If you’re looking for an excursion off the beaten path, we have just the spot for you. The new Goemon House, which recently opened after a 3-year renovation, is an inn built from a 65-year old wooden home. It’s located on Momojima Island, which is just off the coast of Onomichi in Hiroshima, and accessible by a 30-minute ferry ride. Don’t come for convenience. Come for the chance to immerse yourself in island life, art and a piece of Japan’s grisly past.
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Tokyo’s vibrant skin can be overstimulating and chaotic to some. But the neon shop signs vertically stacked on one another is what gives the city its unique, almost nostalgic feel. Now, you can recreate that vibe in the comfort of your own room as long as you have stacks of, preferably unread, books.
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After years of back-and-forth over the fate of the Nakagin Capsule Tower, Tokyo’s iconic structure and symbol of the Japanese Metabolism movement is being demolished. Designed by architect Kisho Kurokawa and completed in 1972, the tower stood in Ginza for 50 years promoting the concept of metropolis as living organism. Much has been written about the landmark (this piece in the L.A. Times is a good place to start) but today we’re remembering the Nakagin Capsule Towers through a lovely rendered video by UK-based designer Sho Ito.
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From The Kyoto Distillery and the Tokyo Riverside Distillery to the Mitosaya Botanical Distillery in Chiba, it’s no secret that, in recent years, Japan has been experiencing a domestic craft spirits boom. One of the latest to join that group is the Tokyo Hachioji Distillery, located in the western suburbs of Hachioji and producing gin under the clever name, Hachio Gin.
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Throughout the pandemic, as travel restrictions kept us in our homes, an unlikely project was in the works: a new travel brand called moln. Inspired by the Swedish word for cloud, moln aspires to take us on a idyllic journey beyond borders and languages.
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all images courtesy @q_micke
Japanese era names are called nengō or gengō and were first adopted in 645 AD. But they weren’t really used consistently until the end of the Edo period in 1868. Each have their own styles and aesthetics and although we have yet to see what the current era Reiwa has in store, a Japanese designer who goes by the name micke came up with a series of illustrations that imagines what the past era names might look like if they had logos.
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Watercolor artist Hiroki Takeda is known for his vivid and wholesome depictions of cats, dogs and other animals using his signature style of botanicals. But the artist has recently turned his colorful brush to a darker subject matter: anti-war imagery and hopes for peace.
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Are you a writer working towards a hard deadline but having trouble getting work done? Then the Manuscript Writing Cafe is your new best friend. Located in Koenji and run by a team of writers, the cafe is solely dedicated to other writers working on deadline. But beware, once you enter they will not let you leave until your work is done.
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all photos by Kenta Hasegawa
Established in 1957 in Nagasaki prefecture, Maruhiro is a family-owned hasamiyaki ceramics business that originally began as a street vendor. They have a unique business model in that they don’t have their own factories. Instead, they handle the design and planning, and then work with local artisans to produce the actual ceramics. While emphasizing traditional methods and techniques, the company incorporates contemporary colors and forms into their line-up. But it’s not only their product portfolio that is forward thinking. In establishing their latest retail outlet, they wanted to create a space not only for fans of yakimono but also for local residents and children who could gather and just hang out. Hiroppa, which is a combination of the Japanese words hiroba (open space) and harappa (open field), officially opened late last year.
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all photographs by Cody Ellingham
Wander the Night Japan is an ambient soundscape project created by sound artist Simon James French (SJF) and photographer Cody Ellingham. Inspired by the difficulties of lockdowns experienced throughout 2020 and 2021, and based on their shared experiences of living in Japan, the two have collaborated on a limited edition 12″ vinyl record that captures the audio and visual magic of travelling through Japan.
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Miniature Neon Shop Signs Turn Stacks of Books into Bustling City Blocks
Sleep Alongside Art & History at the New Goemon House in Hiroshima
Rendered Video by Sho Ito Pays Tribute to the Nakagin Capsule Tower
100 Illustrators From 35 Countries Contributed to a Book on Japanese Onomatopoeia
Half a Century in the Making: Tree ‘Crop Circles’ Emerge in Japan
