I wasn’t able to make it to ICFF this year but design*sponge does a good job covering it if you are interested. They even have a post dedicated to the Japan booth, which is worth checking out. One notable entry is this beautiful humidifier by Japanese paper artist Miyuki Yoshida.

The “Misty Garden” comes in a porcelain dish and the leaves, which double as water filters, are a  conduit for dispersion, releasing into the air 15 x more than the amount of moisture created from leaving a cup of water out. Another perk is that it requires zero energy! You just water it like you were watering a plant. It was created for Mikuni Corp and is slated to go on sale July 10.

Also on display are these exquisitely designed chopsticks by Mikiya Kobayashi, who’s Tate Otama I profiled a few weeks ago.

I’ve suddenly become very interested in product and furniture design by architects. Their designs are distinctly different and represent an architectural and structural approach. In addition to the flower vase I posted yesterday, take this recently designed chair by Naruse Inokuma Architects. It was made out of a single slab of wood, which was then cut and bent. You can even check out the blueprints here!