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Japanese architecture and environmental research office S.O.Y. LABO recently designed the Shobon Bookcase. It looks like it would be perfect for organizing cookbooks and using it as a stand while you cook! It even has interchangeable pegs that adjust to the size of your book.
Check out this new capsule hotel that just opened last December. 9h is located in Kyoto, ready to service the burnt-out businessman or the broke backpacker 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. I love the concept and the simple pictograms. Everything looks so futuristic!
Monocle has your video of, what is, a joint collaboration between Fumie Shibata (amenities), Masaaki Hiromura (graphic design) and Takaaki Nakamura (interior design).
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Soulful male singer Ryujin Kiyoshi released his 2nd album, World, last month. The CD jacket was a joint collaboration between Mizuno Manabu of Good Design Company and graphic artist collective Nam. Hard to believe that there is no funny business going on in these images. They are actual photographs.
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New Work From Good Design Company
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Japanese architectural firm Ninkipen recently completed Cucchiaio, a new Italian restaurant in Osaka. The name means Spoon in Italian, so we have something in common.
The interior and exterior combine wood, metal and white to create a sophisticated atmosphere that seems to be consistent with their high-end Italian dishes. If the interior shots don’t move you, perhaps a look at their food will make you want to go?
Naoki Terada of Terada Design has created Carved, a new clock with the numbers carved out. Although the product doesn’t appear to be stocked yet, Lemnos, who specializes in Japanese designer clocks, will be the sole distributor. If this doesn’t float your boat, Lemnos is stock full of designer clocks from the typographically-inspired to the, I-don’t-really-need-to-know-the-time-I-just-want-something-cool-on-my-wall clock.
Inspired by ancient sun dials, Kazuo Kawasaki created Hola. It even has an iPhone app.
Makoto Komatsu took his signature wrinkled porcelain and applied it to the Wrinkle wall clock.
Luminary designer Riki Watanabe and his simple yet gorgeous Riki Clock.
Kanako Kajihara takes her experience as a textile designer for Issey Miyake to create the soft and delicate Syn.
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How cool is this table made from interlocking wood panels leftover from the manufacturing process? TSUNAGU is the latest in a series of furniture from the MATE-RE-INNO line, short for Material Re-Innovation. It was launched by Label Creators, a company that believes in traditional Japanese craftsmanship and materials. They acknowledge that waste is generated throughout the design process and many of their lines attempt to recycle those remnants of design. I would love to see this table put to use with magazines, photos and other random objects laid on the shelving that is created as a result of all the panels.
I wrote a post on SUMICA kids furniture by student designer Michiko Eguchi. Read it here…
I also did a post on SEAL, a Japanese company that makes these cool bags (and shoes) from recycled tire tubes. Read it here…
Riding off my previous post I wanted to share some more work by up-and-coming designer Wataru Kumano. After completing a design program in Japan Wataru relocated to Finland in 2002. He completed in MA in furniture design at the University of Art and Design Helsinki, at which point he returned to Japan and took a position at the Tokyo studio of Jasper Morrison. Last year he founded his own design studio and appears to be at the point where he is revving up his design engine which, if I might add, has a nice blend of Nordic naturals and Japanese simplicity.
I found this image on his website to be quite inspiring. Who knew all the shades of green could be found in a scallion? I like the idea of a Food Diary. After all, we are what we eat.
With cost-competitiveness sweeping through the manufacturing industry like an angry lady with a broom, sparing only those with the strength to scale up capacity and scale down price, what are Japan’s small companies and artisans to do? Inevitably, embrace. That is the philosophy of mass item, a new store started by Takashi Yoshida aimed at exploring the possibilities of plastic. He has enlisted 3 designers to assist him – 2 of which, if you are familiar with spoon & tamago, you should be familiar with as well – Shunsuke Umiyama (Microworks), Norihiko Terayama (Studio Note) and newcomer Kumano Wataru.
Although the pieces have a highly manufactured quality to them, every piece gets finished off with a human touch – whether it is vibration finish or a hand-assembly. I like the idea of subtle resistance. Here is an overview of what they have done for the shop.
Ladder by Microworks (he seems to be obsessed with ladders)
Layerscape by Studio Note
Tokyo Clock by Kumano Wataru
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“A man from Fukuoka, a woman from Tokyo….” I had no idea what this sweet commercial was for up until the final 5 seconds! It’s based on an actual documentary that was filmed over a 1-month time span. Impressive and romantic!
