“the arctic universe,” the place Kagaya feels is most closest to space
Yutaka Kagaya is a self-proclaimed “planetarium imagery creator” and a CG artist with a passion for all things celestial. And while he hasn’t been to space, he recently visited a location that, for him, is the next best thing: the Antarctic.
Earlier this month he went on an expedition through the arctic sea, snapping pictures on his way and posting them to his twitter account. Here are some of our favorites.
the inaugural edition (March, 2015) of Blue’s Magazine: a publication about Japanese construction worker culture
Last year a very specific Japanese magazine launched. Titled “Blue’s Magazine,” it billed itself as a construction culture magazine and focused on the lives, philosophy and unique culture of Japanese construction workers. “There’s no media anywhere about these guys, but they’re so cool!” That’s Tomonobu Yanagi, the founder of the magazine, explaining the simple thought behind the publication.
Takashi Murakami sits among his personal collection of art
It’s no secret that Takashi Murakami, perhaps Japan’s most well-known contemporary artist, is also an avid art collector himself. He began collecting early on as a student, buying prints and photographs, but expanded his purchases as he became more successful. In a rare move his collection, now at over 1000 pieces and stored in an industrial building in the suburbs of Tokyo, will be on display for the public.
In a country regularly rocked by natural disasters, safe havens are always on people’s minds. “If a tsunami approaches, or a earthquake rips the earth apart, where will we go?” That’s fabrics manufacturer Komatsu Seiren explaining their worries, and the reasoning behind commissioning architect Kengo Kuma to create fa-bo, their new office and laboratory space in Ishikawa Prefecture. Kuma was the perfect man for the job. After the great 2011 tsunami, the architect made an important realization that rerouted his attitude towards architecture.
Happy New Year! Before we get back into the swing of things it’s time for a bit of monkey business. Each year we select a handful of our favorite nengajo, or New Year’s cards, created by Japanese designers, illustrators and other creatives. Given that this year’s zodiac is the monkey, expect a lot of ape-themed designs.
While it’s true that sending nengajo is in a secular decline, we still enjoy the tradition as it allows us to reflect back on those we shared a moment with, whether it was intentional or by chance.
These stackable wooden pieces offer limitless potential for the creative mind. What will you create?
Any architect will tell you that, structurally, a triangle is the strongest geometric shape. Architect Kengo Kuma, who was recently in the news for being selected to build Tokyo’s new Olympic Stadium, has taken this knowledge and rendered it into a playful and interactive interior design building set.
“Sunset City” | all photos by Rie Miyoshi. Click to enlarge
Perhaps what makes Tokyo so photogenic is its sprawling, cellular and fast-paced moments that are practically begging to be frozen in time. And photographers have accepted the challenge, each capturing Tokyo–at its best and at its worst–through their own frame of vision. For designer and photographer Rie Miyoshi, that meant creating complex double-exposure photographs to capture her equally complex city she has come to know as home.
Let me introduce you to the Sushi Police, a team of Japanese anti-heroes who are not cool, not fair, and not brave, fighting against the powers of sushi overseas. Sushi Police (pronounced sushi-porisu) is a lively 3DCG animated television series inspired by the real-life drama that happened in 2006 when the Japanese government attempted to authenticate global Japan cuisine and prevent bastardized sushi like Los Angeles’s famous California Rolls.
all photos by Daici Ano and Takumi Ota
For fans of Japanese design, architecture and coffee this story might be a little too much. You should probably be sitting down for this. A building designed by Kenzo Tange in the 1970s that houses, among other things, a rock garden by Isamu Noguchi, has been partially taken over by design studio nendo’s own offices, as well as a coffee shop produced and managed by the Tokyo and Milan-based design firm. It’s like old world and new world masters being united by coffee.
It was announced yesterday that Proposal A had been selected as the official stadium for Tokyo’s 2020 Olympics. And in doing so, the committee also revealed what we all had guessed: the the architect behind the wood-centric stadium was none other than Kengo Kuma.
OrySnack: The Bar Where Bartenders Work From Home
Japanese Aquarium Drops 2026 Version of Flowchart Illustrating Their Penguin Relationships. This Year There’s an English Version.
Tokyo is Gearing Up for an Art-Filled Fall. And the Entire City is Here for It
Tadao Ando Designed & Donated a Floating Library that Delivers Books to Children
Tatsuo Horiuchi | the 73-year old Excel spreadsheet artist
