Spoon & Tamago

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FrancFranc Aoyama by Yasumichi Morita

July 29, 2010 / Johnny / Comments Off

Yasumichi Morita of interior design firm Glamorous recently completed the newest FrancFranc shop (which I have compared to Crate & Barrel in the past) in the upscale Aoyama area of Tokyo. I made a couple purchases here during my trip to Japan, which I will share at a later time.

Also in the past I have had mixed feelings for Morita’s work, which straddles a delicate balance between classy and corny, but this time around I have only good things to say about the awesome space.

And yet again, in the past, Yasumichi Morita appeared on this site previously with rapper verbal in a photo shoot for Louis Vuitton. And coincidentally, both showed up at the opening party in May – the latter being a surprise guest DJ for the event.

The new flagship store, which, for its vast scale, is also known as FrancFranc Village, will include several in-shop collaborations such as the very first Monocle shop in Japan.

Thoughts from Japan

July 29, 2010 / Johnny / 3 Comments

I just returned from a 2-week stint in Japan and wanted to jot down these thoughts while they were still fresh in my head. To be followed later this week or next will be a much more interesting “Goodies from Japan” post.

Technology
Stepping into an electronics store in Japan used to be like stepping into the future. These were the products that would line shelves of Best Buy in 2-3 years. This is no longer the case. Not only does Japan sell the same crap you see anywhere else in the world, innovators like Apple and Dyson have reversed this trend. It makes me wonder what is the next industry to begin losing ground? Film? Anime?

Foreigners
I notice more and more foreigners each time I go back, but this time I noticed foreigners working jobs that traditionally were always reserved for Japanese, such as store clerks and waiters/waitresses. I had never seen that before.

Peace Sign
Undoubtedly, the most significant observation is that the ubiquitous symbol of photography, the peeesu, or peace sign, is on the brink of a coup. The usurper that is threatening to knock it off of its longstanding thrown is none other than the Schwarzenegger thumbs up. According to reliable sources, the new sign is spreading at an alarming rate throughout the photos of young schoolgirls.

Studio Apartment CD Jacket by Shun Kawakami

July 28, 2010 / Johnny / Comments Off

Designer Shun Kawakami has put his signature touch on the 5th album of Japanese house-duo Studio Apartment.

In case you were wondering what the album sounds like, here is a sample.

Issey Miyake launches new website

July 28, 2010 / Johnny / Comments Off

Fashion designer Issey Miyake has a spanking new website designed by Shun Kawakami of Artless.

Bar Dreieck Park by Case-Real Architects

July 27, 2010 / Johnny / 1 Comment

Case-Real Architects, headed by Koichi Futatsumata, unveiled a new bar they designed in Fukuoka. Dreieck Park, which is Triangular Park in German, gets its name from its strategic location on the top floor of a building, overlooking a lone park situated in the middle of a busy shopping district. The bar is characterized by an incredibly sexy table that swells out into the center of the bar.

The pendant lights were designed to sit above a specified horizon so as to not obstruct views of the central window. The armchairs were also specifically designed for long drinks (and maybe even some pour-your-heart-out-moments with the bartender. The cool thing about the table is, depending on where you sit, you can either feel very intimate or very distanced from the bartender.)

Related:

Hammock by Koichi Futatsumata

KKC | A house with a golf course by Takuya Tsuchida

July 25, 2010 / Johnny / Comments Off

Photos by Torimura Koichi

Unless your name is Rockefeller, a golf course in your backyard is the stuff dreams are made of. But for the lucky owners of this home designed by Takuya Tsuchida of no.555, an architectural design studio based in Yokohama, hitting the green simply requires that they step out onto their patio. Completed in late 2009, KKC is a private family residence built in Sukagawa City of Fukushima prefecture. The architect, who also hails from Fukushima, decided to lift the main house up on pillars, effectively creating an open communal space for the family members, while also ensuring a certain level of privacy.

Sure, it’s not an 18-hole golf course, simply a mini-putting green for the kids. But I love the idea of using outdoor play space to define the shape of a home.

Source: Architecture List

In the summer time our genitals become itchy

July 19, 2010 / Johnny / 4 Comments

the catchiest jingle making the rounds on Japanese television this summer is a 15-second spot featuring grown men rejoicing about Delicare M’s, a soothing cream that keeps their genitals from becoming itchy during the summer.

♪ In the summer time our genitals become itchy (itchy)
When they become itchy, use Delicare M’s
[humming humming] it works!
don’t scratch them, use Delicare M’s♪

translation by Spoon & Tamago

iida new product release party

July 15, 2010 / Johnny / 1 Comment

Two nights ago I was fortunate enough to attend iida’s new product release party. iida has been building up it’s reputation for merging cell phone technology with avant-garde art by pairing up with artists and designers. Most notably, their collaboration with Yayoi Kusama last year was hugely successful and got them a lot of press coverage.

And if you are a Spoon & Tamago reader, you will certainly recognize some of the artists whom iida has decided to collaborate with this year.

Botanica by Makoto Azuma – We were very excited to see the Azuma collaboration as we have been following him since very early in his career.

PixCell by Kohei Nawa – The Nawa collaboration was inspired by the sculptors work he did for Hermes last year.

Light Pool by Hironao Tsuboi – This is really their only functional release – the previous 2 were art editions that may only be released in limited quantity. With the help of filmmaker and musician Masakatsu Takagi, the geometric windows are brought to life with light and sound.

Accessories – We have always been big fans of the accessories. This year iida has come out with a pretty cord organizer and a phone strap, modeled after a car, that not only keeps you phone in place while in your bag but also diminishes the unsuspectingly loud vibrating noise.

summer slowdown

July 7, 2010 / Johnny / 4 Comments

It’s already started. As my family and I prepare for our trip to Japan, things have slowed down here on Spoon & Tamago. And you should expect things to grind to a halt towards the end of this week. But we will return at the end of the month with tons of new stories (and maybe even some breaking new designs) from Japan so please stay tuned. In the meantime, enjoy your summer and stay cool!

Vocal, Tatsuya Matsui and Yasumichi Morita for Louis Vuitton

July 1, 2010 / Johnny / Comments Off

Above: Verbal | click images to enlarge

Photographer Todd Selby has recently uploaded shots he did in Tokyo for the Fall 2010 Louis Vuitton Men’s Collection. Subjects include rapper Vocal (of M-flo), robot designer Tatsuya Matsui and Interior Designer Yasumichi Morita. More images here.