Tatenbanko is the the Japanese art of creating three dimensional perspectives from paper, dating back to the Edo Period of feudal Japan. It seems, though long forgotten, that it has been revived and Tatebanko.com out of Japan is starting to offer small kits, with it’s first offerings based on the famous woodblock printers, Hokusai and Hiroshige.

While something like this might seem just a bit ‘drull’ for some, there is a lot to be said about this sort of activity, namely the tactile interactivity and sense of peace it often brings the person doing it. Then of course there is the simple pleasure in just looking at it; a bit like those amazing 2D/3D ‘landscapes’ made from cork one used to see at Chinese restaurants that would transfix you. It’s that whole old school thing that seems to be lacking from our modern society these days.

We are not too sure about the ‘box’ it seems to be presented in but we are sure the industrious out there can do something a little more….. ‘designery’ but this is pretty cool.

Check it out at Tatebanko.com

(seen first at coolhunting.com)