The DAWN Café is an upcoming trial project that will test an inclusive working environment. The café will seemingly be staffed with robots that will wait on you by bringing you your coffee and asking if you need anything. But if you think this is another example of robots coming for our jobs, you would be mistaken. Embedded within the robots are real intelligence: they’re operated remotely by people with severe disabilities who often can’t leave their bed.
The Takaoka Craft Competition is one of the oldest and most anticipated contemporary craft shows in Japan. Throughout its 32 year-history, the competition has allowed two categories: a “factory category” that focuses on mass-production and a “contemporary category” that emphasis artistic qualities. But this year they’ve eliminated categorization and have proposes just one theme: embracement.
The idea behind the theme is to transcend titles like craftsperson, designer, artist and instead, explore the possibilities the lie within the liminal, infinite space between art and product. That direction, as put forth by head judge Masanori Oji, has resulted in some fantastic works. Below are some of our favorites:
“bone flower” is a series of architectural ceramics by Yuki Nara
Yuki Nara is a descendant of the Ohi-yaki house of ceramics. So to say that there was some pressure to become a potter, would be an understatement. “In elementary school I didn’t even want to touch clay,” says 29-year old Nara, discussing his rebellious childhood.
Apple slices, onion slivers and stems. These are all foods commonly found in almost any house. So common, in fact, that we don’t see them as anything else. But designers Yusuke Komatsu and Yukitoshi Toda saw them as something else: a gift of beauty from mother nature herself. The duo decided to replicate these forms from pure brass, and finishing them off with a distressed look. There’s certainly something humorous about elevating something that normally gets thrown out in the trash.
In 2014, a subculture emerged in Japan called jimi halloween (地味ハロウィン), or “mundane Halloween.” It was started by a group of adults at Daily Portal Z who “kind of wanted to participate in the festivities of Halloween, but were too embarrassed to go all out in witch or zombie costumes.” So instead of the flashy and flamboyant costumes they had been seeing gain popularity in Japan, they decided to dress up in mundane, everyday costumes. The type of costumes that you have to explain to people and then they say, ooooh I get it.
Otera Oyatsu Club (“Temple Snack Club”)
In Japan, roughly 1 in 7 children are living in relative poverty. That’s roughly 2.8 million children. And the dark side of relative poverty, as opposed to absolute poverty, is that it’s not immediately obvious to society. So when a 28-year old mother and her 3-year old son died of starvation in Osaka in 2013, it shocked the nation. Many were saddened by the news but one decided to do something about it. His name was Seirou Matsushima and he was a Buddhist priest.
all photos by @sakanakudo
In hilly and mountainous Japan, retaining walls are a common sight. As the name implies, they’re designed to retain soil to a slope and keep it from spilling into streets and other areas that us humans use on a daily basis. And where there are retaining walls you’ll also likely find drainage systems: piping that’s essential to keeping water from building up behind the wall and creating unwanted pressure.
from left to right: the Kami-kiri (hair cutter), Nekomata (cat demon) and Kitsune (fox demon) and the Yuki-onna (snow woman)
Sometime during the Edo Period (18th – 19th century) of Japan, an artist by the name of Suekichi Hokusai created the Bakemono Zukushi handscroll. In it, 24 yokai and other mysterious creatures that haunted the people of Japan are depicted. Some fairly common ones that are included in popular ghost stories appear, like the Yuki-onna “snow woman” who shows up on snowy nights and asks you to hold her baby. Or the Rokurokubi “long-necked woman.” Some are more obscure, like the Kami-kiri “hair cutter” who sneaks up on people and cuts off their hair.
If you’re looking to get out of Tokyo for a day-trip, head to Odawara, a coastal town Southeast of Tokyo. It’s an hour and a half by train and little faster by car and once you’re there, the beautiful landscape will be more than enough to make you forget the city. We were touring the area last week so here are a few of our favorite spots!
Home for All is a non-profit charity started by architect Toyo Ito to build homes and community centers for those who lost so much in the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami. In connection with the DESIGNART Tokyo events happening this week, Home For All will be holding a conference and auction to raise awareness and funds for the project. It’s an amazing opportunity to support a worthwhile cause and buy amazing original works by some of the world’s leading Japanese architects and designers.
Winners of Japan’s 2027 Packaging Design Awards
Tadao Ando Designed & Donated a Floating Library that Delivers Books to Children
Yuka Numata’s Haunting Sculptures of Children, Made from Fishing Line and Beads, Installed at Abandoned Elementary School
Japanese Aquarium Drops 2026 Version of Flowchart Illustrating Their Penguin Relationships. This Year There’s an English Version.
Kawaii Buildings, as Seen Through the Lens of Urban Photographer Ken Ohyama
