Our site uses cookies and other technologies to give you the best possible experience. By using this site you are consenting to their use and accept our policies. Learn more...

Explore Japan

The World of Miniatures

Aired: December 17, 2020 (UTC)


Information

The world of miniatures is a surprisingly whimsical one, and among it Japanese miniatures have gained a worldwide reputation for being exceptionally unique. In 2020, one of the world’s largest indoor miniature theme parks opened in Tokyo. A wave of miniature art is one the rise, incorporating such everyday subjects as minute recreations of convenience store foods. Uncompromising miniature artistry simulates not just tiny packages, but single grains of rice inside at smaller than 1 mm each.

We watched the craft of a miniature artist with over 2.5 million followers on Instagram, as he uses his incredible imagination to create art with substitution, or mitate: Ordinary objects such as staples and vegetables stand in for scenery or landscape to create immense worlds. Another artist specializes in miniatures carefully recreating the images of rooms and buildings so as to immortalize the memories found within. More than just detail, his works portray the recollections of those who order the miniatures, and the Japanese sensibilities embodied by them.

Examining the creations of 3 different miniature artists, the program explores Japan’s largely unknown history of miniatures, and what it is about them that has earned such an adoring following in Japan.

Gallery

More Videos To Explore

Our Series

SPIRIT OF JAPAN The program introduces the history and wisdom behind Japan’s technological strength and specialties, which are helping to revitalize regional areas of the country.
Explore Japan This series will feature how various culture in modern Japan and overseas blend together and influence each other.
Trailblazers We follow Japan’s trailblazers breaking new ground in various fields and discover the purpose that keeps them moving forward.
Catch Japan Explore a colorful variety of modern Japan’s most popular topics, including food, technology, ecology and regional promotions, with a focus on the innovative ideas and passionate effort from the people behind it all.
Exploring the Lands of the Ainu In this series, we visit areas in Hokkaido with deep connections to the Ainu living there and showcase their prayers, dances, and traditional ceremonies passed down through generations.
J-Entertainment Infotainment show featuring young artists full of talent with their unique sense of “Japan.”
ASEAN Now and the Future Ⅲ: Plastics in the Ocean This series is the third set of productionsof the ASEAN Now and the Futureproject.
Check Other Series