unless otherwise noted, all photos courtesy Takachiho Amaterasu Railway
The Amaterasu Railway in Miyazaki Prefecture is a popular local train that takes passengers on a gorgeous 30-minute journey through the spectacular scenery of Takachiho. The quirky train is known for its open roof, its journey over Japan’s highest train bridge, and train conductors who blow bubbles along the way. But now they’re known for something else: leaving passengers feeling hungry.
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Horyu Goseda was a Japanese artist who lived from 1827 to 1892. He spent the majority of his career working in Yokohama, a port town distinguished by a strong presence of foreign sailors and western influence. Although he worked in a traditional Japanese style, painting narrow silk wall hangings, he pioneered what came to be called Yokohama-e, paintings that combined western techniques of modeling with light and shade, and perspective. But to make ends meet, Goseda developed a side-hustle: painting portraits for foreigners dressed in traditional kimono.
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photos by Satoshi Shigeta courtesy Tadokoro Sekkei
Set off of a busy street in Shibuya’s Daikanyama neighborhood is a stunning combination of wood and stone that breaks up the urban landscape with quiet tranquility. Carved into one of the large, granite stepping stones are the words Dolce Takubo, which is the name of this patisserie that serves some of the most delectable desserts.
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two of us © Risa Negishi
A survey of the growing prominence and visibility of women in film, the latest ACA Cinema Project series The Female Gaze: Women Filmmakers from JAPAN CUTS and Beyond focuses on the essential roles that female artists play from behind the camera in Japanese cinema—ranging from directing and screenwriting to production and cinematography. Presenting an exciting array of screenings and premieres—that include new mainstream and independent works from JAPAN CUTS alumni and rising talents alongside a classics selection—The Female Gaze offers a much-needed deep dive into the remarkable and overlooked contributions of women in contemporary Japanese cinema.
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This week Japan’s Good Design Awards, which have been recognizing achievements in product design across industries since 1957, announced their 2022 top awards. Among the winners were Terumo’s flow disruptor that treats brain aneurysms and Hitachi’s modular refrigerator that blends in with the rest of your furniture. But the recipient of the grand prize wasn’t a global brand, nor did it utilize cutting edge technology. Instead, it employed a unique business model at the community level that was aimed at nourishing and enriching the lives of children.
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Ah, it’s Halloween weekend. And that means it’s time for our favorite Japanese festival Jimi Halloween, where people dress up in costumes so mundane they have to be explained.
The tradition was started in 2014 by a group of adults at Daily Portal Z who “kind of wanted to participate in the festivities of Halloween, but were too embarrassed to go all out in witch or zombie costumes.” So instead of the flashy and flamboyant costumes they had been seeing gain popularity in Japan, they decided to dress up in mundane, everyday costumes.
You can comb through social media using the hashtag #地味ハロウィン but below we present to you some of our favorites from this year’s festivities. We’ve been covering this event since 2018 so you can also take a look at some past years too!
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Hario’s original glass studio in Tokyo’s Kanda Sudacho neighborhood
Since their founding in 1921, Hario has done one thing: create high-quality glassware. From the beginning, the company specialized in heat-resistant glass and provided the scientific community with beakers and test tubes. Today they are known around the world for their coffee and tea accessories.
Over the past century the company noticed that the craft of glassmaking was quickly being replaced by industrial machines. So in 2013, Hario established a jewelry studio called Hario Lampwork Factory as an outlet for their artisans to hone their skills but also to create a structure that ensures the art of glassmaking is passed down to the next generation.
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Elpis is a new Japanese crime drama that began airing this week. The key visual features the main protagonists of the story, alongside what appears to be glitches often seen on digital screens where colors are skewed sideways. But look closely because these glitches are not what they appear to be.
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Last year a collective groan from the creative community was heard around Japan and the world after it was announced that Tokyu Hands, everyone’s favorite DIY retailer, was being sold to to Cainz, a home improvement store operator. The fate of the brand had been shrouded in mystery until today, when it was announced that Tokyu Hands had been rebranded to Hands. Let’s take a look at the design which, if nothing else, signals an investment into a brand that has been cherished by so many.
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Kumiko is a traditional Japanese technique that utilizes numerous wooden bars, crossed and laid to form various designs and expressions. No nails or metal pieces are used, and the wooden parts are put together by adjusting grooves and angles. The final designs are typically flat, and were traditionally utilized as space dividers but more recently have taken on modern functions like coasters.
Breaking that mold is Mai Suzuki and kumiko craftsman Kazuhiro Kadowaki who, together, have created spherical kumiko that offer new and exciting applications.
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Candidates Announced for Suica Penguin’s Successor. A Public Vote Will Decide the Outcome
Tokyo is Gearing Up for an Art-Filled Fall. And the Entire City is Here for It
Kawaii Buildings, as Seen Through the Lens of Urban Photographer Ken Ohyama
Artist Hiro Sugiyama Recreates Hokusai’s ‘Great Wave’ With 750,000 Dahlias
Tatsuo Horiuchi | the 73-year old Excel spreadsheet artist
