I wonder if I could get away with wearing something like this from the Autunm/Winter 09 collection of Engineered Garments? It’s considerably toned down from some of their previous designs.

Wow…Japanese architecture firm Wonderwall has updated their website with some insane Flash maneuvers. Not only is it super-fun to navigate, it’s extremely intuitive. The site was designed by star digital designer Yugo Nakamura, who can also be accredited with working on sites for Muji, Uniqlo and ffffound (there’s a nice interview with him over on Creative Review).

via kitsune noir

Sasaki Kogei was recently awarded the Gift Show 2009 Eco Company of the Year award. Their commitment to sustainability is quite impressive. Their all-natural paints and oils, as well as their recycling/reusing efforts are one thing. But the fact that they have maintained an active tree-planting program over the last several years sets them apart from other eco companies. And their products are gorgeous. I love this wood-worker set, which I featured 2 years ago in my gift guide from Japan. A recent favorite is this wooden measuring stick that helps you track the growth of your toddler. But uuum, …how shall I put this? Only in Japan could a company like this get away with actively promoting smith and Wesson toy guns and gorgeously crafted cigarette holders. That’s Japan for you.

Want to know more great things about Japan? Check out cnngo’s recent article on 50 reasons why Tokyo is the greatest city in the world.