the exhibition opens with a large-scale painting by Takashi Murakami | all photos by spoon & tamago (taken with iphone 6)
Ninety five years from today Doraemon, the amazing cat robot, will be born. At least that’s according to Fujiko Fujio’s imaginative comic. Doraemon and his magical fourth-dimensional pocket, which produces fantastical gadgets from the future, have tickled the minds of children (including myself) since the 1970s to today.
Issui Enomoto is a taxi cab driver in Japan’s port city of Yokohama. But he’s also a photographer. And for Enomoto, these two go hand-in-hand, just like the relationship between a taxi and passenger.
Enomoto keeps his camera next to him at all times, snapping nighttime-scenes of streets, as well as passengers. But only with permission, and only if it’s safe.
Did you know that Japan has almost 200 different varieties of beans? Food writer Kiyomi Hasegawa traversed all of Japan to bring you this wonderfully laid out typology of Japanese beans.
Conveniently coinciding with Tokyo Fashion Week is Tokyo’s newest event celebrating contemporary art and design, aptly named ‘Designart.’ After its predecessor Tokyo Design Week permanently closed following the death of a five-year old at an exhibit in 2016, Designart’s creators sought to fill the void in Tokyo’s modern art and design scene. The result is a sprawling week-long event spread across multiple Tokyo neighborhoods with over 70 exhibitions covering all aspects of design from fashion to photography to technology.
all photos courtesy BUAISOU
Some things never go out of style; just ask the four artisans behind the group BUAISOU who still use natural centuries-old Japanese indigo dyeing techniques for their creations today. A recent mention in Vogue proves that this “Japan Blue” is still highly fashionable. And judging by the vibrant hues Japanese indigo dye produces, it’s no surprise why.
Armed with an Olympus digital camera and a bag full of cat toys, Japanese photographer Hiroyuki Hisakata ventures off to an island populated by stray cats to photograph his feline friends. Hisakata’s specialty? Playing with them and capturing them in dynamic martial arts poses that have earned them the nickname Ninja Cats.
If you’re on the search for beautiful, handmade Japanese crafts, head to Tokyo Midtown where, on the 3rd Fl Galleria you’ll find Wise Wise Tools. A “tools” offshoot of furniture retailer Wise Wise, the shop carries a beautifully curated selection of ceramic and wooden tools like cups, plates and utensils.
The rotating selection features artisans from around Japan, and their unique vision of craftsmanship is sure to bring beauty into any home.
Wise Wise Tools
Tokyo Midtown, 9-7-4 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Gardenside Galleria
AM.11:00～PM.9:00
In the event of a natural disaster, a person’s most basic needs — food, water, shelter, electricity — are often compromised. But one necessity often overlooked is the availability of working toilets. In the wake of recent natural disasters in Japan such as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami and the Kumamoto earthquakes of 2016, Tokyo-based design company nendo teamed up with hardware supplier Sugita-Ace to combat this problem by designing a simple, innovative portable toilet kit they’ve dubbed the minimLET.
Biccharu: Ogawaji, Uozu, Toyama Prefecture | all photos © 2016 Charles Fréger
In Japanese folklore, yōkai are the various supernatural beings — most often malevolent — that inhabit the natural world and play tricks on unsuspecting humans. French photographer Charles Fréger traveled to several remote Japanese villages over a period of two years to document the kinds of yōkai portrayed in local rituals and festivals. What he captured was the cultural diversity in a nation commonly mistaken by outsiders to be homogeneous.
A 35-year old janitor living in Osaka was arrested at his home last month for growing and selling marijuana. It’s a fairly rare incident in Japan but what really caught our eye was the unique techniques that the man used.
Myaku-Myaku Footwear, Inspired by the Googly-Eyed Mascot for the Osaka Expo
Demographics Professor Warns that by 2531, Everyone in Japan Will be Named Sato
Japan’s Stationery Award Offers a Return to the Primitive
Shunga: Japanese Erotic Art from the 1600s – 1800s
Kenji Yanobe’s BIG CAT BANG is Now on Display at Ginza Six
