Travelers looking to stay in traditional Japanese ryokan, or inns, usually have to venture out of major cities and into less-populated areas. And while that’s definitely part of the allure, the newly established Yuen brings the tranquility of an urban oasis to one of Japan’s most densely populated areas: Shinjuku.
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Eighteen years after the release of Spirited Away in Japan, China is getting an official theatrical release next week. And just as he did with the release of My Neighbor Totoro late last year, Chinese designer Huang Hai has worked his magic once again, creating a series of absolutely breathtaking posters that make us want to watch the film all over.
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Blowing the white fluffy seeds off a dandelion is a universal childhood experience. Who hasn’t delighted in watching a gentle breeze carry the bristles off into the distance. But for this Tokyo-based artist who goes by the name “(euglena)“, the fluff serves a different, artistic purpose. She harvests them to create impossibly delicate sculptures that beg to be observed up close. Just don’t sneeze.
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We’ve never wanted to peel off the lid of a building as much as this one: Nissin’s new Cup Noodle Factory in Shiga Prefecture of Japan’s Kansai region. This is the company’s first new factory in 22 years and at 100,000㎡ (approximately 24.6 acres) it stands as one of Japan’s largest food factories.
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After purchasing a tiny plot of land in Tokyo, architect Takeshi Hosaka (previously) began creating the blueprints for a home for his wife and himself. Originally intending to build up, the architect pivoted after he and his wife were inspired by a book about Edo-period families who lived in a single floor, in a single space. Hosaka then redrafted his plans, which included only the raw ingredients for happiness.
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Before eateries had English menus; before selfies were snapped at the Robot Restaurant; before tourists in Mario costumes zipped down the streets of Shibuya in go-karts there was a grittier Tokyo. One that photographer Greg Girard describes as “post-war scruffiness combined with a transitional modernity.”
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Japanese architect Tadao Ando, known for his minimal use of bare concrete, has completed 152 Elizabeth Street, his first project in New York City. In a city where acclaimed architects from around the world compete with ambitious, loud and grandiose proposals, Ando held his own, creating a 7-story condo primarily of concrete and glass.
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Prehistoric creatures have long been extinct. But evidence that they once roamed the very world we inhabit has fueled a never-ending fascination with these ancient speciemens. Now, a new series of picture books by art director Ken Tsuchiya offers a unique way to enjoy and think about these mysterious organisms.
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Japanese trains are renowned for their punctuality, comfort and overall reliability. But part of what makes them so reliable is an “unseen” workforce of overnight trains. These trains will be unfamiliar to the everyday rider because they only show themselves after regular service has ended for the day. Working through the wee hours of night and early morning, they perform maintenance work on tracks and electrical wires that ensures a smooth and uninterrupted ride during the day.
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Today, May 30, is Zero Waste Day* in Japan. And on this day, the Tokyo Shimbun newspaper ran a full-page editorial made to look like a front-page headline titled “Plastics Floating in our Seas” and highlighting the devastating impact that plastic is having on sea life.
Everything from the article headline to the images and text were actually carved into sand on a beach in Japan and photographed from above.
*The name is derived from the numeric pun for 5 (go) 3 (mi) 0 (zero), which can be read as gomi zero, or zero waste.Continue reading
