Japan’s new imperial era Reiwa begins May 1, 2019. It’s a historic event that is unusually festive given that the era change comes as a result of abdication, rather than the emperor’s death. You can read more about Reiwa and the meaning behind the characters but did you know that the new era comes with it’s own official color scheme? It’s true. Now you can coordinate your ultimate Reiwa style.
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Avengers Endgame, the culmination of the 22-film story, is hitting theaters in the U.S. this week and anticipation among fans is high. One of those fans happens to be Japanese illustrator Takumi, who previously created the brilliant Ghibli Theme Park. To commemorate the film’s release, the artist has created a series of illustrations that render characters from the film in Ukiyo-e style.
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Over the last several months, major Japanese financial institutions have begun phasing out the use of hanko, the equivalent of a personal seal. Having been widely adopted during the late 1800s, hanko had surprisingly maintained its relevance in the face of technological change and has always been a requirement for opening bank accounts, signing contracts and almost any official paperwork. But with the winds of change comes the opportunity to rethink and redesign.
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The oldest record of incense in Japan can be found in The Nihon Shoki (日本書紀) where it states that aromatic wood drifted onto Awaji Island. Located in Japan’s Seto Inland Sea, Awaji Island has preserved this tradition of incense and, for hundreds of years, continued to rethink it. The latest innovation is, poetically, a return to roots: leaf-shaped paper that carefully burns like a dried leaf.
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Daoko is a Tokyo-based Japanese singer and rapper who got her start on video-sharing site Nico Nico Douga. Since having one of her videos gain traction at the age of 15, her career has been on an upward trajectory. Still 22, her style appears surprisingly grounded and mature. She’s gained mainstream and subculture acceptance as she remixes gaming and anime culture to create visually arresting music videos.
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Aptly titled Path, a mountainous home rises up in a central Tokyo neighborhood. Designed by ARTechnic Architects and created for a couple and their 3 kids, the U-shaped structure consists of multi-levels that are connected by stairs that wind through the space like a mountain trail.
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Over the past decade or so, floating shelves have become somewhat ubiquitous in the minimal design world. With support mechanisms attached directly into the wall, they made legs obsolete, an effect that rendered cleaner lines. Now, those shelves have reached their next phase: invisibility.
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Monkey Majik are a 4-piece international rock band formed by 2 Canadian brothers — Maynard and Blaise Plant — and joined by Japanese members Tax and Dick on drums and bass, respectively. Largely based out of Japan, they manage to jump back and forth between English and Japanese lyrics, a unique formula which has won them many fans.
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In less than a month, the Japanese Heisei era will end and a new era will begin. The Reiwa era, whose name was revealed last week, begins on May 1, 2019. Ahead of such a symbolic yet monumental change, Japanese ambigram artist Issei Nomura (previously) has created a beautiful tribute to both eras.
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Despite it’s high-tech reputation, Japan remains very much a nation held firmly in the realm of the analog. Objects like fax machines, record players and hanko, a seal used in lieu of signatures, remain alive and well. Along those lines are stamps: they’re used professionally in schools, post offices and almost all bureaucratic settings. But Hokkaido-based artist Baku Maeda found a different use for them.
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