a kinetic display system driven by shaved katsuobushi flakes
Katsuo Gravity by UO is a permanent installation located at Kayanoya Kyoto Gion, the flagship Kansai store of a Japanese brand specializing in dashi products and food culture. The work is centered on a katsuobushi shaving machine that transforms freshly shaved bonito flakes into a continuous kinetic display.
Katsuobushi, made from dried, fermented, and smoked bonito, is a key ingredient in Japanese dashi, the foundational broth used across a wide range of dishes. In the installation, ultra-thin flakes (approximately 0.01 mm) are released after shaving and exposed to air, where they drift and descend in irregular motion due to their lightness and fragility.
Beneath the falling flakes, a circular platform collects the material. As the accumulation increases, the platform gradually tilts, operating in a manner comparable to a shishi-odoshi. Once a threshold is reached, the collected flakes are released, resetting the cycle. The system creates a continuous interaction between dispersion, accumulation, and release.
each katsuobushi flake is so delicate that it becomes almost translucent in the light | all images courtesy of UO
a sensory system linking food preparation and spatial design
The installation highlights two material conditions of katsuobushi: the near-weightless behavior of individual flakes and the emergence of mass through aggregation. These contrasting states are made visible through movement and mechanical response within the installation.
Freshly shaved katsuobushi is collected by staff from beneath the installation and used directly in the preparation of dashi and dishes served in the store, linking the process to daily culinary practice rather than presenting it as a purely visual system.
The installation by UO creative studio aligns with Kayanoya’s concept of ‘experiencing dashi culture through all five senses,’ integrating material process, food preparation, and spatial experience within a single operational framework.
as the katsuobushi flakes gradually accumulate, the circular stage tilts under their weight, allowing them to fall
permanently installed in the store, the installation continues to produce freshly shaved katsuobushi