It’s that time of year when we tally up our most popular posts of the year, and allow ourselves a bit of humble bragging. Our little blog turned 8 this year (what, is that like 75 in Internet years?) and the newest addition to our family, the shop, turned 1.
But aside from just growing older (FYI – not any wiser) 2014 saw some longer-term projects come to fruition.
Back in 2012 we wrote about a daring little artist, a puffer fish, who created fantastic “crop circles” on the bottom of the sea to attract mates. The article was easily the most popular for us that year but it also attracted the attention of the BBC, who got in touch with us about shooting the fish for a documentary. We helped coordinate the shoot and are happy to report that, after many months, the documentary finally aired!
Another bit of good news this year is that the Papa’s Maze, which we wrote about last year and are exclusively selling in our shop, got picked up by two Japanese TV stations, marking our official debut on Japanese television.
Heading to Tokyo? This year we launched a new feature to the site: A Tokyo Guide! We have curated, intimated guides by locals, as well as our picks for art, shopping eating and playing.
Thanks so much to our readers, new and old! Happy Holidays and we will each and every one of you a splendid 2015. We’ll now step back behind the curtain as we present to you, the 10 most popular posts of 2014.
1.Vagina Artist Megumi Igarashi and Her Vagina Kayak
We covered the arrest of Megumi Igarashi (aka Rokudenashiko), an artist who scanned her genitals to create a vagina kayak (hereon referred to as a vagayak). In the article, and on twitter, we argued that the arrest represented a complete double-standard in a country that sanctions an annual penis festival. Igarashi was released but then arrested a second time earlier this month, reigniting the debate over censorship and women’s rights in Japan.
2. Sushi Suitcase Covers
How cool would it be if everyone had a sushi suitcase cover. Imagine what the conveyor belt at the luggage pick-up terminal would look like!
3. Helix Chopsticks
How can you improve on something like chopsticks that have been around for hundreds of years? One designer turned to our DNA for inspiration. Many readers reached out to us to see if they could buy these pair of beauties but so far we haven’t been able to confirm that they were even put on the market.
4. A Cross-Section of a Lost City
The demolition of Kowloon in 1993 was televised in Japan. But what most didn’t know was that, up until the previous evening, a group of Japanese researchers had entered the deserted city and had been documenting every nook and cranny up until the bulldozers arrived.
5. Slow Motion footage of a train rolling into Shibuya
“An endless row of living sculptures brought together by the same subway line, the same direction, the same intention of taking the train to get caught and carried away by the urban flow.”
6. The Cleavage Diving Necklace
A series of necklaces featuring fearless divers and climbers that, when worn – presumably by large-breasted women – the figurines appear to be descending into the unknown depths of cleavage.
7. Not What It Seems
Painted food disguised to look like other food
8. A Sweet Zen Rock Garden
Named after a fictional temple, the miniature rock garden is actually made from entirely edible ingredients that include black sesame cubes (shaped like rocks) and a bed of sugar (resembling sand).
9. Goldfish Bubble Wrap
A subtle yet magical illusion of miniature goldfish swimming around in bubble wrap.
10. Intricate Paintings That Spill Off the Canvas and Onto Walls
Maki Ohkojima creates sprawling yet intricate paintings that she calls “the mural beyond the frame.”
