design

Came across this weird looking building entrance somewhere in Daikan-yama.

9h is a Capsule hotel concept exhibited this year at the AXIS gallery in Tokyo, bare in mind Capsule hotels already exist in Tokyo, but this is a brand new design approach.

Eley Kishimoto, is a global British fashion and design company with headquarters in London, UK. Founded in the early 1990’s by Mark Eley and Wakako Kishimoto, the company is primarily known for its print design. The principle commercial activity of the company is womenswear fashion and accessories.

Dealing innovatively with Japan’s strict plot ratio regulations, Fujimoto has avoided the conventions of creating a courtyard or of setting a house as an isolated object within the site boundary. Instead it is a hybrid; a series of boxes in boxes that define domestic realm, enclosure and interior.

A very nice and calming new dentist clinic in Fukyama, Hiroshima.

UNIQLO is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the iconic video game character Pac-Man by releasing some really cool limited edition t-shirts in honor of the occasion. In collaboration with six artists (both Japanese and international) who created art and graphics inspired by Pac-Man, UNIQLO is selling these t-shirts through UT Harajuku.

Himiko, a real-life ship, designed by a... mangaka.

If you like my Japanese learning game’s style&mood, you should enjoy this new NihongoUp wallpaper! It may not teach you Japanese but it can be a good reminder for those of us who frequently forget to review the kanji :)

Did you know that Fuji TV Building was designed by the same architect that designed the stadium for the 1964 Olympics? Its an interesting connection to make for those who are lobbying for the Tokyo Olympics in 2016. Great designs that work and are innovative.

Whether you are a designer working for Japanese clients or if you just want to impress your Japanese girlfriend with your Photoshop skills, you’ve certainly became bored with the very limited set of Japanese fonts that comes with your operating system. Here’s a collection of some of my favorite j-fonts categorized by shōtai.

Kohei Nishiyama, founder of Elephant Design, describes how he helps brands as diverse as style-conscious Muji and toy company Lego harness their consumers to create new products.

That seems to be the thinking behind the construction of the Maihara Kindergarten, designed by Japanese architect Shuhei Endo, and winner of the Architecture and Design for Young Children international award. An example of his so-called 'bubbletecture', the design incorporates a flexible number of spaces that echo nature.

Japan saw most of its infrastructure bombed back to the stone age in the final years of World War II, which makes the country's post-war rejuvenation all the more astounding. Today, shaped by the demands of restrictive space and economic boom & bust, Japan's hardened transportation arteries display artistic forms that go far beyond their functions.

Japanese packaging design could be described as cute, clever, and/or complex. Either way it seems way more intricate then any Western counter-parts.