About Us
How It All Started
One night, a hungry little bear sneaks into a Japanese restaurant after closing time, hoping to find some leftover tempura. In the dark he trips into a bag of flour, rolls through the egg wash, lands in the batter and ends up in the deep fryer.
He comes out golden and crispy, with a small shrimp tail stuck behind his ear. He's been that way ever since.
That's Fried Bear, or あげクマ in Japanese. This is his studio.
Meet the Bears
Fried Bear started it all. Fried for good, a shrimp tail behind his ear, and usually up to something. Crispy outside, soft inside.
Tofu Bear is Fried Bear's wife. Calm, kind, never without her pink bow. When Fried Bear gets himself into trouble (often), she's the one who sorts it out.
Fried Bear Jr. is their son. He follows his dad everywhere, copies everything he does and is always covered in crumbs.
Kinako Bear, Sakura Bear and Matcha Bear are the rest of the family, each one named after a Japanese flavor I love. Kinako is warm and easygoing, Sakura is sweet and a little dreamy, and Matcha stays cool no matter what.
About Me
Hi, I'm the person behind Fried Bear Studio. I grew up in Germany and have lived in Japan since 2013.
I've always drawn. I taught myself watercolor, gouache, digital painting and 3D, and never took a class. Fried Bear has been in my head for years. I liked how あげクマ sounded in Japanese, and the name stuck. It took me a long time to work up the courage to turn him into a real shop with real products.
I make everything here by hand in my small studio in Tokyo. I design the bears, print them, cut them and finish them myself, so no two pieces come out exactly the same. I like it that way.
Fried Bear Studio is just me, so every order really does reach me directly. It helps me keep making new bears, and it brings me a step closer to doing this full time. One day I'd love to make clothes, more goods, maybe even a little Fried Bear game.
I'm also hoping to become a dad soon. I'd love for my kids to grow up with these bears, and to be able to tell them: I made these, and they're for you too.
Thank you for being here. I hope the bears make your day a bit better.
Fried Bear Studio is a one-person handmade stationery studio in Tokyo, Japan.