Birthday gift to myself at the beginning of the month — this astounding 8″ sofubi statue done in the style of wooden Netsuke charms, called “Sushi Dokuro.” I know… right!?!?!? “Sushi Dokuro” was designed/sculpted by Osaka tattoo artist Mitomo Horihiro. … Continued
No, not a vinyl toy post… this is one for you record collectors. Spotted on eBay recently: (Click for full-size versions) I know nothing of this “The Ninja” band, and I’m not an 80s hair metal guy by any stretch of … Continued
A neat little menko card, likely from the 60s, featuring characters from Onmitsu Kenshin, the ground-breaking TV series beloved in Australia as The Samurai. It’s pretty rare to see a color image from this seminal B&W series, and what few … Continued
Originally published February, 2010 Have owned this “sugoroku” illustrated game board for years but am finally discovering the actual nature of it. Essentially a Japanese version of Chutes and Ladders, these thin paper game boards have been produced for centuries … Continued
Super pressed for time lately, but I will leave you all with another nice selection of vintage Menko cards. These seem to be Fujimaru-themed, with plenty of the loose dot patterns, off register color and dodgy third-party artwork that make … Continued
So yeah, man did the month of December sneak up on me in the dark with a piano wire… This was planned as three individual posts, but today is the first day I’ve been able to breathe in three weeks, … Continued
Did you get cash or coal in your stocking Tuesday morning? Well, if it was cash, and it’s burning a hole in your pocket, then here’s some choice items on eBay right now: Ruby Spears animation cell of the Ninja … Continued
Felt obligated to get a quick Halloween post in this year in the midst of all the book stuff going down at FPU. This Collegeville kids vinyl costume is from 1986, with art based on the classic ninja dart board. … Continued
This 4″ porcelain windchime came from Japan, the seller not knowing how old but had it in her possession since the early 80s. However the design is old school enough, I have a feeling the same mold was used for … Continued
With the 80s craze came a lot of repurposed merchandise – stuff that for the previous decade’s boom had been sold as kung-fu gear now emblazoned with ninja logos. The above looks to have been a Chinese-esque design probably inspired … Continued