art, somewhere in between New York and Tokyo

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Japanese architectural firm Ninkipen recently completed Cucchiaio, a new Italian restaurant in Osaka. The name means Spoon in Italian, so we have something in common.

The interior and exterior combine wood, metal and white to create a sophisticated atmosphere that seems to be consistent with their high-end Italian dishes. If the interior shots don’t move you, perhaps a look at their food will make you want to go?

Naoki Terada of Terada Design has created Carved, a new clock with the numbers carved out. Although the product doesn’t appear to be stocked yet, Lemnos, who specializes in Japanese designer clocks, will be the sole distributor. If this doesn’t float your boat, Lemnos is stock full of designer clocks from the typographically-inspired to the, I-don’t-really-need-to-know-the-time-I-just-want-something-cool-on-my-wall clock.

Inspired by ancient sun dials, Kazuo Kawasaki created Hola. It even has an iPhone app.

Makoto Komatsu took his signature wrinkled porcelain and applied it to the Wrinkle wall clock.

Luminary designer Riki Watanabe and his simple yet gorgeous Riki Clock.

Kanako Kajihara takes her experience as a textile designer for Issey Miyake to create the soft and delicate Syn.

Related:

• Black Hall by Terada Design
• Kazuo Kawasaki and Riki Watanabe were featured in Japanese Designers 101

How cool is this table made from interlocking wood panels leftover from the manufacturing process? TSUNAGU is the latest in a series of furniture from the MATE-RE-INNO line, short for Material Re-Innovation. It was launched by Label Creators, a company that believes in traditional Japanese craftsmanship and materials. They acknowledge that waste is generated throughout the design process and many of their lines attempt to recycle those remnants of design. I would love to see this table put to use with magazines, photos and other random objects laid on the shelving that is created as a result of all the panels.

I wrote a post on SUMICA kids furniture by student designer Michiko Eguchi. Read it here…

I also did a post on SEAL, a Japanese company that makes these cool bags (and shoes) from recycled tire tubes. Read it here…

Riding off my previous post I wanted to share some more work by up-and-coming designer Wataru Kumano. After completing a design program in Japan Wataru relocated to Finland in 2002. He completed in MA in furniture design at the University of Art and Design Helsinki, at which point he returned to Japan and took a position at the Tokyo studio of Jasper Morrison. Last year he founded his own design studio and appears to be at the point where he is revving up his design engine which, if I might add, has a nice blend of Nordic naturals and Japanese simplicity.

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I found this image on his website to be quite inspiring. Who knew all the shades of green could be found in a scallion? I like the idea of a Food Diary. After all, we are what we eat.

With cost-competitiveness sweeping through the manufacturing industry like an angry lady with a broom, sparing only those with the strength to scale up capacity and scale down price, what are Japan’s small companies and artisans to do? Inevitably, embrace. That is the philosophy of mass item, a new store started by Takashi Yoshida aimed at exploring the possibilities of plastic. He has enlisted 3 designers to assist him – 2 of which, if you are familiar with spoon & tamago, you should be familiar with as well – Shunsuke Umiyama (Microworks), Norihiko Terayama (Studio Note) and newcomer Kumano Wataru.

Although the pieces have a highly manufactured quality to them, every piece gets finished off with a human touch – whether it is vibration finish or a hand-assembly. I like the idea of subtle resistance. Here is an overview of what they have done for the shop.

Ladder by Microworks (he seems to be obsessed with ladders)

Layerscape by Studio Note

Tokyo Clock by Kumano Wataru

Related:

• f,l,o,w,e,r,s and folling flower by Studio Note
• ladder ruler and vine cell charger by Microworks

“A man from Fukuoka, a woman from Tokyo….” I had no idea what this sweet commercial was for up until the final 5 seconds! It’s based on an actual documentary that was filmed over a 1-month time span. Impressive and romantic!

If you happen to be in a romantic and inconspicuous mood, a combination I can’t say I encounter often, head over to Roku Nana, a new secret bar that just opened up in Roppongi. Nestled between buildings, Roku Nana made claim to the 3rd floor and a strategically situated rooftop that affords views of Roppongi Hills and Tokyo Tower. Literally 6 7, the bar takes its name from the address (Roppongi 7th ward), the only thing that will help you find the place because there are no signs. Just an address and telephone number.

Roku Nana was designed by Yasumichi Morita whose firm Glamorous, if the name didn’t tip you off, has a taste for flamboyant décor that straddles a delicate balance between classy and corny. The bar is a follow-up to imoarai, his previous secret bar in Roppongi.

Verde Roppongi 3F
7-16-11 Roppongi, Minato-ku
Tel：03-6438-9915

Tokyo Visualist is a joint collaboration by Satoru Yamashita (+81) and Masako Shinn (Graphis). The book explores the work of 32 “cutting edge” artists and designers through interviews and essays by curators including David Elliot (Mori Art Museum) and Sarah Suzuki (MoMA). It attempts to decipher the current for clues on what lies ahead in the future. Unfortunately I won’t be able to make it but if you are in NY on March 2nd they are having an event at the Japan Society that would be worthwhile.

featured artist Tomoko Konoike

featured artist Hideki Inaba

featured artist Kohei Nawa

A descendant of samurai-era Bizen sword makers-turned-Buddhist priests, Miya Ando, is a Japanese American who resides in Brooklyn (Yay!). She carries on her family’s heritage by primarily working with steel, and with a very minimal aesthetic. Right now she is in Germany, preparing for her first Berlin show at Dam Stuhltrager Gallery (from February 20 to March 20.)

In addition to her series of wall works on 14 gauge mild steel panels, she will be showing Hikari Cube, an interactive piece that was conceived in collaboration with software artist James George.  Designed to look like a steel cube, their sculpture has a hidden motion detector able to ‘hear’ when a person is approaching- which then mimics normal breathing patterns via a light which is transmitted through the cube.

Below is a demo of the Hikari Cube

Hikari Cube from James George on Vimeo.