The visual arts are, for a writer like me, akin to magic. I see the finished product and the raw material and I basically have no idea how the artist got from point A to point B — even if I actually watched them work through the entire process! And when it comes to sculptures, all bets are off. You could tell me a wizard conjured the work whole with a wave of a wand, and I’d be hard-pressed to prove you wrong.
Fortunately, the incredibly talented Mio Hashimoto, woodcarver and artist, has written a how-to book explaining some of her methods and showing the detail of some of her adorable animal sculptures. Now, at least, I’ll know exactly how she achieved her results, even if I’ll never have a chance of replicating them myself. And for all you artists out there, aspiring or otherwise, this book will teach you how to make all the pets you’ll ever want!
Famous in Japan and abroad for her animal sculptures, Mio Hashimoto has not only been creating works of her own but also teaching workshops for years. Photos and videos of a shiba inu interacting with a sculpture of itself have gone viral, and Mio’s fame rose after she was featured in a Uniqlo commercial.
▼ Uniqlo commercial
▼ A shiba inu and its sculpture
It’s obvious that Mio has a talent for capturing the adorableness of pets — and she’s certainly created enough sculptures to fill a wooden zoo! Maybe even a petting zoo, though we wouldn’t recommend trying to snuggle with them at night…
▼ As cute and hard as a button
▼ At least a wooden cat won’t interrupt your computer time!
▼ As many shiba inu as you could want without ever having to pick up poop!
▼ It’s not “too many cats” if they don’t smell, right?
▼ Well, this might just be the cutest thing you’ll see all day!
But Mio isn’t stingy with the secrets of her trade. In fact, she wants to help you make your own wood sculptures and she’s doing just that with a new book titled Hajimeteno Kibori Doubutsu Tenaraichou, which is roughly Beginning Animal Woodcarving How-to Book. The book is, as the title suggests, a primer on carving your own cute animals. Obviously, it’s targeted at people who are new to carving animal sculptures, but it also includes photos of Mio’s sculptures, so you can buy it just for the pictures if you’re not artistically inclined.
▼ Two of the projects from the book and the wood blocks they’re carved from.
▼ Here are two sample pages on making a cat broach.
▼ First things first, sketch your kitty!
The book is currently available from Amazon Japan and it looks as if they’ll even ship it overseas, though there doesn’t appear to be an English version yet. The cover price is 1,836 yen (about US$15) and you can also buy supplies from the companion site, Tenaraicho Shop, which offers carving tools, wood blocks, paint, and more. Unfortunately, it looks like the Tenaraicho Shop only ships domestically, but we’re pretty sure you can buy wood and carving supplies pretty much anywhere in the world.
▼ A video about the making of the book
Mio also takes commissions for sculptures through her website, in case you simply have no artistic ability, like myself. Hmm…I wonder if we can get her to do a sculpture of Mr. Sato…
Sources: Artist Database, Amazon Japan
Top image: Amazon Japan
Images: Amazon Japan, Tenaraicho Shop
Artist whittles perfect animal replicas out of wood, makes own pets suspicious
Awesome time lapse video shows Vietnamese artist carving amazingly detailed wooden Goku statue
Family Mart commits “reverse fraud” in new Giant All-Star Festival, and we couldn’t be happier
New Tokyo sweets shop offers 648 different mochi ice cream dumpling combinations
Godiva melts minds by releasing a new corn chocolate drink in Japan
Shinto shrine’s night sky firefly sweets are Japan’s newest breathtaking, mouthwatering desserts.
Retro fashion magazines from Tokyo’s street market remind Mr. Sato of a special gift from his dad
Ghibli’s No Face continues to demonstrate his generous character growth by dispensing soy sauce
Colour Hunting: The hot new street photography trend changing how we see Japan
Even at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
Japanese rice cooker recipe gives us a tasty new way to enjoy vegetables and wieners
Body of missing American college student found in Kyoto mountains
Uniqlo reveals third round of massive 100-year-anniversary manga T-shirts for Jump’s Shueisha
Kyoto public junior high school becomes first in Japan with a hoodie school uniform
Japanese convenience store shows us how to dress for the rainy season
Starbucks Japan unveils new Frappuccino showcasing “mottainai” culture
Osaka is hosting a “hentai” event, but it’s probably not what you think
Tokyo’s Pokémon Cafe reopens this month with brand-new sweets and Pikachu show
What’s it like to join Tokyo’s walking-and-talking-with-strangers club for a day?
Tokyo’s life-size Gundam anime mecha statue will be removed this summer
Ichiraku Ramen-inspired ramen sets from Naruto anime pay homage to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura
Kanji ice cream becomes a sell-out hit in Japan
New official Ghibli anime food cookbook will teach you how to make Ponyo’s ramen and more
Japanese convenience store Lawson launches new “mini supermarket” chain, L Minimart
Japan’s real-world Pokémon hot spring’s first photos are here![Photos]
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events