Spoon & Tamago

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OLIVE project | improvise with design

March 14, 2011 / Johnny / Comments Off

In the wake of the 2011 Sendai earthquake and tsunami, Japanese designer nosigner has launched OLIVE, a wiki-style website that anyone can edit, which provides tips and tutorials on how disaster-stricken areas can use design to help improve their everyday life. After all, one of the most important things in times like these is trying to feel and live normally.

What’s impressive about the site is that, despite being launched just a few hours ago, it already has an English interface with many tutorials being accompanied by an English translation.

The website, at its core, is about how design can be used to improvise with materials and objects around us that otherwise might be considered garbage. It’s a refreshing take on design, which often falls victim to criticisms that it is all about consumption and selling products. Here are a few of the user-submitted ideas that range from the slightly mundane to the life-altering significant:

How to make a dish from a plastic bottle

How to make rubber bands from bicycle tires

How to make oral rehydration solution (ORS)*

*Recommended by UNICEF & WHO. Do not over-consume as the formula increases absorption rates by 25 times. Adding drops of lemon further increases effectiveness.

Shibuya: Before and After

March 14, 2011 / Johnny / Comments Off

Photographer Kenta Minaka decided that, amongst the confusion and insecurity, there was something he could do. And that was to document his surroundings. Presented below, and on his blog, are before and after shots – taken at the exact same time – of Shibuya, one of the busiest and most crowded stations in Tokyo. The photos illustrate the intent by many to voluntarily conserve electricity in the wake of the 2011 Sendai earthquake and tsunami.

Before: March 12, 2011 | 6:00pm

click images to enlarge | courtesy Kenta Minaka

After: March 13, 2011 | 6:00pm

Earthquake in Japan

March 11, 2011 / Johnny / 1 Comment

It’s been almost 12 hours since the 8.9M earthquake – one of its strongest on record – shook Japan. It’s been almost 6 hours since I woke up in NYC, checked my email, and saw that my parents had preemptively emailed us from Tokyo saying they were okay. A few minutes later we also confirmed that my in-laws were okay. When I awoke the death-toll was 29. When I left the house it was 62. When I got into the office it was in the hundreds.

I’m not going to go into detail about the earthquake here because, for one, it’s still unfolding. Plus, it’s all over the news so there’s really nothing I can add. If it’s photos and videos you want, allow me to direct you to some footage. Although there is plenty of overlap, each of these news organizations has their own breathtaking slide show:

The New York Times (19 photos)
The Atlantic (33 photos)
DailyMail (33 photos)
Boston (43 photos)

For video footage, turn to youtube for the terrifying tsunami as it approaches land, office buildings swaying back and forth in Tokyo, and a whirlpool the size of a football field. You can also tune into an official live stream of the Fuji TV channel, who they are reporting around-the-clock. Also, a Wikipedia page has already gone up and will continue to be updated as developments unfold. I wish the government was as quick to act as google, who, several hours ago, launched a person-finder app to help confirm the well-being of missing people.

I’ve been glued to twitter all morning which, as one might have guessed, has been delivering real-time updates and information. Before I went down into the subway I refreshed my twitter feed and, sitting on the train, preceded to read through the terrifying reports and first-hand accounts. It’s going to be a long night and, unfortunately, a very sad morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those in Japan.

Sotten | Tokyo University of the Arts

March 10, 2011 / Johnny / 3 Comments

Whenever the opportunity presents itself, here on S&T we love showing student work (see these three posts, for example) for 2 reasons. First, because there’s so much talent to be unearthed. And second, because they are the ones who really need the exposure!

Beginning next ~~Tuesday~~ Thursday and running through the whole week is Sotten, Tokyo University of the Arts’ senior thesis exhibition. The main arena is the Daikanyama Hillside Terrace where, interspersed throughout the duration of the exhibition, there will be special events featuring notable alumni such as art director Michihiko Yanai (perhaps most know for his Tower Records slogan “No Music No Life) and musician Keiichiro Shibuya. But, after all, it’s all about the work. So below are a few hand-picked favorites.

all images courtesy SOTTEN | click to enlarge

Casaurus by Koichiro Hoshino
Whose kids are NOT into dinosaurs? Mine certainly are. In fact, our whole family would probably go into cardiac arrest if we saw this in our living room.

Flower Muji and IDEE launch Life With Green

March 9, 2011 / Johnny / 2 Comments

click images to enlarge

It’s official. Spring is just around the corner. This week Ryohin Keikaku – I’m just going to call it MUJI – announced that it is launching a new product lineup aimed at beautifying and greenifying verandas everywhere.

The new project is a joint collaboration between 2 subsidiaries, Flower Muji and IDEE. Flower Muji began in 1996 as a flower business and was spun-off as a separate entity in 2001, but later reacquired again by MUJI. IDEE is an upscale furniture and lifestyle manufacturer/retailer that was founded in 1975. It was acquired by MUJI in 2006. (I know, I thought MUJI was all about simplicity too.)

There’s no argument that, aesthetically, they’ve designed some really beautiful products. And they are expected to. After all, their art direction advisory board consists of, amongst others, design giants such as Naoto Fukasawa and Kenya Hara. However, in my opinion, there is one major flaw in their lineup. Japanese housewives are not interested in beautifying their veranda. Such an act would only get in the way of vital yet limited space used for hanging clothes and futons out in the sun!

Related:

Manufacture | Mitsuru Koga at CLASKA

March 7, 2011 / Johnny / 2 Comments

One of my favorite artists, Mitsuru Koga, known for his unassuming ability to transform the mundane into the spectacular, is having a new show at the gallery of boutique Tokyo hotel CLASKA. “Manufacture,” which just opened last Friday, is – simply put – a tribute to the artist’s hand at work and the ever-lasting impact that the hand brings to the material.

NOM&ADA

March 4, 2011 / Johnny / 1 Comment

click images to enlarge

I’m really happy to be able to share the work of NOM&ADA, a new collaboration between Tokyo-based designer Rie Sawai and Portland-based designer Kimberly Andrade, the former being an old friend from grade school days.

nr1977 by MihaDesign

March 2, 2011 / Johnny / 2 Comments

photos by Sadao Hotta | click to enlarge

Naoto Mitsumoto and Naoko Hamana of architectural studio MihaDesign were asked to renovate an old apartment that was constructed in 1957. Working within the confines of a 2-bedroom, 770 sq ft (71.5 sq mt) apartment, the designers were asked to propose a solution for the owners – a husband and wife with 4 kids – who desperately needed to come up with a creative use of the limited space.

I Find Everything by Makoto Yamaguchi

March 1, 2011 / Johnny / 1 Comment

photos by Koichi Torimura | click to enlarge

I Find Everything is a carefully curated shop that walks a thin line between boutique and museum. The prices, also of museum level, are not for the faint of heart (think $200 one-of-a-kind hats). But then again, when was that last time you bought anything from a museum?

The gorgeous interior is the work of architect Makoto Yamaguchi and seeing it is worth a visit in itself. The minimal white and wooden backdrop is perfect for showcasing the eclectic collection of crafts and antiques.

Mishima House by Keiji Ashizawa

February 28, 2011 / Johnny / Comments Off

click to enlarge | photos by Daici Ano

Mishima House (2010) is a residential home in central Tokyo, recently completed by architect Keiji Ashizawa. What immediately stood out to me with this home is the voluminous structure. Considering the fact that it was built in condensed Tokyo, it’s as if someone inflated a balloon and stuck it in a jar of marbles.