The Matsumoto Jujo hotel re-opened in 2020 after a multi-year renovation project that kicked off in 2018. The inn and entire area of Matsumoto (Nagano prefecture) has a 300-year history as hotspring village and the renovation project centered around preserving this heritage while also connecting the past to present and future. The architects at Suppose Design Office set off to achieve this goal by transforming obsolete spaces into unique and sometimes unexpected experiences.
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all photos by Daici Ano and Kazuhiro Nagae courtesy Torafu Architects
In the 1960s and 70s, a unique type of bar began to flourish in Tokyo. Commonly referred to as jazz kissa, these bars invested in the finest of audio equipment and speakers, and served as a hub where people could gather and bond over music. This was the inspiration behind Amazon’s new music studio in Shibuya, where it will work with musicians, podcasters and artists on live-streaming, recordings and other musical events. The four-story studio, located roughly 10-minutes north of Shibuya Station, houses a recording studio, a podcast studio, a photo studio, as well as reception area and conference room, all designed by Torafu Architects.
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all images courtesy the artist
Tamami Kubota is a Tokyo-based artist who uses vibrant and colorful brushstrokes to create narratives based on her own lived experience. In recent years the artist has been incorporating kirie, the Japanese art of paper cutting, into her work, creating an additional layer of depth to her storytelling.
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Soy sauce has become one of Japan’s most-significant culinary exports. But perhaps just as iconic as the condiment itself is the stylish bottle designed by Kenji Ekuan in 1961. Ekuan passed away in 2015 at the age of 85 but his design lives on. Not only did it go on to receive numerous design awards but it has become a hallmark symbol of the company itself and remixed by others. Here, we take a look at some gorgeous advertisements created for Kikkoman that incorporate the glass bottle.
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photos courtesy Nostos Books
This book just landed on our desk and we can’t stop flipping through the pages. Published by Bijutsu Shuppan-sha in Tokyo in 1991, the book compiles illustrations of vegetables created by graphic designer Tadashi Ohashi (1916 – 1998). Despite Ohashi’s realism, there is something nostalgic about the colors and compositions of each vegetable.
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The global pandemic rages on. Military conflict in Europe is exacerbating. And we continue to walk towards a climate catastrophe. What to do when it feels like end of times? We’re going to mix up a batch of “Apocalypse,” a cocktail made from three popular beverages in Japan.
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Kei Endo is an accomplished architect and draughtswoman. And she also enjoys staying at hotels, which was the beginning of a wonderful side-hustle that brought together the best of both her worlds. Endo reports on the hotels she stays in through detailed, accurate and colorful survey drawings that capture everything from room measurements and layouts to color palettes and amenities.
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Art Fair Tokyo is the largest art fair in Japan and the oldest in Asia, bringing together a wide range of artists and exhibitors. Now in it’s 17th iteration, the excitement is taking place this weekend (March 11 – 13) at Tokyo International Forum. Although Japan is beginning to relax their border controls, the country still remains closed to most tourists so we’re bringing you just a small selection of highlights from the city’s premier art showcase.
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the researcher spent 24 nights sleeping in the location their pet cats chose
Due to physical and societal constraints, the typical sleep patterns of humans are largely fixated. For cats, however, there is a certain randomness to their sleep–sometimes under the bed, other times in the hallway–that is simply impractical for humans. But what if we as humans replicated the sleep habits of cats? What effect would that have on the quality of our sleep? That was the starting point of an intriguing dissertation, published recently by Yuri Nakahashi, a students of Japan’s Hosei University.
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photo by @Lily0727K (taken March 5, 2022)
Well, this is ominous. The Seshoseki (殺生石) killing stone, said to have sealed the spirit of a vengeful fox demon over 1000 years ago, split in half recently. It’s located in Nasu, Japan near a famous hot springs, and roped off due to dangerous sulphuric fumes, but can be viewed from a distance. Local officials also confirmed the split, noting that a small crack had naturally appeared over the years.
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OrySnack: The Bar Where Bartenders Work From Home
Winners of Japan’s 2027 Packaging Design Awards
Japanese Aquarium Drops 2026 Version of Flowchart Illustrating Their Penguin Relationships. This Year There’s an English Version.
Tokyo is Gearing Up for an Art-Filled Fall. And the Entire City is Here for It
Japanese Craftsmanship Meets Pokemon at Kanazawa’s National Crafts Museum
