Spiral Independent Creators Festival (SICF) is an open-call art festival that aspires to discover, foster, and support emerging artists and designers. Spiral held an exhibition-style art festival “SICF23” on May 3, 2022 until May 8th, 2022.
dopang brought gengoya to the event with amazing products showcase and artworks to see! Apparently, SICF is quite a controversial event for artists to be in because it is filled with curated creative works that are ready to be a product.
There were many other art creators attending the event with their unique products and booths for the visitors to see. Look what he have!
Here is a short sneak-peek of what we had on that day!
If you want to be featured in various interesting ways just like gengoya feel free to contact us! See you in another event!
安藤圭汰 (Keita Andou), in his exhibition @アートスペース貘, Tenjin, Fukuoka.
Keita Ando, an artist born in 1992 from Kanagawa. His artwork focuses on the ‘life and death/circulation’ theme, and he has been in many art exhibitions from 2013 up until now. He also won numerous awards from many competitions in Tokyo and Fukuoka. Since the artist in residence in Yogyakarta, Indonesia back in 2019 he has been producing many works with a theme that mixes the view of religion/life and death outside Japan the view of Buddhism in Japan.
Why did you decide to become an artist?
Keita Ando, in Yogykarta, Indonesia.
“I have loved drawing pictures since I was a child. It was the death of a loved one that made me clearly decide to become an artist. The moment I became aware of death for the first time, I thought about its horror and suffered a kind of trauma. At first, I tried to see if I could sublimate the trauma I had by thoroughly observing the phenomenon of death and using the medium of painting, which was my forte, to depict it. Eventually, I began to think about life/death/circulation, and my desire to have others see my work grew stronger, so I became an artist.” he explained. He was inspired by the work of Amedeo Modigliani, an Italian painter and sculptor who worked mainly in France. “The first time I was confronted with Modigliani’s work, I broke out in a greasy sweat and could not move. It was such a shocking work for me at the time, but at the same time I remember being moved by the beauty of the work.” He continued by saying, “I wished I could give even just one person that experience of being hit over the head and being electrified all over.”
What is the most memorable episode in your career?
One of Keita Ando’s exhibition in Fukuoka.
“The most memorable moment in my career as an artist was when I exhibited my work and a customer looked at my work with tears in his eyes. It was a great experience for me to feel the joy of being able to move people’s emotions and the weight of responsibility.”
What have you learned in your life as an artist?
His installation of artwork in Indonesia
“What I have learned in my life as an artist is interpersonal relations.
I was originally not good at socializing with others, and when I was a child, I painted pictures as a tool for playing alone, but through my activities, I had the opportunity to talk with many different people. Thinking back, I realized that showing and talking about one’s own expression to others is one form of expression, and that to become an artist, it is important to accept the values of various people and to be interested in them. I am still in the process of learning, but it was also a good learning experience for me to know that I truly love people.”
What do you always do when you are in a difficult situation?
“I started meditating (smoking) after my stay in Indonesia. When I am in pain, I usually feel that my breathing is becoming raspy due to impatience, so smoking for deep breathing is a good help for me. On my days off, I often visit other artists’ exhibitions or go to places that interest me. The coverage at a time when I can afford it is a good time to relax and let time pass.” he said. He has a full schedule of creating artwork from the time he wakes up and the time he goes to bed. He said he is the type of person who ‘wants to finish a work at once until I am satisfied with it.”
What are your future prospects as an artist and your hopes in the future?
Keita Ando, at Yufuin Station Art Hall 2019.
“In the future, I would like to be able to express my worldview with 100% accuracy. My goal is to be free from budget, location, and time constraints for this purpose, so I plan to consider activities for career advancement in the future.” he also continued by saying, “I would like to go to various places and expand my world. I am interested in all the things and values that I do not understand now.” He also talked about the famous artists that he would like to meet. “If I could, I would like to meet Heri Dono. I would also like to meet Modigliani and Takeshi Isoe in their living state.”
“I want to spread my work around the world. Because I believe that the more it spreads, the more friends I will have. I feel that the more friends I have, the stronger I will be against social difficulties. It may sound rootless and toothless, but I believe it is also an important aspect of life activity.”
All of you now must be familiar with Non-Fungible Token (NFT) by now. After hours of reading and researching about NFT, most people would find it hard to understand the use of this blockchain and how does it impact the market now.
Therefore, dopang, BWOPLE, and HARTi at Q Co-Working Space on Friday, April 8th 2022 held an event titled [What is NFT?] with over 24+ participants came to listen and discuss about NFT!
[What is NFT?] venue apparition @Q Co-Working Space Hakata
Yoshida-san from 株式会社HARTi first explained how does the blockchain works and what are the benefits of NFT for creators/artists and for the buyers. He also mentioned about how this trend of NFT has climbed up its way to be recognized in the market covering over 3 trillion yen in just one year.
Ferdi Trihadi, the creator of bwoples , continued to showcase his NFT projects and also a 3D art museum simulation of various artists projects. Moreover, he also explained how to join the NFT marketplace from how to buy the currencies, exploring the good market, and how does the flow of the profit works in this blockchain market.
The speakers of the event; (from left) Yoshida-san, Tania Mirella, Ferdi Trihadi
We also did a livestream on Facebook and allowed questions to be asked in our Q&A session, there were some interesting questions and discussions from the on-site and online audience.
An introduction from Q Co Working Space
Networking after the event ended
It was a great opportunity to discuss about NFT basics and marketplace with such compact and practical explanations from our speakers at the event. Thank you everyone for making their time to come to our event in that beautiful evening!
Let’s join more of our educational and fun events whether it is online or offline! dopang will always promote and connect small creative businesses in Japan and Indonesia!
On Thursday, 31st March 2022, dopang and the member of team A from BIJTe event co-hosted an event at BNI Tokyo to provide a space and opportunity for Japanese companies to know a bit more about Indonesia and build connections so they can expand their business to Indonesia with sparkling confidence!
Participants watching the introduction video of BNI Tokyo
Before the event, we prepared the venue and some Indonesian local meals from their Tokyo branch restaurant. Moreover, there are some featured products from Bank Indonesia Partners that we did a small showcase in the venue.
Meals from Kopi Kalyan and Cinta Jawa Tokyo, also BI Partners products
After a few sessions of introductions from the Bank Indonesia (BI), BNI Tokyo, and other organizers, it was time for the participants’ quick introduction one-by-one about their business and their interest to the Indonesian market, followed by lunch and coffee break with the prepared meals. Before the event ends, everyone pro-actively talk and share their insights with others, such a great moment for networking!
Introduction sessions from the organizers and participants
It was a great opportunity for us and many people who attended the event to expand their market to Indonesia with great confidence and useful insights. dopang will always support and create this strong bridge between Indonesia and Japan business network and to connect creative small business in Japan and Indonesia for a better world.
Known for its historic and modern charms fan out all over the neighborhood.
It was a little quiet during the day but when the sun is about to set,
pedestrians, vehicles, people on their bikes started to amplify the mood.
Let’s say you were in Shinjuku and you wanted a place that’s a little quiet.
Take the Toei-Subway Shinjuku Line towards Motoyawata – and get off in Morishita.
Take a 7 minute walk towards Kiyosumi-shirakawa – the neighborhood that I mentioned you above.
The fun thing I like the most about exploring a new area is you don’t know what are you going to find. Might be interesting – or a total bummer. We kept going because we’ve been this far and it would be a waste of time if you decided to give up halfway. (This is an unintended slice of life, I swear.)
Not going to lie, I was confused – because I’ve been told by my peers that this area is cool if you enjoy coffee. I probably came at the wrong time because most of the cafes I saw on my maps were closed. Even the Botanical Garden.
What should I do?
I decided to walk wherever my feet takes me and I stumbled upon this super cool café called
Dread Nought Books & Cafe.
The name of this shop might gives this restless battleship image but it’s totally the polar opposite. The ambience in this store is calm and cozy – the staff greeted me when I was just looking at their menu outside. We are allowed to take a look at the books but I found an interesting book – so we decided to get their drip coffee and sat down to read it.
This café is suitable for people who likes to spend time alone reading a book or working on your projects. Moreover, Wi-Fi and power outlets are provided in each table – the only two things that matter. However, we must note that one purchase of drink allows us to sit for 90 minutes. In order to keep the clock ticking, customers need to purchase the second drink, or third.
Dread Nought held weekly coffee seminar too at the store that welcomes all coffee enthusiasts including to those who just took an interest in brewing. Take a look at their social media to keep yourself updated with their seminars.
I suppose everyone is already familiar with this coffee store brand. Yes, you may pass by when you were walking in Shinjuku, Shibuya, Sangenjaya, or Aoyama and their other branches. The list can go on.
The very first store of Blue Bottle Coffee that is loved by everyone was built here. This flagship store is spacious with cozy lounge-room like and table on the side with stools. They held coffee-brewing classes for those who are interested in coffee.
It’s a really nice neighborhood to stroll around and get your coffee here. You might be able to take insta-worthy shots here too!
Kiyosumi-shirakawa, as I have shared with you above, is a nice and quite yet alive neighborhood. There are many restaurants all across the street, grocery and drug stores, and also a Shoutengai (aka a local market street).
Sumida river is flowing across this city and you can enjoy the view by passing through the bridge on the main street.
A short little getaway if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the hustle in the central areas.
Kyo, watashi tachi wa Tenjin ni bura bura to arukimashita.
ぶらぶら (read: bura bura) is an adverb to describe an event where you do not know exactly what to do at that particular time. In this case, we did not know where exactly to go around Tenjin, so we walk aimlessly around the city. However, this aimless activity has turned into a meaningful stroll because we found five places that you shouldn’t miss out.
1. Nooice Cafe (ノイス)
An Australian-inspired brunch café located in Imaizumi with stylish interiors and of course, huge variations of sweet and savory meals along with interesting choices of beverages. With so many options that they have, we tried Egg Benedict, Blueberry Cream Cheese Pancake, Goma Smores Latte, Pistachio Latte (November-December limited), and Café Latte (we opt for the light roasted coffee).
While we were waiting for our orders, people were slowly coming in. To our best assumption, this spot is famous among the ladies.
Food and drinks are served with great presentation. The Egg Benedict portion is perfect if you’re looking for something not too heavy, Café Latte and Pistachio Latte were delicious. The Blueberry Cream Cheese might be too much for one person if you’re not a fan of cream and the crème Brûlée was unfortunately bitter. We had to clean our palate with the drinks and water before having our next bite. If you’re a black-sesame lover, I recommend you to give the Goma Smores Latte a try!
Overall, we enjoyed the meal from this brunch spot and would love to visit again to try the other menus!
2. Imaizumi Alley (今泉)
We are not sure if this particular alley is called Imaizumi Alley, but along this alley, there are many shops, restaurants, and cafes that you can visit!
3. Le Breton (ル・ブルトン)
Enjoying canele at home.
Heard a lot of good reviews about this place from our friends who live in Fukuoka. We think this is everyone’s favorite Café and dessert shop as it is always busy every time we pass by.
The first thing that you’ll see when you enter the store is the pretty and colorful cakes displayed on the countertop refrigerator. There are also French pastries displayed near the entrance. This café is famous for it’s savory Breton Galette (French crepe) ー our French friends told us it’s very delicious.
We were racing with the time when we saw the line outside the café, so we only bought canelés back home for our afternoon snacks.
4. Gouache Fukuoka (ガッシュ福岡)
A cozy and aesthetic store located in the alley of Imaizumi, selling various lifestyle products and clothing. Most of the products sold here are Made in Japan. Also, if you’re looking for pretty tableware, you can visit this store.
We also came across this Indonesian skin-care brand in this store! It gives you a certain feeling of joy to see Indonesian products have made it to Japan.
5. Pecora (ペコラ)
We came across this humble coffee shop just right beside Imaizumi Park. The size of the shop is considerably small but it is very comfortable. It can fit 6-10 people at the same time and we can choose to sit at the counter or at the seating space across where the walls are nicely decorated.
The menu is written on the counter and I do think they have interesting choices of drinks. We ordered Café Latte and Hazelnut Latte and it didn’t take long until we got our orders. The Cafe Latte is decent and Hazelnut Latte was up to our preferences; it was not too sweet.
A very authentic pizzeria that was originally built in Naples, Italy back in 1870. This pizzeria is featured on Michelin Guide. There are only three branches in Japan at the moment; Yokohama, Ebisu, and Fukuoka. We were brought here by our Italian friend, who said the pizza in here tastes just like the one in Naples.
As we entered the store, we could see the huge woodfire across the room and in that moment we knew that we were getting a really good pizza.
We ordered Margherita – you can never go wrong with the original. However, we did not expect that the portion would be this HUGE. A whole round of pizza can probably feed two to three person, but this time we were asked to eat pizza Italian way – one whole portion for one. Though it might be a little bit expensive (1 portion of pizza is starting from ¥2000~) but we can assure you this pizza is worth the price. You should check this place out!
Feel free to wander alone but best is to tag your friends along to stroll around Tenjin!
If you like what you read or if you have your own recommendations, leave your comments below!
See you on our next guide!
Keep in mind that some things might change and everyone might have different experiences when they visit these places we suggested.
On Friday, 18th February 2022, our Founder Tania Mirella attended the signing event of Diaspora Loan by Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) in their Tokyo branch.
The signing event was attended by the Acting General Manager BNI Tokyo Dyah Paramita Novia Putri and witnessed by Deputy Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia Tri Purnajaya.
It is really an honor for us to receive the first overseas Diaspora Loan from BNI Tokyo. To those who are not familiar with Diaspora Loan; The Director of Treasury and International PT BNI (Persero) Tbk, Henry Panjaitan stated the important roles of Diaspora Loan as a manifestation from Bank Negara Indonesia to support Indonesian Diaspora building their SME business overseas through prudent and selective processes.
Image source: Kompas.com
With this loan, we aim to build stronger bridge and facilitate more creative SMEs in Indonesia and Japan, with our current Gengoya and Dentayori projects and our upcoming projects.
Let’s connect creative businesses in Japan and Indonesia for a better world.
In early January, the Dopang Indonesia team had a chance to visit Jakarta Biennale 2021: ESOK. Jakarta Biennale is a bi-annual event that has been at the forefront of art events in Jakarta. Showcasing various works created by talented local artists and beyond for the citizens of Jakarta to see.
This year’s theme is “ESOK”, An Indonesian word meaning “tomorrow”. During this pandemic, the word itself holds a broader meaning. It expresses hope and also anticipation for a “better” tomorrow. The exhibition touches on several subjects such as human rights, the environment, diversity, gender equality, political polarization, and digital disruption.
Set at different locations in Central Jakarta which are National Museum, National Awakening Museum (STOVIA), Menteng Park, and the Cikini District. The enthusiasm for this year’s exhibition is apparent, with the ticketing site being down several times and a plethora of content relating to the event flooding social media. We got pretty lucky and managed to get tickets to the National Museum exhibition.
In the massive halls of the National Museum, three incredible artworks welcome us. But one work caught our eye. Hailing from the same city as Dopang’s HQ, Fukuoka, artist Kenji Makizono invites visitors to experience his work. Entitled “The Use of Energy”, this year-long project was created during his residency at MMCA Residency Goyang, South Korea. It is a multimedia installation where visitors can play, listen, and watch his project.
The Use of Energy by Kenji Makizono
Inspired by the energy policy shift in Korea and Japan, the work revolves around a bicycle that visitors can ride to power four amplifiers, four televisions, and an electric guitar. And when it gets sufficient power, the tv plays a video of Kenji Makizono and his band members performing a song about energy. It’s always cool when an artwork allows the visitors to be involved!
Following Kenji Makizono, there were also several works of artists that caught our eye. Such as:
Sri Naura Paramita by Alfiah Rahdini
The powerful Sri Naura Paramita sculpture by Bandung-based artist Alfiah Rahdini. Which depicts a woman adorned with a Hijab, seated in a meditating position on top of a Stupa, a Buddhist place for meditation.
Matinro by Tamarra
The beautiful and Instagram favorite, Matinro (‘Tidur’, ‘Sleep’). A colorful soft sculpture made of found objects such as plastic and wire by Yogyakarta-based artist Tamarra.
Casting Spells for the Movement by Nadiah Bamadhaj
And the massive and breathtaking Casting Spells for the Movement (Merapal Mantra Untuk Gerakan) resin sculpture by Malaysian-born, Yogyakarta-based artist Nadiah Bamadhaj.
The National Museum
Other than visiting the exhibition, visitors can also enjoy the permanent exhibition of the National Museum which showcases pre-historic displays, various archaeological discoveries, and much more. With its array of collections and beautiful structures, the National Museum has always been a local favorite.
The exhibition may already be over, but visitors at home can still check out Jakarta Biennale 2021: ESOK. An online viewing entitled ESOK360 is still ongoing.
Tokyoites may have Roppongi as an exquisite place for them to hang out and socialize. We, the inhabitants of Fukuoka also have a similar place with a more laid-back setting, called Ropponmatsu.
Surrounded by a lot of interesting spots, you can easily choose where you feel like going at that time. If you’d like to try out different cafes, Ropponmatsu has plenty of it. Thinking to stop by the local bakeries and pastry shops, Ropponmatsu has it around their corners. And of course, the restaurants here are ready to satiate your cravings. Yums!
This time, we would like to share with you the places we visited and thought to be worth visiting. If you’re keen to explore this neighborhood, feel free to wander alone or tag your friends along!
Anyway, enjoy the read.
1. Tsutaya Bookstore Ropponmatsu （六本松蔦屋本店)
N. | Ropponmatsu 421, 2021
This is everyone’s favorite bookstore. Located just right in front of the subway station, on the second floor of the Ropponmatsu 421 building. This bookstore offers a large selection of books to read, displays of trendy goods, and what’s better is they have Starbucks inside! The perfect place to enjoy a cup of coffee while reading your choice of books. The other day we sat here for 4 hours long, we wonder if any of you have sat longer than us? 😀
In October 2021, Gengoya products were featured in this bookstore with the occasion to introduce the Japanese language and culture through drawings. | N.
2. Coffee House Enoki (コーヒーハウスえのき）
N. | Coffee House Enoki, 2021
Meet Enoki-san, the cozy and stylish coffee shop owner. His Coffee House is located just right in front of Ropponmatsu Station (Exit 2), right beside Lawson convenience store. He serves various single-origin roasts, blend roasts, and other drinks including tea, cocoa, and also sandwiches. He has been managing his coffee business for around 8 years, just by himself.
Working alone does not stop him to have conversations with his customers, he is well known for his friendliness to his customers. With his vinyl records collection, you can enjoy the mood while sipping on a good coffee that he brews from a siphon. A recommended place for everyone.
3. Udon Hiyori (うどん日和)
N. | Udon Hiyori, 2021
An authentic Japanese udon place, located a walking distance away from Ropponmatsu Station. This place is open from 11:30 am to 3:00 pm every day except on Tuesday. The shop is quite small but worry not, as their choice of menu is quite varied. If you are an adventurous foodie, give their unique topping combinations a try!
We ordered the Seafood Tempura Set and we asked for the cold udon (you can get the warm udon if you want). The udon texture is in between firm and chewy, the seafood tempuras are great, it’s the perfect set of meals and keeps you full during the day. It cost 1000yen for this set of udon and it’s a good deal!
4. Matsu Pan （松パン)
N. | Matsu Pan, 2021
Located a few steps away from Udon Hiyori, this small bakery sells many different types of savory and sweetbreads. Once you enter the shop, you will be welcomed by the warm staff and the smell of fresh baked goods. With so many choices of bread, we ended up with Pumpkin Cream Brioche, Cheese Damper, and the classic croissant. Every bite of their pieces of bread is comforting, surprised that they all tasted great! Definitely, a place to come back to.
5. Nico Patisserie (パティスリーニコ)
N. | Nico Patisserie, 2021
Still located in the same neighborhood, Nico Patisserie offers various elegant-looking cakes and delicious pastries to fulfill your sweet cravings. We bought canele and choux cream as our post-cycling treats and enjoyed it at a park nearby. The canele was perfect; the flavor is rich in vanilla, crispy on the outside but very the inside is tender. Choux cream is decent, it was not too sweet nor too bland. We enjoyed both of these desserts and would love to come back to try the other pastries.
6. Homachiame Coffee (小さな焙煎所 花待ち雨珈琲)
N. | Homachiame Coffee, 2021
This cute little shop is located not too far from Ohori Park, making it a great choice of a pit stop for us before we go back home after our morning jog. This place is open from 11 am to 6 pm, and there wasn’t any line because we were just in time when the store is open. The atmosphere is very cozy, the store interior is appealing to the eyes, and it fits 4-6 people at the same time. Since nobody else was there, it felt like those nice silent mornings at home accompanied by a glass of Uji Matcha Latte.
These are the six places that we’ve found and thought to be worth sharing to you.
If you like what you read or if you have your own recommendations, leave your comments below!
See you on our next guide!
T.M | Ropponmatsu Guide Maps
Keep in mind that some things might change and everyone might have different experiences when they visit these places we suggested.
Tsunagaru Edutech is a Fukuoka-based digital DX Consulting company founded by Pablo Riveros, a Chilean with strong international industry-academic background. His company has managed a lot of international projects with a solid evidence-based approach. Their solutions revolve around digital transformation (DX), educational technologies, and learning management systems.
Mr. Pablo Riveros at Q Co-working Space Hakata, Fukuoka, Japan
Why did you start this business?
The story goes all the way back to 2015 in Australia. I was working at a university and did a little bit of consulting at that time. Four years later, with the accumulation of knowledge and skills in education and digital learning, I moved to Japan. When I attended a seminar at Kyushu University, a professor told me that the skills that I have would be valuable and helpful to Japan. That was when I realized there is an opportunity for me to build my own business here. Hence, in April 2021, Tsunagaru Edutech was founded.
Share with us about your main service.
We are a DX (digital learning) consulting business with the focus to provide micro-training for those who would like to improve their digital skills. We are helping people to understand the concept of technology in DX such as digital tool operations, creating online courses, and how to collect learning analytics. As a startup business, we are working in different verticals, covering not only e-learning, but also e-health, and e-commerce.
What keeps you going when things get tough?
The visualization of how impactful we can be and how many people we can reach if the company grows. Japan is the base of our company, but it does not stop us plan on reaching other parts of the world. As a part of the UNESCO Global Task Force in 2019, we are here to support countries to improve their online education. For me, it is not always about the money, but about what we can give back to society through our business.
What is your hope for the future of your business?
I would like to create an ever-connected society. Nowadays, it is not only about smart society nor smart cities, smart learning is also as important. I realize that there is a gap between industries and education because what students are currently learning now will most probably be gone by the time they graduate. As we are living in a very advanced society, we hope to fill in the gap with our solutions by building a better digital education.
Left: Tsunagaru Edutech at Community Radio Tenjin COMIXTEN. Right: Mr. Pablo Riveros and Tsunagaru Edutech hybrid intern team 2021.
About:
Tsunagaru Edutech is our digital DX consulting company with a strong international industry-academic expertise, international projects, and a solid evidence-based research approach. Our main solutions include: 1) Digital Transformation (DX) Smart E-Commerce Business Smart Engineering & Industry Smart Training & Development Smart Education Smart e-Health & m-Health Smart Work Style Smart City, Campus and Mobility 2) Micro-Credentials, Digital Badges (Using Blockchain Technology) 3) EdTech or EduTech (educational technologies) and build advanced digital learning content 4) Virtual Training Platform (Tsunagaru Academy) is our learning management system to develop micro workshops, training, and certified skill.
