Yoku Moku Official Podcast "Okashi na Oshaberi." Welcomes Wood Carving Artist "KIBORINO KONNO" as July Guest!

YOKU MOKU Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, President: Takeshi Fujinawa) is pleased to announce that "YOKU MOKU Presents Okashi na Oshaberi.," which began streaming in October 2025, will feature wood carving artist "KIBORINO KONNO" as a guest in July 2026, with new episodes to be released. "Okashi na Oshaberi." is a podcast program delivered by Yoku Moku with the desire to be listened to "while holding a snack, during a moment of relaxation." The program invites various guests active in different fields, such as writers and artists, and uses conversations about sweets as a starting point to delve into unexpected topics like their creative backgrounds, ways to enjoy everyday life, and their careers. Please enjoy this time of conversation with our wonderful guests, accompanied by your favorite snacks.

"YOKU MOKU Presents Okashi na Oshaberi." can be found here: https://linktr.ee/sns_info_ym

YOKU MOKU Presents Okashi na Oshaberi.

A Special Conversation Time Born from the Presence of Sweets

"Okashi na Oshaberi." has welcomed a diverse range of guests, including writers, creators, and artists. Our employees, who serve as the personalities, interview guests on various themes, such as memories of Yoku Moku and Cigale®, dreams, and thoughtful gifts for loved ones. Using "sweets" as a catalyst, the program delves into memories, values, and daily life, offering hints to enrich everyday living by reflecting on others and oneself.

KIBORINO KONNO

The guest for July 2026, in the tenth month since the program's launch, is wood carving artist "KIBORINO KONNO." They express familiar everyday objects through incredibly detailed wood carvings that are almost indistinguishable from the real thing. Our connection began on social media after they created a wood carving that looked just like a Cigale®, and we have since deepened our exchange, with them continuing to create works inspired by Cigale®.

In this episode, KIBORINO KONNO will discuss the charm of Cigale® from an artistic perspective, and the tactile sensations and thought processes unique to handcrafted "wood carving" in an era of rising AI.

Also Linked with the Official Yoku Moku note!

The official Yoku Moku note features essays that tie in with the podcast. Guests, such as writers and artists, share their episodes related to sweets in newly written pieces. In the podcast, we delve a little deeper into these essays, asking about their creation secrets and the thoughts behind their writing.

Official Yoku Moku note "Okashi na Monogatari" (Sweet Stories)

https://note.com/yokumoku_jp/m/m1a2f7fc981da

Program Overview

Program Title: YOKU MOKU Presents Okashi na Oshaberi.

Streaming Start: October 2025 –

Streaming Platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music

【July Streaming Details】

Guest: KIBORINO KONNO

Streaming Dates: July 10, 2026 (Fri), July 24, 2026 (Fri)

Content:

● Konno's Sensibility, Essential in the Age of AI!

- The charm of manual work, which AI lacks, enjoying even when things don't go well

- High resolution! What are the charms of "Cigale®" from Konno's perspective?

★ Wood carving as a communication tool / A comfortable relationship between creator and company that began with a single piece of work.

- Are they actually similar? What are the commonalities between Konno's wood carvings and Yoku Moku?

- The gentle connection between creators and companies. etc.

Past "Okashi na Oshaberi." Episodes

Philosopher Yoshihiro Tanigawa

● Is it okay to not understand or be uncool!? Philosophy books taste like failure

● Thinking about loneliness and isolation in the age of AI

★ A story that unfolds at the moment a cookie or biscuit breaks

● How about being properly lonely?

Born in 1990. Ph.D. (Human and Environmental Studies). Completed doctoral program at Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University. Author of "Philosophy in the Smartphone Age (Expanded and Revised Edition)" and "How to Find the Impulse to Deviate from Life's Rails," among others. Active in social commentary, cultural criticism, and essays, as well as collaborations with companies.

Poet and Writer Ayumi Uesaka

● Connecting. Tanka and Hip Hop!? The secret story behind Tanka creation

● First Tanka. What happens if Ms. Uesaka corrects it...?

★ A Tokyo Station souvenir that proves you've become a proper adult

● For souvenirs, the story of thinking of the recipient is also important!

Born in 1991, from Shizuoka Prefecture. Poet and writer. Her works include the Tanka collection "I Want to Be Hugely Popular at the Nursing Home" (Shoshikan Kobo), the essay collection "I Write Earth and Call It 'Hoshi'" (Bungeishunju), and the epistolary exchange "We Might Not Be Friends" (Chuo Koron Shinsha), among many others. She also hosts the podcast "Don't Live More Carefully Than Me" and is active in various fields including essays, radio, and theater.

Novelist Moegara

● The secret to weaving empathetic essays

● Dreams and goals. It's okay to carelessly talk about them

★ There's a park I secretly like in Roppongi.

● Good things and bad things will eventually end, so it's okay

Born in 1973. Debuted as a novelist in 2017 with "We Couldn't Become Adults." This work was adapted into a Netflix film. Her essay collection "Everything Will Be Forgotten" was adapted into a Disney+ drama, and "I Have a Song to Sing to You" was adapted into a Hulu drama (original work and screenplay). Her other works include the novel "This is Just a Summer" and the essay collection "Even So, the Days Continue."

Small Talk Expert Naoko Sakurabayashi

● Organizing thoughts through small talk

★ There are things you can do even if you don't know what you want to do.

Born in Tokyo. After 12 years working at a Western confectionery store, she opened her cookie shop "SACaboutcookies" in 2011. She ran the shop for 9 years until its closure in 2020. Currently active in a wide range of fields, including writing works such as "The World is Made of Dream Teams and Fulfillment Teams," and hosting the podcast "Neighboring Small Talk."

Youtuber Shiori

● To keep loving what you love

★ Mutterings in the Oral Galaxy

A YouTuber who shares her casual daily life, focusing on food and travel, on her YouTube channel "Shiori's Somehow Daily Life" with over 400,000 subscribers. Her dream is to travel solo anywhere in the world, with her brave stomach as her companion, and eat everything she's never tasted before. Her essay collection "If That's the Case, Then That's That" (KADOKAWA) is also available.

*Titles omitted.

*"★" indicates episodes linked with the official Yoku Moku note.

YOKU MOKU Co., Ltd. Company Profile

Company Name: YOKU MOKU Co., Ltd.

Location: Sumitomo Fudosan Kudan Building, 1-8-10 Kudankita, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Homepage: https://yokumoku.co.jp/

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