Kusudama

"Kusudama. The classical meaning is a small perfumed pouch, the scent created through a mixing of herbs and flowers, but Yoshioka's childhood memories would associate this word with brightly colored papier-mâché balls that were hung in the covered market places of prewar Tokyo, and which were placed in front of newly opened shops to attract customers. These kusudama were once a common sight in Tokyo, especially in Shitamachi, Tokyo's lower-town neighborhood located along the Sumida River, w...