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Anatomical Fish Zip Bags by Japanese Designer Keiko Otsuhata

Japanese designer Keiko Otsuhata has brought a new dimension to the popularity of fish as food by turning the sea creature into a functional-out-of-water zip bag. In Japan, fried fish (especially mackerel) is often seen on bar menus, and is prepared by splitting the fish through its stomach and frying it flat. The sight of fried fish is common visual vocabulary in Japan, but Otsuhata was curious about what the fish looked like in its pre-fried state, so she bought one from the grocery store, took photographs, and made it into a zip bag.

Tokyo-based Otsuhata is also a writer for the Japanese website Daily Portal Z, where she often documents and shares her creative process as she explores pop culture and humor. You can see how she made the original fish bag, as well as a pair of pigeon shoes.

Three varieties of Otsuhata’s fish bags—kinme, saury, and sea bream—are available in The Colossal Shop.