Imagine people using laser cutters and the applications they are likely to be used for and you are likely to imagine everything from carefully fitted pieces of high tech planes to intricate models created by architectural firms for presentation to their clients, to wedding invitations that are cut into delicate designs. All of those are certainly popular and impressive uses for the state of the art equipment, but recently an advertising firm located in used the technology to create a message of hope for victims of the Tsunami, using an everyday item of food.
The group took strips of seaweed – the simple food item that is known as Nori and used to wrap individual pieces of sushi – and etched Japanese symbols into it in order to raise awareness for victims of the tragic event and inspire a vision for the country’s future in the face of mounting desolation.
Using high tech laser cutters, the firm inscribed a variety of ancient Japanese symbols into the sheets of seaweed. The goal was to combine a vision of the future, which was represented by the use of the technologically advanced equipment, with images from the past, specifically the messages of hope that the Japanese symbols conveyed. The symbols that were chosen by the agency represented such positive messages as hope, beauty, luck, longevity and growth.
The items were an instant hit, and were particularly striking when seen against the backdrop of the white rice that is also an essential element of sushi construction. Although the items garnered a great deal of positive attention and press in Japan, there were no reports as to what the cost of producing the custom sushi wrappers was, or whether the item was going to become a regularly featured product or whether it was simply produced for publicity and image purposes.