Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on March 2014
The Umino Seaweed shop dreamed of peace for both the oceans and humans. How to achieve such a noble dream is tricky, but making the world more beautiful—and tasty—is a good place to start. Their Design Nori (¥1,260 for one large zenkei sheet, ¥1,365 for set of 15 small puchi sheets) features intricate motifs hole-punched into into the seaweed, with the white rice behind creating a stark contrast. Reminiscent of traditional Japanese stencil artwork, the product won a Good Design Award in 2012. What started out as—and in many ways still is—a humble seaweed shop, has turned into a design company employing laser-cutting technology. We heard they were considering using the leftover bits for furikake so that nothing goes to waste. Stay tuned for that.
