Cool art to beat the summer heatーNHK WORLD-JAPAN NEWS
Summer is in full swing with temperatures soaring in both the US and Japan. Here in New York City, authorities have issued a heat advisory urging residents to protect themselves. NHK World You know Yuki went out in search of a unique way to stay cool. Whether it’s eating ice cream, going to the pool or the beach, or even traveling overseas, people have their own way of beating the heat. But I want to introduce you to a Japanese art form here in Queens that’s been attracting New Yorkers literally because of how cool they are. If you could take a look at this flag over here. Some of you might have visited Japan, especially in the summer season. It says ki meaning ice in Japanese. I can’t wait to get out of this humid 30° C weather. Let’s cool off inside. I know it’s much more comfortable, but please take a look over there. It’s a sculpture handmade from ice. And if you could take a closer look, it’s a swan. Now, this is Ashinto Okamoto, and he’s the co-founder of this studio. He’s a second generation ice sculptor uh which started this business with his father here in New York. So, Shinto, sorry for interrupting. Thank you for having us. Welcome. So, um I know this requires hard work, but how does this process work out? Well, uh everything we do starts with a crystal clear block here and depending on what we make every day, uh the artists here will take the design, study it and then then and sculpt it using chainsaws, chisels, drills, uh and all different kind of tools. Now, look at the details over here. Um so, what’s the hard part of making this? The hard part? The hard part of making this is that it’s it’s melting. You know, it’s ice is a And you’re sweating, too. You know, if everyone wants it’s mixture of sweat and and water, uh, which is refreshing in the summertime. Um, but, you know, we do both carvings outside the freezer and inside the freezer. Um, I prefer to carve outside because that’s how I was I was taught. Um, but, uh, you know, the hardest part is that it’s it’s melting as you’re carving. And what’s the special part of making it in here, New York? Um, I think what’s very special about carving ice in New York is that New York City is uh, you know, where all the the world’s best taste makers, designers, uh, uh, and and corporations are are are based here and, you know, they’re always uh, hungry for something different and fresh. uh and we had the fortune of connecting with some amazing um you know clients uh to be able to create something that’s never been done before in ice. Now one of the key to making these unique ice sculptures is the quality of the ice itself. First it has to be crystal clear and second it can’t melt that easily. So Shinto, can you show us how you make these ices? Sure. These are the ice machines that make blocks of ice. So, I can show you one machine that’s ready to pull this guy over here. As you can see, uh here’s the machine over here. The water is on top, but you can see that when you put your hand in here, the ice is ready to go. It’s inside here. There you go. Oh, wow. Never dive in. Yeah. There you go. So, it’s ready to pull. You know, each machine makes uh two blocks, 300 lb each. Um, you know, it’s about 40 gallons of water. And what will be important for you when you make these ice? Well, you know, we use New York City water. It’s a great water. Uh, it’s triple filtered. It’s basically twofold. One is uh one direction freezing. There’s a coolant only in the bottom that freezes bottom up. And two is circulating of the water here. So, by pump by moving the water, it eliminates all the the impurities and and air bubbles. Uh and that’s how we get crystal clear ice. And how long does these uh ice stand for? Uh you know crystal clear ice uh means it’s free of air bubbles. The no air bubbles means uh minimum surface area to melt and that’s what dictates the speed of melting. So clear ice is a very slow melting ice. uh for sculptures that we make for events and parties you know in the uh climate control room in general about six to eight hours uh it takes more than uh than a day to completely melt away. Now the special Isis made with care has become one of the musthaves in New York’s iconic venues. So Shinto I’m ready to go in geared up. Great. Go to shall we? Big door. Come on in. Oh, it’s so frigid in here. How cold is it here? It gets pretty cold in here. In general, usually about uh you know, we keep it around 18° or so. So, uh if you could take a look over here, they’re making the ice cubes out of the machines. And these ice cubes are for New York’s high-end bars and rooftops and also speak easys, which have become very popular here. Last year in the high season, they sold about 20,000 ice cubes in just one day. So, Shinto, I know you’re receiving orders all year round, but uh for this summer, how’s it turning out so far? It’s been very very busy. You know, every year we’ve uh been creating more more clients and uh you know, this big hand cut has become a global standard. I think one of the most popular interactive uh projects we do will be the ice mug making. Ice mug. So you can see one over here. Wow. So this is the best way to enjoy a drink. It sure is. And extra large size. There you go. So with these um how do you want the New Yorkers to enjoy and feel your creation? Well, um you know, ice sculpture is a is a really fun piece for the summer relief from the from the heat. In winter time, it’s a celebration of the season. I think ice sculpture has a very special place in events industry uh because it’s an ephemeral material. It’s something that goes away. It embodies the passing of time. So it really, you know, it makes the the the present moment that much more precious. And to see uh a sculpture with so much uh work put into it uh melting in front of your eyes uh makes everyone really appreciate uh that time together. Thank you so much, Shinto. Um, I want to hear more, but uh, it is getting quite cold in here. Get out of here. Missing the heat. There you go. Amidst the summer heat, Okamoto Studios sharpens their craft with unmelting passion, proving that even in the hottest days in New York, true art stays cool. You know Yuki NHK World, New York.
Summer is in full swing, with temperatures soaring, in both the US and Japan. In New York City, authorities have issued a heat advisory urging residents to protect themselves. NHK World’s Inoue Yuki went out in search of a unique way to stay cool. #usa #newyork #japan #weather #art
More stories on the US: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/tags/3/
Please subscribe HERE: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSPEjw8F2nQDtmUKPFNF7_A?sub_confirmation=1