renderings of the new “Tsukiji Uogashi” fish market set to open in November of 2016
The changing face of Tokyo continues, and perhaps always will. But for a particular group of epicureans – and a wider group of tourists – the upcoming relocation of Tsukiji Outer Market represents one of the more drastic changes Tokyo has seen in recent years. And now we have glimpses of what the future holds: a name and rendering of the new fish market, set to open in 2016.
Tokyo Governor Yoichi Masuzoe announces the city’s new logo | image courtesy Sankei News
On October 9, Tokyo Governor Yoichi Masuzoe announced the city’s new logo and tagline: &TOKYO. The thinking behind the ampersand is that the city wants to encourage individuals and organizations to put their name in front of the logo, thereby increasing various associations people have with the city, and strengthening the brand of Japan’s capital ahead of the 2020 Olympics.
Beginning October 16, 2015 anyone will be able to download hi-res versions of the logo and use them for free.
These black and white sugar skulls are made from Wasanbon (和三盆), a fine-grained premium Japanese sugar, traditionally made in the Shikoku prefectures of Tokushima and Kagawa.
They were designed by artist Nobumasa Takahashi and come in 18 pieces of black and white (9 each). The black sugar is made all naturally from bamboo charcoal and can be used just like regular sugar. Perfect for a Halloween party, or for just sweetening your tea or coffee when you’re in a ghoulish mood. Looking for that unique gift to bring to a Halloween party? They’re available in our shop!
Takayuki Fukada won the Grand Prize this year with “Autumn” | click images to enlarge
You can think of them as “living, breathing landscape paintings.” That’s according to T.A.U., the Tokyo Aquascape Union, a group of “aquarium hobbyists” who use “aqua-plant layouts” to create majestic aquariums. The final creations often yield surreal images that resemble dense, lush forests. Sometimes the only way to tell them apart are the fish flying through the air.
Remember watching those fleeting bubbles as a child and how sad it was when they popped? Well now you can keep them bottled up thanks to an entirely new kind of hourglass created by Norihiko Terayama (previously); the awaglass. Awa means ‘bubbles’ in Japanese, and it’s what replaces sand to create this mesmerizing and soothing object.
At age 25 Tsuneko Sasamoto became Japan’s first female photojournalist. She passed away on Aug. 15 2022 at the age of 107
In 1940, at the age of 25, Tsuneko Sasamoto became Japan’s first female photojournalist. Originally an aspiring painter, Sasamoto was coaxed into the male-dominated field by a friend who thought she had a good eye for imagery. And as fate would have it, Sasamoto found herself covering events like a 1940 German military visit to Japan, the Tripartite Pact sighing (between Japan, Germany and Italy) also in 1940 and the anti-Japan – U.S. Security Treaty demonstrations in 1960.
Now, at 101, Sasamoto is still taking photographs with her Leica camera. What keeps her going? “Curiosity.”
(UPDATE: Tsuneko Sasamoto passed away on Aug. 15, 2022 at the age of 107. She will be missed but her work lives on. )
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In the early 2000s, Japanese fashion designer and entrepreneur Setsumasa Kobayashi attended a Phish Festival in Limestone, Maine. It was one of the largest Phish concerts ever and Kobayashi remembers the music, the campground and the roughly 60,000 attendees who seemed to be living an alternative lifestyle, removed from the everyday hustle and bustle of the city. This, he says in an interview, became his inspiration for creating a secretive mountain getaway where he could use and test his outdoor-themed goods that he built his company on.
“When I was still in school, I used to hang out at local coffee shops with my friends. One day I noticed how plain the paper cup was.” That’s Mariya Suzuki, an illustrator who went to school in California but is now based in Tokyo. “Naturally, I was inspired to draw what was in front of me,” she says, explaining the modest beginnings of her “Drawing to Go” initiative. Now, Suzuki is inspiring others to create their own paper cup art by hosting a workshop and staging exhibitions.
a selection of designs that will be on display during the Kotobuki exhibition
Saido is a Japanese design collective based in Kansai. Made up of roughly 15 members, the team is comprised of product designers, engineers and craftsmen who individually work in a range of fields – electronics, advertising, interior, sportswear and interface design – but also come together to experiment and push each other’s boundaries of design.
Roughly once a year the collective puts on display some of their most creative work. And the tradition is continuing this year as well with an exhibition that will travel from Kyoto to Tokyo.
all photos by Satoshi Asakawa courtesy the architects
What do you do if you own a plot of land that may or may not get partially seized by the government for a road expansion? Simple: you build a home that can get cut up yet still survive. At least that’s what this young family decided to do.
Japanese Aquarium Drops 2026 Version of Flowchart Illustrating Their Penguin Relationships. This Year There’s an English Version.
Duct-Tape Typographer Shuetsu Sato Honored With Design Award
Shibuya’s New ‘G-CHA & Ba-CHA’ Cafe Is Run by Senior Citizens
A Spoon & Tamago Guide to the Setouchi Art Islands
Japanese Art to See in New York: Fall 2025
