japanese art, design and culture

These disturbing and potentially NSFW are both colorful and intriguing. They were taken by artist “photographer Hal“ and are actual vacuum-sealed people!!! These pictures are Hal’s latest project called Flesh Love; which quite literary captures couples in vacuum seals. The name is very fitting, as with a small play on words, it can be seen as flesh or fresh (since the Japanese language does not have a “R” or a “L” but rather something in-between). Hal started out photographing couples in bath tubs, as he felt that couples were brought closer to each other, but slowly progressed to photographing them in the large vacuum seal packs.

Hal recruits his models from the streets of Kabukichou in Shinjuku, known for its off-beat and adult entertainment. When Hal comes across an interesting couple, he takes his time to negotiate. But when taking his photos, he has to be quick to snap a few photos of his vacuum sealed subjects before they run out of air.

On one assignment I had to visit a prison later to obtain permission for the final print. Happily though, for the most part I’ve had many joyful moments with many interesting scenes to capture. There was even a couple who married soon after one event, and it all began in a bathtub! – Hal

Photographer Hal also has a photobook “Flesh Love” available on iPad (¥1,000).

Source: laughing squid | Photographer Hal

images courtesy Naoki Hirakoso | click to enlarge

This is one of those times my posts come in twins. Kai Table is an incredible piece of craftsmanship by Naoki Hirakoso and Takamitsu Hirataka . While presenting itself as a seemingly seamless rectangular low table, multiple pieces unfold, slide out and pull out to reveal secret cupboards and drawers. It reminds me a bit of Takeshi Miyakawa’s Fractal chest of drawers.

The custom-designed table is available for purchase (600,000 yen; ≈ $7,800 ) but due to its complexity it has to be custom-made and will require several weeks for completion.

source: notcot | Architizer

“table of pencils” (2010) | pencil, acrylic board | installation view at Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (2011) | photo : Masaru YANAGIBA | design collaboration：HIROYUKI TANAKA ARCHITECTS | cooperation：Masuki Co.,LTD

Does art serve a purpose? Does it have a function? I would like to believe that it does.

Table of Pencils is the work of sculptor Motohiro Tomii. “Does art serve a purpose? Does it have a function?” These are the questions he asked himself as he set about working on this project. In recent years Tomii has been primarily concerned with the reason we make things. But instead of perusing an answer through his art – “Will we ever find the answers if we keep making things? No, definitely not,” he says – Tomii has quite literally turned the tables on himself, accepting that art is something incomprehensible. His objective is to understand, in fact, how much we don’t understand.

The Table of Pencils was created specifically to walk a thin line between conceptualism and utilitarianism. But leaving the “is it art?” debate aside, I thinks it’s a fantastic table. How fun would it be to walk into a super serious meeting around this table?

“table of pencils” (2010) | pencil, acrylic board | photo : Masaru YANAGIBA | design collaboration：HIROYUKI TANAKA ARCHITECTS | cooperation：Masuki Co.,LTD

Many thanks to Mr. Tomii (the artist) and Ms. Chinzei (Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo) for helping obtain images.

The inherent problem in designing Japanese fonts is the sheer quantity of characters – 50,000 compared to 26 for their latin counterpart – and the labor involved. This perhaps justifies why many Japanese fonts are so expensive. But there are a few free fonts out there. Below are a mix of Japan-influenced roman fonts and actual Japanese fonts.

If you’re interested in Japanese typography check out this great primer (Part I and Part II) by Chris Palmieri. Although it was published a while ago, the content is still wholly relevant.

Koushiki Typeface

A solid font that is free and comes with very few restrictions. It was designed by graphic designer Atsushi Kawakami and was just released on Jan 5, 2012. And with an English interface downloading it couldn’t be easier.

Dot Colon Typefaces

An assortment of fonts by web designer Sora Sagano. Interface is in Japanese but if you click on the font you want and scroll down, the large blue button on the right is the download button.

Miura Liner Jr.

This is a cute handwriting font. Although the Miura font family is not free, Mop Studio has released a free version called Miura Liner Jr. The caveat is that it only contains 450 kanji characters (click for full list), enough for some basic writing but probably not enough for that dissertation you’re working on. The Japanese interface is a bit difficult to navigate so here are the download links for Mac and Windows.

M+ IPA

The M+ fonts are quite beautiful. They’re free and feature proportional and fixed-halfwidth Latin, as well as fixed-fullwidth Japanese. Here is the English interface when you can download from.

AXIS font

The AXIS font is not free. Actually it’s quite expensive (20,000 yen for a single weight) but it’s worth the investment if you’re going to be doing a lot of work in Japanese.

Source: W3Q

I have a craving for Yoshino-ya’s Beef Bowl once in a while. Yoshino-ya, for those that are unfamiliar, is a quick-serve Japanese Beef Bowl restaurant that can be found in almost all major train stations and shopping districts in metro areas across Japan. It was established, in 1899, in the fish market of Nihonbashi district. While the restaurant franchise has gone international, sadly, they don’t have a location near me yet. So I make do with this “precisely” Yoshino-ya Beef Bowl recipe:

Yield: 4 portions (Japanese recipe, Japanese portions)

Ingredients:
1 lbs           Thin sliced beef (loin)
1 large       Onion
4/3 cup    White wine or Mirin
1 cup         Dashi or beef broth
5 tsp          Soy sauce
1 tsp          Sugar
TT               Salt and pepper

Preparation:
1.  Cut and slice beef into bite size pieces and add a dash of salt and pepper.
2.  Chop onion into bit size pieces.

Cooking:
1.  Add dashi and wine into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil – enough to let the alcohol dissipate.
2.  Add the onion and beef to the pan. Bring to a boil again and scoop out any foam that forms on top.
3.  Add soy sauce, sugar and stir. Continue to cook, placing a lid and on low heat for 20 minutes.
4.  Place it over white rice and enjoy!

images courtesy operatorchan and iowagirleats
Source: Cookpad (Japanese)

“29000→600” | images courtesy the artist

Ryo Shimura, a young artist and sculpter working primarily with plastic, uses his art to tackle major environmental issues like endangered species. His latest work “29000→600” illustrates the dramatic drop in wild hippos due primarily to poaching destruction of habitat. The effect of seeing a plentiful number of numerous figurines, but then learning that’s how many are left, is quite impactful. His work was recognized last year when it won an award at the 2011 Eco & Art awards hosted by Konica Minolta.

Here’s a look at some of his other work, which includes meerkat crayons (in a full spectrum of 36 colors!) as well as sad-faced pandas and walruses.

It’s become a tradition of some sort. Each year we share with you a selection of Japanese designer Holiday/New Year’s cards. Here is the 2012 edition.

Archives: 2011 New Year’s Cards | 2010 New Year’s Cards

Although we haven’t had much snow in New York, for Brooklyn-based designer Takeshi Miyakawa it was a white Christmas!

“A Happy New Year” from graphic designers NAM, in their signature style of distortion.

New Year on you iPhone. As he did last year, industrial designer Akihiro Kumagaya created “2012″ wallpaper for your iPhone using a few simple lines and the shapes of your apps. You can download it here.

Simply titled “BUILD,” design-duo SPREAD‘s New Year’s card is a minimal yet optimistic message for Japan’s future.

Dragon-themed cards

Industrial designer Masahiro Minami pays homage to the classic manga Dragonball.

Botanic artist Makoto Azuma created an abstract and exotic dragon-motif flower arrangement

Graphic designer Atsushi Kawakami uses a play on words to transform Hatsuhinode (the first sunrise of the year) to “Tatsuhinode,” incorporating both the dragon and the sunrise into his New Year’s card.

UK-based indistrial designer Tomoko Azumi showed off her prized stamp collection in her New Years card. Because the dragon is the only fictitious animal to appear in the 12 zodiac animals, the sea horse (tatsu no otoshigo; 竜の落とし子) is often used as a motif instead.

I love graphic designer Chikako Oguma‘s hand-drawn style.

And last but certainly not least, I couldn’t help including this adorable card from my friend and graphic designer Aaron Stewart.

unless otherwise noted, all images courtesy David Zwirner Gallery

 In case you were wondering what sculpted time looks like, now you know.

On Kawara, the conceptual artist and one of the few Japanese artists who are taught in Art History 101, is in town – he has a new exhibition at David Zwirner Gallery in New York. The show, which runs through February 11, 2012, primarily features Kawara’s series of Date Paintings, which he started in 1966. The minimal works consist of nothing but the date on which the painting was executed – a mark, or fragment if you will, of his existence on that particular day. If Kawara is unable to complete a painting during a single day it is destroyed. In case you were wondering what sculpted time looks like, now you know.

My personal experience in interacting with Kawara’s paintings has not been pleasant. Although visually they are as quiet as can be, I find them incredibly loud. As I stare at them I’m ironically assaulted by all the chaotic possibilities of that single day. I think if I stayed too long my head would explode.

While it would appear that stencils were used to achieve the uniformity seen in each work, every date was skillfully hand-painted – Kawara preferred it that way.  But his obsessive-compulsive behavior didn’t end there. He also methodically and meticulously recorded every painting in a journal, from a color swatch of the paint mixture he used to a year and a letter indicating its size.

a close-up of On Kawara’s journal, from the book “continuity/discontinuity, 1963-1979“

(thanks for the tip Masako!)
Source: David Zwirner | Tate | Gallery Micheline Szwajcer

all photos by Dominic Alves (installation view at ICN Gallery) | click to enlarge

What you’re looking are not actual goldfish preserved in some sort of embalming fluid. Instead, they are 3-dimensional fish that rise up from the surface through a process of: 1) a single layer of paint 2) a single layer of resin 3) repeat. (scroll to the bottom to see a video of the process)

The goldfish, writes Fukahori, was my salvation.

The goldfish holds a very special place in the heart of any child who’s ever been to a matsuri (street festival) in Japan. Kingyo-sukui is the game of “goldfish scooping” and is a staple of any summer street festival, along with the masks, water balloon yo-yos, fireworks and yummy food.

But for artist Riusuke Fukahori, the goldfish was not just a relic of long-lost childhood. As he painfully lay in his room one night, struggling and suffering, about to give up on his art, he looked over and saw a goldfish. His neglected fish of 7 years sputtered about in a cesspool of mold and feces – a common fate endured by most festival souvenirs.

Fukahori felt a shiver run down his spine. What he suddenly saw was a beautiful animal, glowing in bright red, living and surviving. The artist pulled out his paint and set to work, immediately triggering some sort of chemical reaction in his brain. Fukahori had looked far and wide – in Europe, the U.S. and Japan – for his muse. But in an instantaneous form of enlightenment he knew that all along it was right there in his room, inside that dirty fish tank. The goldfish, writes Fukahori, was my salvation.

And did you know, with a little help from the grammar gods, Kingyo-sukui (金魚すくい), the festivities of goldfish scooping, can also be read 金魚救い- goldfish salvation.

Source: colossal | theawesomer | Riusuke Fukahori

the home features a dramatic “stage” above the kitchen that pours in tons of sunlight as if someone rolled up the awnings on the sun

Ever since Bunzo Ogawa completed his public restrooms project in 2010 I’ve been a huge fan of his fantastic work. The architect’s latest home, which was just uploaded to his website, is no exception. Titled “Light Stage House” and located in Hiroshima, the home features a dramatic “stage” above the kitchen that pours in tons of sunlight as if someone rolled up the awnings on the sun.

The rounded details of the home and its curvaceous figure give it a futuristic spaceship-quality. What a great space to totally lose yourself in.

The home was completed in mid-2011 but just recently uploaded to the architects’ website. Despite being built on just a 30-tsubo plot of land – a little over 1000 sq ft – it’s impressive what the architect dud to give it such an airy feel and so much sunlight.

source: Bunzo Ogawa’s website