Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on February 2011

It’s said that there’s more than one way to skin a cat. The same is true, apparently, of mikan. Atarashii Mikan no Mukikata (“New Ways of Peeling a Mikan”) chronicles the adventures of Mukio, a little boy who creates animals and other shapes from the rind of Japan’s favorite winter fruit. Beginning on New Year’s Eve, Mukio peels his way through the Chinese zodiac, then moves on to frogs, bears, reindeers, dragons and even the Loch Ness Monster. In addition to offering step-by-step instructions, the book ranks the shapes based on difficulty and provides a list of handy tools, including toothpicks, scissors and erasers. Hokkaido-based author Yoshihiro Okada (http://ameblo.jp/artes) says he was inspired to take on the project when he peeled a mikan one day and was left with a shape that looked like a spider.

¥1,000, 68pp. Available at bookstores throughout the city