Born from a curiosity about flags and what they represent, Japanese industrial designer Akira Yoshimura has embarked on a project to reinterpret the flags of countries from around the world and render them in three-dimensional solid bronze.
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the original poster art for My Neighbor Totoro, created for the 1988 theatrical release and still used to this day
My Neighbor Totoro was created by Hayao Miyazaki and released as a film in 1988. It’s one of our favorite movies that we’ve watched over and over, each time making new discoveries. However, one of those discoveries was not even in the film: it was staring right at us all this and we never even noticed it. In the poster from the original theatrical release, which continues to be used on DVDs and even on streaming sites, a small girl holds an umbrella in the rain next to Totoro. This girl is neither Satsuki nor Mei, the two protagonists of the film. In fact, she does not even make an appearance in the film.
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For the past 10 years — beginning in 2011 — artist Tanaka Tatsuya has been creating daily miniature landscapes in the form of a calendar. That’s 3650 creative, dramatic and often humorous scenes crafted from everyday objects like fruit, vegetables and stationary, which are paired with figurines. To celebrate 10 years of work, the artist is staging an exhibition at The Mizuno Museum in Nagano prefecture.
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Pocari Sweat, one of Japan’s most-popular sports beverages, has just released a new ad that features a girl running through undulating hallways, confetti and flower petals to reach her friend. The vertigo-inducing sixty-second ad was created almost entirely in a single-take and relying largely on hand-made sets and props.
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Japanese wood joinery dates back to the seventh century and is a craftsmanship technique that involves complicated, interlocking wooden joints that form bonds without the use of nails, screws or adhesives. Practical use of these woodworking techniques, known as tsugite, has been dwindling over the years due to their complexity but a team of researchers from Tokyo University have created a software program that can generate these wooden joints, which can then be fabricated.
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all photos by Shingo Nakashima courtesy Klein Dytham Architecture
Tokyo’s new Toggle Hotel, located in the neighborhood of Suidobashi, officially opened for business on April 1, 2021. Located on a triangular site and bound by the Shuto Expressway, the Kanda River and the Chuo Line railway, the hotel finds itself in the epicenter of Tokyo’s energy and vitality. Surrounded by a sea of grey monotone, the hotel takes inspiration from the movement and color of Tokyo’s energy, positioning itself as a iconic, colorful landmark.
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Tokyo-based photographer Ben Beech takes us on a virtual walk through the cherry blossoms of Meguro River and Nezu Cemetery.
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As the weather continues to warm, the call of the wild grows stronger. If you’re thinking of a spring getaway with the kids, consider the Risonare Nasu Resort. Located two and a half hours north of Tokyo in Tochigi, the resort boasts an abundance of mountainous nature, easy access from the capitol and a brand new kid-friendly clubhouse called PokoPoko designed by Tokyo-based Klein-Dytham Architecture.
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all photos courtesy Post Hobby
Shizuoka City, home to toy model makers like Bandai and Tamiya, prides itself as being the plastic model capital of the world. Indeed, the Japanese city just West of Tokyo is responsible for 80% of the plastic model market. Inspired by these plastic models, or puramo, the city recently launched an initiative to install puramonuments around the city that range from signage to functional post boxes.
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all photos by Daici Ano courtesy Louis Vuitton
For the past 3 years, Louis Vuitton’s oldest outlet in Japan — their Ginza Namiki-Dori store that originally opened in 1981 — has been under construction. But the screens have now come down, revealing a shimmering new facade that resembles a pillar of water that beautifully reflects the light and surrounding environment.
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