how to make these miniatures. He has a corporate day job and works as an artist in his spare time.

Japanese Miniature Art Dazzles All

Picture: nunus_house

What’s so amazing about Tanaka’s art isn’t only its size, but rather, that he is able to capture the texture and feelings of the items he portrays.

In the video below, you can see him make teeny Date Masamune samurai armour:

If you want to purchase his work, sometimes Tanaka auctions off pieces online (sorry, Japanese language only), and he also holds classes, giving instruction in the fine art of miniature making. Typically these are in Kansai (Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto), but he also has them in Tokyo.

Japanese Miniature Art Dazzles All

Picture: nunus_house

Japanese Miniature Art Dazzles All

Picture: nunus_house

Japanese Miniature Art Dazzles All

Picture: nunus_house

Japanese Miniature Art Dazzles All

Picture: nunus_house

Japanese Miniature Art Dazzles All

Picture: nunus_house

Japanese Miniature Art Dazzles All

Picture: nunus_house

Japanese Miniature Art Dazzles All

Picture: nunus_house

Japanese Miniature Art Dazzles All

Picture: nunus_house

Japanese Miniature Art Dazzles All

Picture: nunus_house

These glasses are more impressive when you realise they can do this.

Japanese Miniature Art Dazzles All

Picture: miniature_MH

Japanese Miniature Art Dazzles All

Picture: nunus_house

Japanese Miniature Art Dazzles All

Picture: nunus_house

Japanese Miniature Art Dazzles All

Picture: nunus_house

Japanese Miniature Art Dazzles All

Picture: nunus_house

Japanese Miniature Art Dazzles All

Picture: nunus_house

Check out Tanaka’s work on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter as well as on his official site.


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