Spoon & Tamago

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Packaging Design for Funazushi

November 17, 2010 / Johnny / Comments Off

The latest work produced by Masahiro Minami’s design laboratory is this packaging design for Funazushi, a type of fermented fish. It was designed by Shuuji Hikawa, a senior in Minami’s laboratory and the client plans to sell them at Mitsukoshi department stores in Tokyo

The design – in its resemblance to fish nets, scales or even the fish packed tightly on shelves – syncs nicely with the product on several different levels. The elegant honeycomb incisions creates flexible packaging that expands to the size of the fish while allowing the product to become partially visible.

Funazushi, which is indigenous to Shiga prefecture, and whose ingredients are largely sourced from Lake Biwa, is a type of fermented fish that dates back to the Muromachi period. Recognized as being the origin of sushi, Funazushi is made from fermenting fish and rice together using salt and vinegar. Funazushi evolved, parallel to techniques and technology for preserving fish, into nigirizushi but still remains a popular treat at food fairs. I happen to be a huge fan and thus wrote this post with great difficulty as I have not had breakfast yet.

all images courtesy of Masahiro Minami

Coincidentally, there is an interesting article (sub. req’d) in the New Yorker this week on the underground fermentation movement in the U.S.

mina perhonen collection invitation

November 16, 2010 / Johnny / 1 Comment

Yuri Suyama of Suyama Design has created a minimalist beauty. For the occasion of the unveiling of the Spring/Summer 2011 line of Akira Minagawa’s faux-Finnish design label mina perhonen, Suyama has designed a gray-scale invitation containing an empty box with details printed on the cover of the box. Absolutely love it!

click images to enlarge

Photos by Chiyoe Sugita

Yuri Suyama (b. 1983) is a graphic designer based in Tokyo and is known for his book designs. Included in his portfolio are several outstanding designs including “study in green,” which we featured earlier this year.

More images of Ryuei Nishizawa’s Teshima Museum

November 15, 2010 / Johnny / Comments Off

click images to enlarge

I just realized that Noboru Morikawa, the photographer whose work I sourced for my original post on the Teshima Museum, had updated his portfolio with more – and may I add, stunning? – images of the minimalist museum on the island of Teshima.

click on for the full gallery

Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku Project by Hiroshi Nakamura

November 11, 2010 / Johnny / Comments Off

Speaking of Hiroshi Nakamura, it was unveiled yesterday that the architect’s proposal will be adopted for the redevelopment of the Omotesando and Meiji-dori intersection of Harajuku, where the old GAP store used to be (it closed down in January of this year). I remember often meeting up with friends in front of that GAP store because Harajuku station was too crazy (plus, you had Nigerians trying to lead you into their flea market, filled with designer knock-offs).

click images to enlarge

In a press release issued on Tuesday, Tokyu Land, the primary developer of the site, named Hiroshi Nakamura as the architect and said that they plan to officially break ground on Friday, November 12th. The planned completion date is Spring of 2012.

Although Tommy Hilfiger was the only Tenant who was named, word on the street is that the other 2 primary tenants will be A&F’s hipper younger sibling Hollister, and American Eagle. A little too American, if you ask me.

It’s also worth noting that the architect himself made a point of stating that the renderings were for leasing purposes only, alluding to the possibility of a design change.

via snow mag and tputh

Update [March 16, 2012]

With the grand opening of Tokyu Plaza Omotesand Harajuku about 1 month away – April 18th, to be exact – pictures of the structure have started to emerge on twitter. Here are a couple crowd-sourced images that I found (linked to the source). That entrance is pretty insane. Something right out of Stargate.

Midori Museum & Cafe by Hiroshi Nakamura

November 10, 2010 / Johnny / Comments Off

Late last month when I tweeted about Hiroshi Nakamura’s latest work, Midori Museum & Café, I didn’t think my wish for more images would come true so quickly. Yet indeed, photos are beginning to roll in from the open house, which is going on through the entire month of November. These images are all courtesy of madori brog (sic?).

Located in Tochigi prefecture, Midori Museum and Cafe is the latest work of NAP Architects, led by Hiroshi Nakamura. The architects originally captured our attention with their Dancing Trees, Singing Birds, and then their subsequent work, House C (or Garden on a Roof).

The new museum looks like several pitched tents.

I absolutely love these slots in the wall that are used for bookshelves. Something about the permanency of it all, and how it’s part of the architecture, really turns me on. Reminds me of these built-in book-ends.

A Room in the Glass Globe by Hideyuki Nakayama

November 9, 2010 / Johnny / 7 Comments

In conjunction with Design Tide Tokyo, architect Hideyuki Nakayama – a protégé of Toyo Ito –　has teamed up with UNION, a manufacturer of door handles and levers, to create a glass globe doorknob. As you approach the doorknob you catch a glimpse of what appears to be another world, waiting for you to enter and join, but in fact is a reflection of the room on the other side of the door.

When I first saw this it was very Ghibli-esque to me. I’ve never seen so much thought go into a doorknob. It’s currently on display at Plain People in Aoyama.

via Openers

Jaime Hayon does Marutani-yaki Ceramics

November 8, 2010 / Johnny / Comments Off

click images to enlarge

Following our coverage of Tokyo Designer’s Week, I wanted to highlight a few projects that were of particular interest to me. One of those projects is the Jaime Hayon line of ceramics for Choemon, one of the better known ceramic companies specializing in Marutani-yaki, a style of ceramics native to Ishikawa prefecture. It will be produced by Maruwakaya, who brought us the deerskin iPhone cases.

Although this is not the first time Hayon’s work has cast anchor in Japan (more on this and a recent history of Spanish design in Japan HERE ), it does mark the first original product line that was conceived specifically for a Japanese company.

I think the reason I am so drawn to this line of ceramics is that, while they are brimming with Hayon-esque creativity and originality, he has somehow succeeded in imbedding his work with the timeline of traditional Japanese ceramics. So much to the point where I almost sense a form of nostalgia as I look at the pieces arranged on the table.

via excite.ism

Lost in Sofa by Daisuke Motogi

November 6, 2010 / Johnny / Comments Off

photos by Takafumi Yamada | click to enlarge

Daisuke Motogi is a young Tokyo-based designer who just recently graduated from Schemata Architecture Office and established his own studio. In what can be considered a sparkling debut, Motogi created “Lost in Sofa,” a bold and dazzling piece that firmly establishes him within the Japanese design industry. Inspired by how we often lose personal belongings in a sofa because they fall out of our pockets, Motogi introduces the idea of intentional misplacement. By creating individual cushions that each serve as storage, we can now place virtually anything, anywhere we want in the sofa.

I love the idea but it’s very un-Japanese in it’s concept, usage of materials and how they come together in shape and form. I was surprised to learn that Motogi had never spent any time studying abroad.

“Lost in Sofa” was presented at designtide tokyo 2010.

source: press release from the designer

We’re having a stoop sale tomorrow!

November 5, 2010 / Johnny / 3 Comments

Image courtesy of whiskeygonebad’s “Brooklyn 1970s” flickr stream

This Saturday we will be having a stoop sale. We’re liquidating our bulging inventory of clothes, clothes and more clothes. There will be lots of kids clothes (baby to toddler), as well as a selection of men’s and women’s. We have to make room for more kids clothes!

Saturday November 6th
11:00am – 3:00pm ish
The corner of S. Elliot and Fulton in Ft. Greene, Brooklyn.

Please stop by, if only to say hi. I would love to meet you, even if you don’t buy anything!

Coverage | Tokyo Designer’s Week

November 5, 2010 / Johnny / 1 Comment

As you probably know, Tokyo Designer’s Week closed on Wednesday, marking the end of another successful showing. Although we were stranded here in NYC and weren’t able to be there physically, we did manage to send a correspondent there to cover the event. Dustin Malstrom, creative Director of ReMade – an architectural and design studio now based in Japan – was kind enough to scoop out the event and send us some pictures.

But before we continue on, I have to point out how much I love their logo. And while I look forward to seeing the new ideas that come out of Sapporo Design Week each year, I’m so happy that they found a nice clean logo, designed by Micha Weidmann, and stuck with it, making simple subtle modifications each year.