This is the blog for Red Fish Gifts, a project designed by Akane Katsuyama to bring you original anime-themed artwork and designs. All images are original works by Akane, and we hope you enjoy them.
Akane Katsuyama, artist
Akane Katsuyama is the artist. Her work features anime- and Japanese-themed art, as well as items from your favorite video games, manga, and internet memes. She is happy to offer these designs on t-shirts, messenger bags, mugs, stickers, and more through the Red Fish Gifts store. She is also available to discuss custom designs and artwork.
Akane often makes appearances an at the Artist's Alleys of anime conventions like Anime Central and the Anime Reactor, where she sells artwork as well as anime-themed bookmarks, postcards, stickers, and more. Akane also does art showings and photography with her family. Her work has been shown in local art galleries and art guild shows.
Noshi, tech goon
Noshi is the "Chief Blogmonkey," which is to say the techie who makes sure the blog is blogging, the twitter is tweeting, and polls are polling, and the Red Fish are... fishing? Basically he makes sure the bits and bytes line up.
If you would like to contact us, please leave us a note on:
- The Red Fish Gifts blog
- AkaneKatsuyama on Twitter
- Akane Katsuyama on Facebook
- Akane-no-Hime on DeviantArt
Red Fish Blue Fish
The "fish" in "Red Fish Gifts" come from Japanese tradition. When white paper has been developed, but before it was commonplace, it became traditional to use paper, folded in a formal way, to wrap a gift for good fortune. Customs developed about the way to fold the paper, and what colors to use. Heavy white paper and red/white paper were often used.
Over time, these ceremonial gift wrappers became known as "noshi," because it was also considered good luck to enclose a gift of "noshita awabi" (dried abalone meat) in the wrappers. This tradition evolved over the years, but small paper foldings are still attached to gifts in Japan, much as gift tags are used in the West.
If you'd like more information on this Japanese tradition, please visit:
