These geometric blocks, with their asymmetrical lines and uneven shapes, appear to be some kind of art object. But pick one up and you’ll quickly see that they’re not. In fact, they’re one of the most common desk objects: paper memo pads.
These geometric blocks, with their asymmetrical lines and uneven shapes, appear to be some kind of art object. But pick one up and you’ll quickly see that they’re not. In fact, they’re one of the most common desk objects: paper memo pads.
If you ever find yourself in Akita Prefecture, plan on paying a visit to Hikobe, a historic sake brewery that’s recently been renovated to include a cafe and tasting center. It’s a unique space where locals and tourists come together over a shared appreciation for one of the prefecture’s most popular exports: sake.
Mateusz Urbanowicz, also known as Matto, is a Polish artist and illustrator currently based in Tokyo. He originally moved to Japan to study animation and comics and he landed himself a gig at Tokyo-based animation film studio CoMix Wave, where he did backgrounds for, among other things, the film “Your Name.”
photograph © Miyako Yoshinaga Gallery, courtesy the artist
There is a reason why Yojiro Imasaka’s photographs of Hawaii are devoid of any beaches or resorts. In fact, other than the photographic evidence of the artist’s intent, there is no sign of human life at all. It’s not even clear what time period the photographs are from.
The NY-based Japanese photographer lugged his large-format camera to the island of O’ahu, and then further into the mountains, to capture the trade winds: a natural weather pattern on islands that have existed long before mankind.
Back in 2015, the NY-based Japanese creative director Sho Shibuya began creating hand-lettered katakana for each day of the week. Ever since, his Instagram account has been such a joy to follow because, on a fairly consistent basis, he has been posting a weekly series of letters, each brimming with creativity and craftsmanship. Now, in what is Shibuya’s first solo exhibition, his work will be on display in New York later this month.
Tokyo Last Train Map | click image to enlarge
If you live or work in Tokyo, you may *ahem* occasionally find yourself out late, either drinking or working. And Tokyo isn’t exactly the city that never sleeps, especially when it comes to its extensive train and subway system. So if you don’t want to get stuck sleeping in a capsule hotel, you’ll need to do some planning. That’s where the Tokyo Last Train Map comes in handy.
Created by a Japanese designer and map enthusiast who goes by the twitter handle @chizutodesign, the beautiful print lays out all of Tokyo’s trains in radial form, along with the times they leave their first stop and arrive at their last stop. From far away it almost looks like fireworks.
It’s a beautiful visualization of Tokyo’s massive transit system as it prepares to slowly turn the lights out on another busy day. There are a few outliers but, as you’ll see, right around midnight is when you’re going to want to start heading for that train station!
The new V&A Dundee, designed by Kengo Kuma | photo by Ross Fraser McLean
The V&A Dundee, which is Scotland’s first design museum, will open tomorrow, September 15, 2018. It was designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, who used cutting-edge 3D modelling tools to create the unique shape and façade of the museum, which is intended to mirror the appearance of a Scottish cliff face. The curving walls are made from 2,500 individual stone panels, each weighing 3000 kg (together, that’s almost 8 thousand tons of wall!).
all photos by Eiichi Kano
In what is a masterful feat of structural engineering, architect Junya Ishigami has sculpted concrete cantilevered display shelves that are up to 12-meters (39-feet) long.
What happens when you reduce an object to its bare-bone minimum? That was essentially the idea behind a new line of cutlery created by Japanese design office Nendo.
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