Here is to a Hopping New Year! 新年快乐! 恭喜发财!

Happy Lunar New Year! The new year of the Water Rabbit ushering in harmony and hope. The Spring Festival of good fortune and prosperity.

The gentle rabbit, the fourth of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs, is kind, elegant and patient and is a symbol of hope and longevity. The water element associated with this year makes it a Black Rabbit year, for in traditional Chinese culture, the water is thought to be black. Water also means fortune. And with a leap month added to the lunar calendar, 2023 is considered a year of double fortune. So this year will bring about hope, peace, calmness, prosperity, and a chance for us to take a step back and calmly realign ourselves with our goals and carefully plan for the steps required to achieve them. After all, “goals are dreams with deadlines,” and this year happens to be an opportune time for making our dreams happen.

Luckily, the year of the Water Rabbit is expected to be favourable for most zodiac signs. And to cash in on all that luck, we must celebrate and do things that gain us extra fortune credits. Deck the halls in red, oranges and bunnies, dress in red or your lucky colours, feast on lucky foods, and don’t forget to share the love with red packets. Let’s all have an auspicious Lunar New Year!

New at PICA—Digital Downloads!

Introducing PICA Things We Love Digital Download Prints! You know PICA Things We Love as the high-quality colourful illustration professionally printed wall art print shop. Now you’ll be able to choose between ordering a physical print shipped directly to your door and an instant digital download. The digital download print lets you have the artwork right away, saving shipping time and cost. It allows you to print it at home, at the local print shop you love, or at an online print store you trust. It gives you a choice to have the print in a variety of sizes that go beyond what we offer at the moment for our physical prints and the option to print multiple copies: one for your home, one for your office, and one for anywhere else that you can think of.

The Digital Downloads are available here on our PICA website and on our Etsy shop.

The first prints available are the newly added series of Halloween prints. Over the coming weeks, we’ll expand our digital downloads library, starting with our best sellers.

So what do I get with a digital download purchase?

Each offered digital download print will get you five high-quality, high-resolution 300dpi PNG print files in:

→ 2:3 ratio for printing 4×6 in., 6×9 in., 8×12 in., 10×15 in., 12×18 in., 16×24 in., 20×30 in. and 24×36 in
→ 3:4 ratio for printing 6×8 in., 9×12 in., 12×16 in., 15×20 in. and 18×24 in
→ 4:5 ratio for printing 4×5 in., 8×10 in., 12×15 in., 16×20 in., 24×30 in. and 40×50 cm
→ International paper size (ISO) for printing 5×7 in., A5, A4, A3, A2, A1 and 50×70 cm
→ 11×14 in.

You can downsize each file to any of the mentioned frame sizes within the specified ratio. Each file being 300dpi means you could potentially go even bigger, but there might be slight quality loss in the process. Staying within the provided sizes means you will always get the best quality print possible from the printer.

And if you have trouble printing any files or have a custom size in mind not listed, don’t hesitate to send us a message.

How do I print my digital artwork?

This is up to you! You can print your artwork from your home with the printer you love. You can get it printed professionally from your local or online print shop.

For best results, use a high-quality medium or heavyweight stock matte photo paper with quality ink professional printer. For reference, all our physical prints are printed with bleed on a high-quality heavyweight 189g/m2 stock Epson Enhanced Matte Paper on a professional wide format Epson printer using 100-year lasting pigment ink technology.

This is what our print looks like hot off the press.

How does digital download work?

After clearing your payment, you can access your digital download files on the Order Confirmation page. In addition to the order confirmation email, you will receive a separate email containing the link to your purchased artwork files. This link will expire 24 hours after the purchase. You can then receive a new download link by clicking on the expired one, and it will be sent to your email address used for the initial purchase.

If you are shopping on Etsy, you can access your instant digital download files by going to Your Account > Purchases and reviews. Once you have located your order, click the “Download now” button.

We are very excited to introduce our digital download prints and offer them at discounted prices for a limited time! We hope our illustration prints continue to bring colour and joy to your walls.

New PICA prints: the Halloween edition!

The spooky season is well upon us. Is your home decorated in all its wickedly horrifying attire yet? Or perhaps your walls are missing that something-something? Because we have something new and frightfully delightful for you. Our ever-colourful library of prints just welcomed three new additions featuring ghosts, bats, eerie Daruma and more. So without further ado, please meet our new Halloween illustration PICA prints.

Halloween Daruma Jack-o'-Lantern Pop Art Print

Our grumpy Daruma-san has transformed into a Jack-o'-lantern, accompanied by a cauldron of bats. Why not change up your Daruma print for this spooky seasonal edition?

Wait, what is Daruma, you ask? Daruma (だるま・達磨) is a traditional Japanese doll and a symbol of perseverance and good luck. It is used to set goals by colouring one of the doll's eyes when setting a goal or making a wish and colouring the other when that goal has been achieved, or that wish came true. Interested in hearing more of what makes Daruma so special to us, head on over here.

Supernatural Halloween Ghost Pop Art Print

How about a Japanese-style supernatural Halloween ghost print? Here we have a frightfully hauntingly-cute ghost in this magical starry night, a pair of eerie onibi spirits and a flying cauldron of bats. What a fun ghostly delightful addition to any wall!

Hold on, what are these onibi you speak of, you say? Onibi (おにび・鬼火), literally translated as demon or ghost fires, are a type of atmospheric ghost lights popular in Japanese supernatural folklore. They are the spirit fireballs born from the remains of the departed. They are often believed to be vengeful spirits or spirits with unfinished business. In short, a must-have for your Halloween decor!

Spooky Halloween Bats Pop Art Print

And last but not least, the spooky cute cauldron of bats in the night sky Halloween print! Who doesn't love bats at Halloween? No, really, who? They are just so adorable! Halloween is not complete without them, as they are simply essential.

So there you have it—our Halloween collection just for you and your walls. But don't wait too long. Halloween is just around the corner.

Oh, I almost forgot! Don't want to wait for your print to arrive at your door? Well, we've got some news for you! All our Halloween prints are available as Digital Downloads, and for a limited time, they are on SALE! So, what are you waiting for? Head on over here to shop now!

The roaring Tiger is here to rule! 新年快乐! 恭喜发财!

Happy Lunar New Year of the Water Tiger! A year of change and taking confident, daring actions!

Today we ring in the year of the new brave water zodiac and with it the year of new directions and bold actions. Water is a powerful force of nature, conquering obstacles and changing its path without losing its way. And the Tiger, the king of all beasts in Chinese culture, is a symbol of strength, courage and big undertakings. But Tiger is also temperamental. While it is kind and adventurous, it can also be aggressive and short-tempered. So with the Water Tiger taking charge for the next twelve months, be ready for a capricious year ahead of us, and with it many new daring and exciting exploits to come.

Now don’t put off putting on your best hear-me-roar outfit, and go on and celebrate the new year! There is still time, as the festivities last till February 15th. So if you have a rad red outfit, dress up and party! Especially if you are a tiger yourself, it means extra good luck for you in your birth year.

Happy New ‘22 Year to You!

The brand spanking new year is here! With the new year come new resolutions, new goals, and new ambitions, which hopefully lead to new milestones, new success stories, and unforgettable experiences.

Here is hoping 2022 will be good to me and you!

Happy New Year!!! Cheers!

Fun fact: In Japanese 22, which can be pronounced as ni ni (にに, two two), sounds close to nyan nyan (にゃんにゃん) — a sound that a cat makes (meow meow) in Japanese. And thus, 22 is often associated with cats. In fact, in Japan, February 22nd (2/22 or にゃんにゃんにゃん, nyan nyan nyan) is considered to be a 猫の日 (neko no hi, Cat Day). So, this nyan nyan year also happens to be the year of the tiger! What are the chances?! Yeah, I am feline good that this could be a purr-fect new year. 😻

Interested in learning more about the big New Year or Oshogatsu celebration in the land of the rising sun? Then head on over here to fuel your knowledge for all things New Year in Japan.

Happy Ho Ho Ho to You!

Today is the day! The fun ugly sweater weather extravaganza. (If it’s cold where you are. If not, fun ugly tank tops?) Stretchy pants for dinner attire. The cheesy songs about snow, jolly old Saint Nick, his flying reindeer, and O Christmas tree. You know, all the fa-la-la-la-la and such. It’s finally the time to let go, be silly, happy, and generous with gifts! And maybe be a little naughty with all that cookie dough...😏

Here is to a very merry Christmas from our PICA family to yours! Cheers!

Oh, and if you are here because of a deep desire to know if Japan celebrates Christmas, then head on over here to fuel your need for knowledge on all Japanese things ho ho ho.

New Koinobori Print! Celebrating Childhood, Spring, Strength and Perseverance

The leaves are budding. The flowers are blooming. The sweet essence of spring is finally in the air. Japan is in the middle of its sakura flower-viewing season, Hanami (花見), and soon after that is the Golden Week (ゴールデンウィーク) or 黄金週間 (ougon shuukan) namesaked for the four consecutive holidays falling on the first week of May. The May 5th Children's Day falls as the last of the holidays in the Golden Week holiday chain and is perhaps the most significant one. For nothing screams the height of spring and the forthcoming week-long celebration as seeing its giant colourful carp streamers swimming in the wind against the bright turquoise sky amongst the gently billowing blush sakura petals as confetti descending from above.

And with this, we would like to introduce to you the newest edition of our colourful Pop Art PICA print collection—the Koinobori (鯉のぼり) print. The print features the brightly illustrated koinobori banners floating amongst the bright blue sky's white clouds—a quintessential image of springtime Japan. Bearing our Pop Art colour and fun pattern design, the print hits that nostalgic note of warmth, sunshine and childlike innocence.

But what is koinobori? What does it have to do with springtime or Children's Day? Is there more to it than just being a colourful banner in the sky?

Beneath its colourfully painted scales lies deep symbolism born of an ancient legend, fearless warriors and history spanning hundreds of years across the land and sea. So let's start at the top: Children's Day.

Photo by sakura_chihaya+

Children's Day: The Origin Story

Children's Day or 子供の日 (kodomo no hi) takes place on May 5th and marks the end of the Golden Week in Japan consisting of Showa Day (昭和の日, Shouwa no hi) on April 29th, Constitution Day (憲法記念日, kenpou kinenbi) on May 3rd and Greenery Day (みどりの日, midori no hi) on May 4th.

Children's Day holiday originated as Tango no Sekku (端午の節句). It is one of the five seasonal celebrations, Gosekku (五節句), that the Japanese imperial court, which was heavily influenced by the Chinese customs at the time, adapted from China during the Nara period (奈良時代, Nara jidai; 710 to 794). The Chinese origin holiday is known as Double Fifth in China or as the Dragon Boat Festival in the West. Similarly, it falls on the fifth day of the fifth month. But unlike Japan that has now adopted the Georgian calendar, the Dragon Boat Festival uses the lunar calendar. So unlike Children's Day in Japan, Double Fifth falls somewhere in June, with the actual date varying year to year.

Tai O Dragon Boat Water Parade

All of the five adapted Gosekku holidays are still celebrated to this day. Just as Tango no Sekku is now known as Children's Day, so do the other ones now go by their alternative names.

Jinjitsu no Sekku (人日の節句) that originated in China on the seventh day of the first month is now being celebrated on January 7th according to the solar calendar. In ancient China, each day of the first week of the Lunar New Year celebrations was dedicated to one animal that was forbidden to kill. The first day was dedicated to the chicken. The second to the dog. The third to the boar or pig. The fourth to the sheep, followed by the cow and the sixth to the horse. On the seventh day, known as human day, no punishments were handed to the criminals. As it got brought over to Japan, it became known as Nanakusa no Sekku (七草の節句, the feast of seven herbs) when it became customary to eat a seven-herb rice porridge (七草粥, nanakusa-gayu) to pray for health in the new year.

Then there is the March 3rd Joushi no Sekku (上巳の節句) that was adapted as Momo no Sekku (桃の節句, peach festival) also known as Hina Matsuri (雛祭り, doll festival) traditionally dedicated to girls.

It is then followed by the May 5th Tango no Sekku, Children's Day, and Shichiseki no Sekku (七夕の節句) adapted as Tanabata (七夕) or Star Festival (星祭り, hoshi matsuri) in Japan. And finally September 9th Chouyou no Sekku (重陽の節句), adapted as Kiku no Sekku (菊の節句, chrysanthemum festival) where one drinks chrysanthemum sake to wish for longevity of one's life.

稚遊五節句之内 端午 (Elegant Play of the Five Festivals, Tango) by 歌川 國芳 (Utagawa Kuniyoshi) 1840 print

二川 (Futakawa) by 歌川 貞秀 (Utagawa Sadahide) 1865 print

Now that we are familiar with the Gosekku holiday lineup let's get back to the Tango no Sekku or as it is otherwise known as Shoubu no Sekki (菖蒲の節句, iris festival) or better yet as Boys' Day.

In China, the fifth month has long been considered unlucky, but the Japanese court chose to offset its negative association by celebrating it during the Nara period. May 5th Iris Festival came from the tradition of drinking medicinal liquor with immersed iris plants and taking iris-infused baths to ward off evil and illnesses. Celebrating May 5th as Boys' Day along with its modern-day traditions became more commonplace during the Kamakura period (鎌倉時代, Kamakura jidai, 1185–1333)—a time when the samurai (侍), the warrior caste, emerged and thus established feudal Japan.

The word iris (菖蒲, shoubu) and its homonym for victory (勝負, shoubu) became interconnected with the iris flower becoming an essential emblem of the warrior class, and the Iris Festival becoming dedicated solely to celebrate boys' strength, ability and success. It became popular to decorate the home with samurai helmets, such as kabuto (兜) and koinobori.

Boy’s festival decorations in 1957 featuring iris illustrations and banners, carp and samurai dolls. Photo by born1945

During the Meiji era (明治時代, Meiji jidai, from 1868 through 1912), however, as a part of modernization on January 1st, 1873, the government adopted the Georgian calendar and on January 4th of the same year, it abolished the five seasonal lunar calendar holidays, Gosekku. In communities, however, the Gosekku celebrations continued, and in 1948 one of them, the Tango no Sekku, due to its association with the Boys' Day, was renamed as Children's Day to celebrate the health and growth of both boys and girls and was made an official national holiday. The rest of the Gosekku celebrations continue to be celebrated but are not considered to be national holidays.

prefer MOKU 木製の五月人形. New age samurai-inspired Children’s Day festival decoration.

五月人形 兜飾り 希翔 EVOLVE 兜 GOUKEN. Kabuto, samurai helmet Children’s Day festival decoration.

Children's Day Decorations

The modern decoration practice can be linked back to the samurai's Kamakura period when people began celebrating Tango no Sekku as Boys' Day. As a wish for their sons to grow up healthy and as strong as the samurai, households would display warrior dolls, samurai armour (鎧, yoroi) or samurai helmets (兜, kabuto) inside the home and hang koinobori (carp streamers) outside. While some households still display miniature samurai armour or samurai dolls today, it is koinobori decor that is most recognized and synonymous with Children's Day.

Let's take a look at the incredible world of koinobori.

Koinobori (鯉のぼり) in Japanese is a combination of two words, koi and nobori. Koi (鯉) is a carp and nobori (のぼり) is a flag, a banner or a streamer. As the name suggests, koinobori is a streamer or a windsock dressed to resemble a carp. It is often meant to be flown in high places, such as one's balcony, children's park or school grounds. It can be as small as a miniature and as large as one can imagine. The largest one, for instance, in Kazo, Saitama, where the streamers are actively produced, in 1988 reached up to 100 meters in length! These streamers adorn the landscape of Japan beginning in April through early May. The sight of the carp streamers dancing in the wind makes it seem as if they are truly swimming in the blue waters of the sky.

Photo by Yamashita Yohei

But how did the carp on the nobori banners come to be?

The first koinobori with painted carp imagery came to be during the Edo period (江戸時代, Edo jidai, 1603 to 1868). They were heavily influenced by the nobori flags used by the samurai of the Sengoku period (戦国時代, Sengoku jidai, "Warring States period," 1467 to 1615) on the battlefield. While the use of a windsock came to be related to the samurai, the carp was born out of a legend.

Buddhist temple depicting a carp and a dragon legend. Photo by Silvia Yohani

The Carp and the Legend

The Tango no Sekku originated in ancient China. And so did the legend of the carp. As the legend goes, a school of fish was swimming against the river current as it approached the waterfall, known as the dragon gate (龍門 or 竜門, ryuumon). While most fish gave up, the carp proceeded to swim up the waterfall and was brave enough to leap over it. As it leaped over the gate, it transformed into a mighty dragon. The Chinese dragon's discernable scales remind us of it being a descendent from the carp. It is a powerful benevolent creature and an auspicious symbol since ancient times. Its existence is a cultural symbol of bravery, perseverance and success.

Chinese dragon on a temple rooftop. Photo by Yu Kato

There is even a Chinese proverb "鯉魚跳龍門" (lǐyú tiào lóngmén) which translates to "The carp has leaped through the dragon's gate." It represents the ability of one to overcome obstacles and to succeed. And as they rise in the sky, the koinobori streamers embody parents' desire for their children to grow up strong and successful.

Chinese dragon in a temple in Sapporo. Photo by Alyona Polianskaia

The Koinobori Look

水道橋駿河臺 (Suidoubashi Bridge and Surugadai) by 歌川広重 (Hiroshige) 1857 print

鯉のぼり (Carp Streamer) by 武内桂舟 (Takeuchi Keishu) ca. 1900-1910s print

When the koinobori were first seen during the Edo period, they were only painted black to resemble the wild carp's colour. Over time in Meiji and then the Showa periods, colours like red and blue began to be introduced. Until recently, the "traditional" koinobori tended to use specific colours and be hung in a very particular order.

Traditional koinobori set

The standard koinobori set consisted of a large black carp (真鯉, magoi) representing the father, followed by a smaller red carp (緋鯉, higoi) representing the mother, and lastly by an even smaller blue carp representing the eldest son. Additional smaller carps in remaining colours, such as green, orange and purple, would follow to represent the younger siblings, originally sons.

prefer MOKU 木製 室内 鯉のぼり konori. 30cm indoor wooden koinobori set.

The carp family set, established during the Showa period, would be displayed by attaching each streamer to a pole in order. The first koinobori from the top would be the black 'father' carp. It would then be followed by the 'mother' carp and the 'children' down below. Above the 'father' carp, a pair of moving arrow-spoked wheels 矢車 (yaguruma), a decorative windmill, would be attached to the top of a pole. Along with it would be placed a golden round spinning vane called 回転球 (kaitenkyuu) and 吹き流し (fukinagashi) colourful windsock streamer often adorned with the family crest. All of these were meant as a form of protection from harm and against evil.

Today it would be difficult to spot a complete traditional set in an urban setting. Due to limited space and small balconies, people opt-in for a miniature indoor display set or a couple of koinobori streamers hung on the window.

The koinobori are no longer only hung vertically on the pole as they did back in the day. These days they are more often hung horizontally across. This practice is especially popular with public displays of koinobori, where tens or hundreds can be hung up in vast open spaces like fields, rivers and lakes for public events and festival celebrations.

Nowadays, the streamers also come in various sizes, including small ones for indoor use and in a large variety of colours and fun, creative patterns that have a fresh modern feel to them. They are also no longer exclusive to boys, and many families hang koinobori to honour all of their children.

New style koinobori streamers by Madame MO

So when should you see the koinobori soar in the sky?

The koinobori can be seen as early as the last week of March following the Spring (Vernal) Equinox (春分の日, shunbun no hi) national holiday, and up until the middle of May after the Children's Day celebration comes to an end. Some households choose to keep the koinobori up until June to honour the original date of the 5th day of the 5th month as per the lunar calendar.

Photo by TK12_2012

As with everything in Japan, objects on display tend to have auspicious meaning attached to them. Koinobori is no exception to this rule. People proudly hang the streamers as a wish to attract fortune and good luck to the children. The carp symbolizes strength, health and perseverance. And with koinobori, the parents wish their children to grow up strong, healthy and successful in life. The holiday is no longer exclusive to the boys in the family but has evolved to include all children regardless of gender.

SHOP KOINOBORI PRINT

With our PICA Koinobori Pop Art print, we wish to share this wonderful cultural icon with you. These colourful koinobori represent childhood, innocence, spring, warmth, celebration, strength, achievement, prosperity and growth. Hang the print on your wall to stay in touch with your inner childhood ambitions. Frame it in your kids' room as a wish for them to grow up as the magical, mighty soon-to-become-dragon earnest carp.

The Ox has moo-ved in! 新年快乐! 恭喜发财!

Happy 牛 Year! Happy Spring Festival and Lunar New Year! Dress in red and celebrate, for today marks the beginning of the year of the gentle and good-natured Golden Ox.

Last year’s Rat marked the beginning of the 12 animal Chinese Astrology cycle as it was the first to arrive at the Jade Emperor's place on the back of the Ox. So this year it is Ox’s turn to shine, and hopefully leave us with a much better experience of this new 12-year cycle emerging under the metal element, denoting the next 12 months as the age of ambition and progress.

The Ox is grounded and gentle. It is hardworking, reliable, and valued for its honesty. The Ox is all about positivity. And we definitely could use some of that right now.

On top of that, the Ox is seen as an auspicious animal with the power to grant wishes. So taking advantage of that, this year we would like to wish for all of us to be able to emulate the great Ox by embodying all the exceptional qualities of this year's animal zodiac.

May this year live up to its potential by grounding us, giving us the strength to pursue our ambitions, bringing about progress, and helping us find harmony in loyalty and reliability in each of us.

Cheers to the new year of the mighty Ox!

Welcome, 2021! Happy New Year!

The year 2020 has been a challenging one for everyone. It has turned our world upside down. Yet, it showed us that despite anything we have the power to adapt.

I am sure to all of us last year’s countdown meant more than it ever did before. It was the countdown to starting anew, turning the page on 2020 and hoping for a fresh start as we ring in the brand new year.

So we say, here is to new beginnings, to a chance for a happy year ahead of us, and most importantly to a promising possibility of safe family reunions! May this year be everything we all wish it to be!

Happy New Year! Happy 2021!

Happy Christmas!

The winter holidays are finally here! And we suspect your Christmas trees or your choice of festive dwelling decorations have been up a lot sooner this year than usual. I know ours were! We went all out this year as we wanted to cram in as much ‘joy’ as we could. And we all could use a little bit of joy this year, can't we? We truly hope this winter holiday season you all found your joy under the tree, on your doorstep, in a zoom call, in a letter, Christmas card or a box nicely wrapped and delivered to you by your friendly neighbourhood postman or postwoman.

Wishing you the best this holiday season from our PICA family to yours!

Stay in. Stay safe. Celebrate. Happy Christmas! Happy festivities! Cheers!