Akitaya’s Art…Made from Starbucks Cup Sleeves and Cardboard?

Can you believe that this…

turns into this?!

And that it’s all made from cardboard??

This is truly all due to the talent of Akitaya (@Ram_akita) on Twitter. 

Akitaya is actually not a full-time artist, but rather makes these things - sometimes requested by his own son - as a hobby! He simply creates things that bring him joy and excitement - but out of cardboard and Starbucks cup sleeves! 

Despite being a hobby, he’s continued to improve his skills and completes new projects every year. He even recently showed a comparison of his work from 2018 and 2023. The 2018 one is already impressive but the 2023 one is levels beyond!!

These are just some of his amazing creations, some of them featuring the very familiar Starbucks cup sleeves! 

Let’s take a look at these in a little more detail! 

Horsefly

This is a horsefly, inspired by…can you guess? 

Yes, it’s from Studio Ghibli’s Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. 

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The fact that it’s made from Starbucks cup sleeves, which can be seen more clearly on the fly’s backside, is incredibly impressive. The green logo really complements and elevates the design.

Here’s an image of it “flying” which looks really cool! 

Au-09

Au-09 (also known as Analyzer) is a robot character from Space Battleship Yamato. It is speculated to have served as inspiration for the character design of R2-D2 in Star Wars. And it’s easy to see why!

Akitaya even captured the dome aspect of its “head”. The level of detailing all over the work is incredible. And what makes it even more impressive is that the limbs can move!! 

Clay Figurine from the Jomon Period

This depicts a dogu, a clay figurine made during the Jomon Period (prehistoric Japan). 

Akitaya expertly depicts the fine details using the green Starbucks logo in the perfect spots. Anyone who sees this who has studied Japanese history will be able to recognize it as a dogu immediately. 

3 years after making the Starbucks dogu, Akitaya also made this one without the Starbucks logo, but still just as impressive. This is a replica of pretty much exactly what you find when you google dogu. 

Howl’s Moving Castle

And of course, Ghibli fans will know this one right away. Howl’s Moving Castle is iconic and incredibly complex. Yet somehow, Akitaya carved out and pieced together the fine details - from cardboard! 

It really does look like it’ll begin moving anytime! 

Here it is from various angles. I personally really like the shot from the back.

A Few Favorites

Looking through Akitaya’s work, there’s so many good ones I want to introduce, but here’s just a few that are personally really neat. 

Starbucks Samurai

The black samurai helmet was made by another cardboard artist (@craftsman_0818) and the samurai was made to go with it! The Starbucks logo somehow goes perfectly with it as its armor emblem. 

Here is Starbucks Samurai riding a carp! 

Dragon

Isn’t this cool?? This is a completely original design by Akitaya. The head being particularly big makes it look extra powerful. 

Minatour

Akitaya sometimes makes the zodiac animal for that year, and for the year of the cow, he made a minotaur! It’s a little rare to see so much black color in his work, so this really stands out! But don’t forget to looks at the details in the staff! It has motifs used for New Year’s in Japan. 

Here’s the year of the mouse, boar, and dog! 

And Some in Color!

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Crocodine from Dragon Quest: The Adventures of Dai

The red parts were made using cardboard from Honkirin beer boxes. You can see the label peeking out on the thighs. 

And what looks like a normal flower at first, but hardcore Godzilla fans will know that this is Biollante, a hybrid kaiju! And it’s made from cardboard from Oi Ocha, a popular tea brand. 

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To Close

Akitaya has plenty of niche works for fans of specific franchises! Make sure to check out his Twitter and Instagram to see what he’s made and what he’s working on now!

Photos provided courtesy of Akitaya (Twitter, Instagram).