Picture book artist Ryota Ushikubo depicts Tokyo and New York — two cities connected by one ocean.
As store-exclusive souvenirs, Nanamica will release items featuring artwork by picture book artist Ryota Ushikubo — available respectively at nanamica DAIKANYAMA and nanamica NEW YORK.
The works of Ryota Ushikubo have a quiet way of drawing you in — the more you look, the more you begin to feel the stories and atmosphere behind them.
For this collaboration, the theme is “the city.” Ushikubo illustrated the worlds that unfold just beyond the neighborhoods of Daikanyama, Tokyo, and New York — the two cities where nanamica has its stores.
The illustration for nanamica DAIKANYAMA features a slightly surreal face — part ocean wave, part playing-card king. The coexistence of these seemingly contrasting motifs within a single image feels distinctly nanamica: balanced, playful, and quietly unexpected.
The illustration overlaps with the atmosphere of Daikanyama, quietly leaving a sense of playfulness within everyday life.
The illustration for nanamica NEW YORK features a yellow taxi on the T-shirt and a red apple on the cap.
Both are familiar symbols of New York, and through Ushikubo’s distinctive touch, they appear as familiar presences that have always been part of the city.
A taxi in motion and an apple at rest — perhaps it’s this freedom, where many different expressions blend together like the sea, that defines New York.
The motifs that represent each city seem to overlap with its memories and scenery when worn. Each piece carries the hope that, as you walk through the city, it will remind you of the places you’ve been.
About Ryota Ushikubo
Picture book author. Born in Osaka and raised in Tokyo. Graduate of Kuwasawa Design School. In recent years, he has primarily been creating works drawn by hand with colored pencils, which he then processes digitally. His latest picture book, Yakyū no Zukan (The Baseball Encyclopedia), is scheduled for publication by Hakusensha in early March.
Comment from Artist
For this New York souvenir project, the T-shirt motif draws inspiration from the film Taxi Driver — the squirrel behind the wheel represents Robert De Niro, while the pigeon passenger stands in for Martin Scorsese.
（You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me?……）
The souvenir items are available at the stores listed below. Please also enjoy updates and information shared on each store’s official Instagram account.
Stores:
Please note: the nanamica NEW YORK souvenir items are available exclusively at the nanamica NEW YORK store.
