Satoshi Odagiri Creates One-of-a-Kind Organic Mobiles from Found Material

Located in the wilderness of of Hanno City (Saitama), about an hour outside of Tokyo, is Saturday Factory, a design studio founded by Satoshi Odagiri in 2015. Inspired by the surrounding forests, rivers and wildflowers, Odagiri creates balancing mobiles that incorporate materials that he finds near his studio and along walks in the forest.

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Japan’s Tiniest Botanical Garden is in Shibuya

photos by Kenta Hasegawa courtesy Suppose Design Office

Walk south from Shibuya station and within 10 minutes you’ll come across a glass dome-shaped building sandwiched between several nondescript buildings. Hidden in plain sight is the Shibuya City Botanical Garden, Japan’s smallest indoor arboretum.

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A Glimpse Inside the Whimsical Wooden Miniature Homes of Yukihiro Akama

images courtesy of Yukihiro Akama

Artist Yukihiro Akama is set to unveil his largest exhibition to date, ‘Basho no Kankaku – A Sense of Place,’ at Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP). The display will feature 52 wooden houses, each crafted from a single piece of wood, ranging from a mere 4cm to a grand 105cm and accompanied by architectural drawings and mini prints.

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Past, Present and Future of Tokyo on Full Display in World’s Largest Architectural Projection-Mapping

From the deep forests of Okutama and the vibrant coral reefs of Ogasawara, to the sleepless neon lights of Shinjuku, Tokyo truly is one of the most diverse cities. And while one could argue that it has enough night lights, a new nightly projection mapping display will light up the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s headquarters building on a daily basis.

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Show Your Japan Prefectural Love With These Enamel Pins

This series of enamel pins, with each representing one of Japan’s 47 prefectures, are the perfect way to show love for your hometown, or simply keep as mementos from your travels. Not only do they accurately capture the shape of each prefecture but the colors were also carefully selected to align with what the prefecture is known for.

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Director Ryota Nakano to be Special Guest at Japan Society’s Family Portrait: Japanese Family in Flux

Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan and Japan Society are proud to announce the eighth installment of the ACA Cinema Project film series, Family Portrait: Japanese Family in Flux. The series examines the shifting dynamics and struggles of the Japanese household in contemporary cinema. Showcasing 10 features, including premieres and revivals, Family Portrait celebrates the complexities of familial bonds in the face of adversity—bringing to question what truly defines a family and its values in the modern world.

Still Walking © 2008 “Still Walking” Production Committee

Limited tickets are still available for the final weekend of Japan Society’s Family Portrait: Japanese Family in Flux—showcasing three films from director Ryota Nakano (Her Love Boils Bathwater, A Long Goodbye and The Asadas) on Feb. 23 and 24. Nakano will attend all three of his films in person—Her Love Boils Bathwater on Feb. 23 will feature a post screening Q&A and reception and The Asadas on Feb. 24 will conclude with a post-screening panel discussion.

To learn more and purchase tickets, please visit japansociety.org.

Her Love Boils Bathwater © 2016 “Her Love Boils Bathwater” Film Partners

Hoyaman © 2023 SIGLO/OFFICE SHIROUS/Rooftop/LONGRIDE

Yoko © 2022 “Yoko” Film Partners

Tokyo Sonata © 2008 Fortissimo Films / “Tokyo Sonata” Film Partners

Tokyo Twilight © 1957/2017 Shochiku Co., Ltd.

Step Into a World of Contemporary Japanese Art at New Exhibition in New York

a series of washi paper prints by artist takayuki. o

“Stepping Into A World” is a the 5th in a series of juried open call exhibitions aimed at showcasing undiscovered Japanese artists and integrating them into the forefront of the global art scene. The exhibition, which includes paintings, digital prints, and sculptures, is on view at Gallery Max in Soho and was curated by New York-based curator Kyoko Sato and television writer Motoichi Adachi.

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Takenokuma Cafe is a Water Garden Inspired by the Lush Nature of Kumamoto

In the peaceful town of Minami-Oguni (Kumamoto Prefecture) is Takenokuma, a new cafe inspired by the many water sources that flow freely from nearby Mt. Aso. These water sources manifest themselves in many ways including rivers, hot springs and channels that flow into the abundant rice paddies, all of which inform the “water-centered architecture.”

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Go on the Tokyo Toilet Tour and Never Worry About Finding a Public Restroom Again

Japan’s public restrooms have in international reputation for being clean and well-maintained, but apparently that still wasn’t good enough. In 2020, the city of Shibuya and Nippon Foundation embarked on an initiative called Tokyo Toilet. They brought together some of the biggest names in architecture and design to renovate 17 public restrooms all throughout Shibuya. Now that all of them are complete, a new tour promises an in-depth exploration into the crossroads of public hygiene and architecture.

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Evolving Themes of Absence and Presence in the Paintings of Minoru Nomata

Still-28 1986

Painting is an escapist world, but I would like it to be a place to become energized

Minoru Nomata

Over the past four decades, Minoru Nomata has developed a distinctive painting style characterized by imaginary architectonic and topographical forms. His works transcend specific time and place, marked by a lack of human presence. He combines the familiar with the mysterious, creating visionary paintings that are both heroic and haunting.

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