Who knew that Japan had their very own Swiss Alps?
Just 2.5 hours by train from Tokyo is Toyama Prefecture, one of Japan’s smaller prefectures that borders Ishikawa and Nagano. It may be small but with the Hida Mountains to their back and the Japan Sea to their front, the prefecture boasts an abundunt amount of pictureque beauty, as showcased by local photographer Yasuto Inagaki, who has been sharing photographs of his home on social media.
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Akihiro Ito knew that if he was ever to build his own home he would want Oki Sato, his business partner, to design it for him. The two met in school and have been friends ever since and partners ever since Sato established his design studio Nendo in 1997. As Chief Operating Officer, Ito acts as Sato’s right-hand man, and has been with him as the company grew from a start-up in their family’s garage to 50+ employee company with offices in Tokyo, Milan and Shanghai.
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Shinji Tsuchimochi is a Tokyo-based illustrator who creates unique views of Tokyo and Japan, inspired by ukiyo-e but produced with a modern sense of whimsy and surrealism.
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Yesterday, in Osaka, a new library opened. Designed specifically for children, the space is filled, wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling, with outward-facing books. This is Nakanoshima Children’s Book Forrest.
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The relationship between human and flame is one that is older than time, and without it we wouldn’t be who we are today. Indeed, the flame can destroy but it can also be controlled. And when it is, provides irreplaceable nourishment and comfort. For over 100 years, Daiyo has contemplated this relationship, producing a series of handmade Japanese candles, or warousoku, intended to be brought inside the home to supplement our lifestyles.
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We’ve all seen them. And perhaps we’ve been them? The man or woman who has had a few too many drinks, and is now at that place of no return, where they’re regretting all their bad decisions that led to this. Now, Japanese toy maker Tama-Kyu has come out with a series of capsule figurines portraying different booze-induced meltdowns.
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Japanese artist Yoshihiro Suda creates hyper-realistic sculptures of plants and flowers in the tradition of Japanese woodcarving. Born and raised near the foot of Mt. Fuji, Suda had been immersed in an environment of rich nature, which went on to inspire his work after moving to Tokyo in the 1990s.
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all photos by Osamu Watanabe courtesy the 21st Century Museum of Art
The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa is a renowned art museum known for its unique architecture and innovative exhibition design. Designed by the Japanese architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of the firm SANAA, the museum was completed in 2004 and has since become a landmark in Kanazawa.
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Ryugon is a 50-year old ryokan nestled within the mountains of Minami-Uonuma (Niigata prefecture). Two hours by train from Tokyo, it’s a region known for rice and sake production but also heavy snowfall. A recent renovation, subtractive in nature, set out to strip the pre-existing fortress like elements that, in their bid to keep the snow out, had also disconnected the inn from its habitat.
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Founded in 2007, Sansan is a Japanese company that offers a cloud-based contact/business card management solution. Headquartered in Tokyo with offices around Japan, since 2010 the company has been renovating a traditional Japanese townhouse in the countryside town of Kamiyama (Tokushima Prefecture) for their 600+ employees to use as a satellite office.
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Cats to Blame for Octopus Deity Enshrinement Delay
Kirishima Brewery’s New Facility and Cafe is Powered Entirely by Sweet Potato and Coffee Beans
Keisuke Aiso’s Ubume Sculpture that was Missappropriated as the Face of the Momo Hoax
Scenes From Japan’s Jimi “Mundane” Halloween Contest
Japanese Designer New Year’s Cards of 2024
