Make Your Own Chopsticks from 'Hamidashimono'
For more than 100 years, a town in Nara Prefecture has been using leftover, high-quality cypress wood from the home construction process to create disposable chopsticks. And now, you can make your own at home.
New Osaka Louis Vuitton Resembles Sailing Ship
On February 1, 2020, Louis Vuitton opened its new Osaka Midosuji store. Although not necessarily a flagship, it certainly resembles a sailing ship!
Preserving History with Newspaper Sculptures
Japanese visual artist Atsushi Adachi creates miniature replicas of objects from the past using old newspaper clippings and articles sourced from the same period, including replicas like this battleship and other historical moments.
Pop-up Shop Interior Made of Ziploc Containers
It was back in 2018 when Beams first announced a series of haute couture items with bag and storage maker Ziploc, but the brand is doubling down on the intriguing collaboration.
Shohei Otomo's Hyper Realistic Pen Drawings
The artist Shohei creates dauntingly dense and bold ballpoint pen drawings. He also happens to be the son of Katsuhiro Otomo, the creator of Akira.
See Through Your Mistakes with Clear Erasers
The rubber eraser is roughly 250 years old. But for all its old age, the partner to any pencil has always had one major flaw. You can’t see what you’re erasing. Until today.
Photography Shows Life in Japan 100 Years Ago
Thanks to Eliza Scidmore, we can see images of everyday life in Japan, with some photographs over 100 years old.
New Japanese Passports Feature Famous Artworks
In February, Japan began issuing new passports featuring the well-known works of ukiyo-e master Katsushika Hokusai.
Student Merges Metal & Traditional Woodwork
Japanese student and bicycle enthusiast Hiroto has merged traditional Japanese craftwork with bicycle-making to create what he calls a "wa-modern" bicycle.
Toyota's Future City Near Mount Fuji
One of Japan's leading automotive manufacturers, Toyota, is planning to bring their vision of the future to life at the foot of Mount Fuji.
Bringing Natural Harmony to a Nursery School
A nursery school in Tottori is connecting children to nature with its award-winning design.
Lawson’s First Register-Free Store
Convenience Stores Deeper Japan
Convenience store giant Lawson will open a store this month with no cash registers, and plans to more in the Tokyo area by summer 2020.
Tsukiji Market Memories Through Photogrammetry
The Tsukiji Fish Market relocated to Toyosu in 2018 and officially closed their doors forever. Using thousands of archival photographs, however, designers have created an immersive artwork that explores the former largest fish market in the world.
No Need for Fire with Self-igniting Incense
Incense and matches, combined as one. This ingenious yet intuitive design comes from a 90-year old Japanese match manufacturer, who never stopped innovating.
Official 2020 Summer Olympics Posters Unveiled
As 2020 kicks off, the real countdown to Tokyo’s Summer Olympics begin and the organizing committee isn’t wasting any time. The series of official Olympics and Paralympics posters have been released, designed by renowned artists from Japan and abroad.
Building the Future: Tokyo's Robot Exhibition
Cutting-edge machines are on display at the International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo.
Miniature Model of Shinjuku Made Only of Paper
Toshi is a Japanese office worker in his 20s who has a unique hobby: building miniature paper models of cities at a 1/2200 scale. And he has completed his most ambitious project to date: a mini model of Tokyo's sprawling area of Shinjuku.
DESTROY ALL THE THINGS at the Reeast Room
It's stressful being a civilized, polite human being. Sometimes you just want to let yourself go wild. That's why the Reeast Room was created—to release the beast and destroy all the things.
Marvel at Remarkable Single-Stroke Paintings
Daigoro Yonekura is a Japanese artist who creates abstract paintings that resemble billowing plumes of smoke or ink. At once both mysterious and beautiful, they pull the viewer in, offering familiar shapes and forms, leaving us with a particular question.
Kyushu Bank Redesigned Using Local Wood
The power of design was on full display when Higo Bank, a regional bank in Kyushu, opened its newest branch and completely transformed all our preconceptions of how a bank can make us feel.
