Moku Moku Wooden Learning Blocks
木の絵本 おはなし木っこ
Four wooden blocks with engraved sides, each representing a character, scene, or adventure that can be combined to create stories.
These wooden blocks offer a playful way of telling stories by combining different sides, each engraved with characters, scenes, and adventures. Crafted from locally sourced wood, the blocks are inspired by Tōno, a mountainous area southwest of Iwate Prefecture, renowned for its rich folklore, made famous by author and folklorist Yanagita Kunio in Legends of Tōno, written in 1910.
The Mokumoku Picture Book Research Institute seeks to take folklore storytelling beyond the page through tactile blocks that encourage people to gather and pass on the art of storytelling to future generations. Selected for the Good Design Award Best 100 in 2012, the blocks can be rolled to create 1,296 different stories.
Size of cubes : 20×5×5cm
Size for each cube : 5×5×5cm
Tōhoku
Tōhoku consists of six prefectures located in the north-east of Honshu island. This region is known for its hot spring (onsen) resorts, colourful festivals, remote sacred mountains and harsh winters. In 2011, the devastating earthquake and tsunami hit the region hard; however, the massive efforts in reconstruction are proof of the people’s resilience. Urushi (lacquer) ware, ironware and the crafting of kokeshi dolls make up but a few of the local industries in this lesser-visited region of Japan.
