Yoshihiro Okada has become a popular country in his native country of Japan, after he developed an ingenious way of peeling tangerines, six years ago. It might sound like an arid subject, but the Japanese author has already published two books on peeling tangerines, and even launched a DVD version.

If you’ve been throwing away orange and tangerine peels all this time, then you’ve been missing out on a very fun way to make figurines for your little ones. Using a lot of imagination and a sharp blade, Yoshihiro Okada has been creating detailed figurines out of citrus fruits. It all started six years ago, when he noticed the peel he had removed from a tangerine looked a little like a scorpion. Most everyone else would have probably smiled and moved on with their lives, but not Yoshihiro. He spent the next two weeks buying loads of tangerines and practicing his peeling technique until he got his scorpion just right.

The fruit peel artist didn’t rest on his laurels, he kept practicing, and he is now able to create over 80 different animals from a single tangerine peel, ranging from monkeys to rabbits and horses. “It’s like origami that uses a single sheet of paper to produce an elaborate design,” he said. “It’s part of the essence of Japanese culture, and my form of art is being accepted in the same way.” In fact, his new technique is so popular in Japan, his two books have sold in over 100,000 copies, which is not bad considering we’re talking about peeling fruits. He’s also been featured on over 60 television shows.

After conquering the Land of the Rising Sun with his peeling art, Yoshihiro Okada has his sights set for America. Asked if he thinks Americans will appreciate his work, he artist who claims his peeling technique was “very difficult to invent” said  “yes, I think so, because it’s very interesting and so unique.” I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

via WOWT