GarnishFoodBlog - Fruit Carving Arrangements and Food Garnishes: Japan

Showing posts with label Japan. Show all posts

Soap Carving Class in Tokyo

>> 10/16/2011

I have written before about my melon carving class in Tokyo. This time I'd like to share my soap carving experience.

I am so thankful to my carving teacher in Japan, Mrs.Miho Morita, for accepting me for a soap carving class. Miho-sensei (sensei is a japanese word for a teacher) is a famous carving artist in Japan. Last year her student won a gold medals in the soap carving contest. I think I am so lucky to become one of her students.

Mrs.Miho Morita has a blog in English.

Miho-sensei has an unigue carving manner. Her soap works are incredibly fine. At the class I've choosen a diffiicult butterfly design with tiny details. We spent two hours carving it. That was challenging!

Original butterfly soap by Miho Morita sensei

My work

Inspite of the fact that my soap carving was far from being perfect I have got a valuable experience and learned some things:

I've got an idea on how to build a complicated design
I've learned a tricky knife motion (should be more practised)
I feel more confident now in making difficult thing.

At home I tried to use new skills in making a bird soap:

The work of mine. A bird carved in a soap bar.
Japanese soap is soft and has a pleasant perfume smell

I have other soaps in progress. Will show them up as far as they are completed.

Read more stories about my fruit carving adventures on Japan:
Thai Carving Competition in Tokyo, October 2011
Thai Carving Skills in Practice

Few pictures of Miho Morita soap carving

I'd like to show some beautiful works of Miho Morita.

Butterfly soap carving with the tiny tricky details, carved by Miho-sensei

Soap carving arrangement, made by Miho-sensei

After the class I met my Sakhalin friend at the appointed place and we went for a walk to Sensoji Temple located at Asakusa district. Sensoji is a must for Tokyo sightseeing. That is a Buddhist complex with a temple, pagoda and a garden.

There are O-mikuji boxes at the temple area. O-mikuji is a fortune prediction based on a random choice. Last year I drew out my mikuji and it promised me a poor fortune about my plans. As I understood later that was a true prediction. This year I have new plans and a better fortune for them :)

Gate to Sensoji Temple

At the temple area you will find many gift stores. It is called Nakamise street. They sell sweets, gifts, kimono, food and other nice things. Sensoji is not just a famous tourist spot, this is a beloved place by japanese people too. Step aside of Nakamise street and you get Geisha City. As we were explaned Geisha City was a name for a restaurant and eating house zone in Edo age. Sounds lovely, doesn't it?

Nakamise street, inside a gift shop

Night veiw of Pagoda

Night view of the gate to Sensoji Temple

Thai Carving Skills Practice

>> 10/15/2011

In Tokyo I went to a carving demonstration given by Thai chef Mr.Chat Kunsri. He showed how to carve a carnation in a watermelon. When I came back home to Sakhalin I tryed the new skills out. I carved a carnation in a pumpkin. I am posting here the pictures from the demo and my pumpkin.

Carnation in a watermelon. Demo by thai chef

Thai chef is carving carnation in watermelon

Japanese carving artists and me watching the demo, Tokyo 2011

Thai styled watermelon. Demonstration by Mr.Chat Kunsri.
Wavy leaves are a difficult part of the design.

My try in thai style carving. Carnation carved in a pumpkin from my mom's garden.
My mom grows pumpkins specially for carving purpose :)

White baby pumpkin with standing petals.

Read all my stories from Japan

Thai Carving Event in Tokyo, October 2011

>> 10/10/2011

I am back from Tokyo where I visited the 3rd Thai Carving Contest. I am full with impressions about the Event and the whole trip to Japan. Tokyo was safe and friendly to me. Good wheather and nice people have made my trip.

I went to Tokyo with my Sakhalin friend. We had some adventures in metro and Disney Sea. Tokyo subway is complicated. There are local, rapid and express trains stopping at one station. They take you to the different destinations and you are not sure about the right train. Finally we managed with it.

At the last day of my staying in Tokyo, it was raining. My foot slipped on the floor and I fell down. As a result I've got my umbrella broken, my knees bruised and my foot hurt. That wasn't a serious injury, but I am feeling uncomfortable now. I think that was a kind of compensation for all the credits and gifts from my teachers and the TCA representatives.

The Thai Carving Contest was held in a trading center located at Daimon station. Daimon means a Large Gate. A famous Tokyo Tower is the right behind the gate. Tokyo Tower is one of the best veiwing spots for the city scenery.

Daimon district

Tokyo Tower, 333 meters height.

City veiw from the tower

The Thai Carving Event is an yearly event organised by Thai Carving Association (TCA) in Japan. This year it was a two-days event (1-2 October, 2011). The first day for the contest and the second day for melon and soap carving classes. They had a guest judge from Thailand Mr.Chat Kunsri, a chef in Shangri La Hotel. He was my teacher for thai style melon carving.

My thai styled melon

To my surprise I was the first and the only eropean at the event. I saw many beautiful works at the contest place. Japanese artists combine thai and japanese styles to get amazing designs. You can check the winner works at TCA page below (please note that the first three photos are gold, silver and bronze medals, all other photos are special prizes):
Soap carving
Melon carving