Tag Archives: Japan

The Tokyo Last Train Map is the Perfect Art Print for Night Owls

If you live or work in Tokyo, you may *ahem* occasionally find yourself out late, either drinking or working. And Tokyo isn’t exactly the city that never sleeps, especially when it comes to its extensive train and subway system. So … Continue reading

Posted in Art | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Miyu Kojima Creates Miniature Replicas of Lonely Deaths

Twenty six-year old Miyu Kojima works for a company that cleans up after kodokushi (孤独死) or lonely deaths: a Japanese phenomenon of people dying alone and remaining undiscovered for a long period of time. The instances first began to be … Continue reading

Posted in Art | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Watercolor Illustrations Depicting Night Streets of Tokyo by Mateusz Urbanowicz

Mateusz Urbanowicz, also known as Matto, is a Polish artist and illustrator currently based in Tokyo. He originally moved to Japan to study animation and comics and he landed himself a gig at Tokyo-based animation film studio CoMix Wave, where … Continue reading

Posted in Art | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

An Early 20th Century Guide to Wave Designs for Japanese Craftsmen is Now Available Online

In 1903, Japanese artist Mori Yuzan’s wave designs were published in a resource guide for Japanese craftsmen looking to add aquatic motifs to their wares. The three-volume series, titled Hamonshū, includes variations on contained and free-form wave patterns suitable for … Continue reading

Posted in Culture | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Expertly Crafted Bamboo Insects by Noriyuki Saitoh Appear Poised to Take Flight

Noriyuki Saitoh (previously) creates insect sculptures at a 1:1 scale, forming each of the creatures’ wings, legs, and antennae from thinly sliced bamboo. The Japanese artist poses his works as if they have been caught mid-flight, often incorporating handmade props such as … Continue reading

Posted in Art | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Jewels in the Night Sea: Luminous Plankton Captured in the Dark Waters of the Osezaki Sea

Japanese marine life photographer Ryo Minemizu focuses his lens on some of the tiniest and most abundant life forms in our oceans. His series Phenomenons explores the diverse beauty and extravagant colors of plankton, and is shot amongst the dark waters of the Osezaki … Continue reading

Posted in Photography | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Natura Insects by Raku Inoue – Faith is Torment

A series of hand-made floral insects by multidisciplinary artist/designer Raku Inoue based in Montreal. The insects look so lifelike that from a distance they could be mistaken for the real thing. Inoue states that these flower-based insects were inspired by … Continue reading

Posted in Art | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Japanese Musician Creates Unique Drum Beats by Tapping on Vintage Tape Recorders

Japanese musicians Ei Wada, Haruka Yoshida, and Masaru Yoshida create reverberating drum beats on the outstretched tape of cracked open reel-to-reel tape recorders from the 1970s and 1980s. The group, appropriately named Open Reel Ensemble, produces an intriguing timbre that more … Continue reading

Posted in Drumming | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Taku Omura Transforms Company Logos into 3D-Printed Items – Spoon & Tomago

Japanese designer Taku Omura runs an intriguing side project he calls trial and error. Inspired by their shapes and forms, Omura transforms company logos we see every day, into usable items by imagining them in 3D. He then uses a … Continue reading

Posted in Design | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Go sightseeing in Japan, right on YouTube · Global Voices

Have you always wanted to visit Japan, but just haven’t had the chance? Perhaps you don’t have the time, or a plane ticket (and everything else about taking a vacation) is just too expensive. Not to worry — YouTube channel … Continue reading

Posted in Japan | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments