TSUTSUMU: The Origin of Japanese Packaging | Subsequence Magazine (2024)

Hideyuki Oka is a long-time artist/collector of witty packaging that expresses Japanese “packaging” culture using natural materials such as wood, bamboo, earth, straw, paper, fabric, etc.
In 1972, Oka published a photo book, “TSUTSUMU” which was translated under the title “How to wrap five eggs” (with a foreword by George Nelson), along with a photo of its iconic cover (“Tamago-tsuto” in Yamagata Prefecture), and spread all over the world. The Meguro Museum of Art, which houses Oka’s collection, is currently holding its third exhibition of the artist’s work, following those held in 1988 and 2011.
This is a rare opportunity to see a variety of traditional Japanese packaging full of ideas.