Japanese figurine artists Ueno Yosuke and Ohkubo Hiroto show their works

Japanese figurine artists Ueno Yosuke and Ohkubo Hiroto show their works

2023-01-18

Japanese artists Ueno Yosuke and Ohkubo Hiroto were in Taiwan last week, sharing their works with local fans. The two artists brought with them some new works, which they shared with their Taiwanese fans. FTV reporter Stephany Yang caught up with the artists while they were in town to find out more about their newest creations.

The robot, Hapico, dons a hard mechanical shell. The helmet can be disassembled, and the head and limbs can be rotated. This is Ueno Yosuke’s new work, “Hapico.” Ueno is a self-taught Japanese artist, who specializes in the style of pop surrealism.

Yosuke Ueno
Figurine designer
There are many parts and accessories in this work. The feet and the mask are made with special transparent parts.

The other figurine is a new work by Japanese artist Ohkubo Hiroto. The figurine, “Fluffy,” glows in the dark, and also moves its hands to make several gestures. Ohkubo started to learn how to draw when he was 10 years old. When he was 19, he started to collect toys. Now, he is a successful figurine designer.

Ohkubo Hiroto
Artist
When working with the soft rubber, due to the shape and the mold, it was very difficult to create various forms with it.

Ohkubo and Ueno visited Taiwan together for the first time in January to share their latest works and explore Taipei.

Hiroto Ohkubo
Artist
I came to Taiwan after three years of not traveling abroad. I came to Taipei and participated in this autograph session. I could feel the fans’ enthusiasm and the bustle on the streets. It was a very touching experience.

Yosuke Ueno
Figurine designer
I like Taiwanese food very much. This time I made a special trip to attend the autograph event, and I look forward to trying many different types of delicacies.

With the borders reopened, the two artists were delighted to visit Taiwan to showcase their latest works and meet their fans.

掀潮流! 日本2公仔設計師首度來台辦簽名會

2023-01-18

日本當代日本潮流公仔設計師上野陽介、大久保博人，兩人一起來台親手開箱新作品與粉絲見面。一起來看看他們的新作品。

有著機械裝扮的Hapico，頭盔可以拆卸，頭部與四肢還可以轉動。這是日本藝術家上野陽介的新作品「Hapico機械手辦」。上野陽介是一位自學成才的日本藝術家，擅長流行超現實主義風格。

[[日本公仔設計師上野陽介]]
“這次的作品配件上有很多的分件跟零件，在腳上面跟面罩都是用特殊的透明件能做的。”

而另一款公仔則是由日本藝術家大久保博人創作。今年首次以毛怪Fluffy為主角，除了有夜光效果之外，Fluffy可以轉動雙手擺出多種姿態。大久保博人10歲開始學習繪畫。19歲時，他開始收藏玩具。現在，他是一位成功的公仔設計師。

[[日本公仔設計師大久保博人]]
“軟膠在製作的時候，因為造型跟模具的關係，所以很多造型是在很困難的情況下才能把它打造出來的。”

大久保博人與上野陽介兩人首次一起來台親手開箱，分享最新作品，以及探索台北。

[[日本公仔設計師大久保博人]]
“這次來台灣是久違三年的出國，來到台北參加這個簽名會，可以感受到大家的熱情跟街道的熱鬧。對我來說，很感動。”

[[日本公仔設計師上野陽介]]
“我對於台灣的食物也特別喜歡。這次我也專程來到簽名會，期待這段時間也可以品嘗美食。”

邊境重新開放後，兩位藝術家很高興可以帶著他們的新作品來到台灣，與他們的粉絲見面。

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After Lai swore-in as party chair, pro-Taiwan associations on Wednesday held a joint conference to congratulate the newly elected chairman. They praised him for possessing the qualities of a good leader and hoped he could reform the DPP and repivot the party back to its founding principles.

Chanting slogans of endorsement, heads of pro-Taiwan NGOs congratulate Vice President Lai ching-te on being elected DPP chair.

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Tsai Ing-wen’s presidency over the last couple of years did, of course, deliver on some aspects. But because her political career didn’t originate from the DPP, she’s probably not as familiar with the DPP’s founding principles. We hope Chair Lai will stand firmly by Taiwan’s position, and stand firmly against the mafia. Let us unite Taiwan, and fight against China to protect Taiwan.

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Those voices within the party must be heard. Of course we should respect democratic procedures. I believe Lai once said it’s OK to criticize and hold different opinions, but they should not be based on false accusations. I think that’s most important.

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I wonder if pro-China media outlets are manipulating the issue. Even before he became vice president in 2020, he’s been to the U.S. and communicated with U.S. administrative and legislative bodies and think tanks. He even communicated well with the Taiwanese expat community and gained our support. The president and vice president’s cooperation is in Taiwan’s best interests and in the U.S.’ best interests and we’re all on the same page here.

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Keelung denizens have been amazed by a discovery in their backyard. A tiny lake, shaped very much like the landmass of Taiwan, has come to light. After the lake appeared on Google Maps, photographer Hsieh Chih-huang set out to learn more about the body of water. His drone photos show that the small lake has an uncanny resemblance to the shape of Taiwan.But how can it be that locals are unaware of a lake on their doorstep? We asked a couple of experts to explain.

A strange sight emerges in the middle of a forest of greens. The clear and still lake reflects the blue sky perfectly. It’s hidden in this hillside forest. When a drone photographer spotted the landmark on a map, his curiosity was whetted, and he decided to seek it out.

Hsieh Chih-huang
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Many months ago, Google marked it as Lion Ball Lake on the map. I could hardly find any information about it on Google. So I sent my drone up to take a look. Although the lake is very small, it’s shaped just like Taiwan.

You can find the lake yourself on Google Maps, marked as “Lion Ball Lake” or Shiqiuhu. It’s on a small hill near Maijin Road in the Anle District of Keelung. With no records or photos of the lake online, the lake is unknown even to most local people.

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Regarding the existence of this lake, to be honest it’s news to me! I would never walk in that direction, neither when walking on the hill or when exercising.

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Everyone living in Keelung ignores it, or don’t even know there is a small lake there. Someone commented on Facebook that they had been there before, and when he went up, he even saw a swimming ring there.

There’s no road passing through near here. You have to walk up from the mountain path to reach the secret spot. The lake is also high up and there’s no river feeding it. For most people, that sounds like an impossible place to find a lake. What’s going on?

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It’s possible that no river supplies this body of water. It might be a tectonic lake, which is basically a geological phenomenon, causing a depression in the ground which then accumulates rainwater.

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With a click of a button, the curtains close. The patient doesn’t even have to get out of bed. Now it’s time for treatment. She checks out drug information with a tablet assigned to her.

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