Today’s NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE has a bunch of Tokyo-related articles, including some design picks from Tyler Brule. Haven’t had a chance to read it yet, but Marxy is already bitching about some aspects of it (sure to be countered by Momus in the comment section — they’ve become Tokyo’s best new manzai combi).
By marxy April 4, 2005 - 9:36 am
I’m bitching more at Murakami than the NY Times coverage of him.
By Brad April 4, 2005 - 2:16 pm
My question is, which one is the tsukkommi and which one is the boke?
By Brad April 4, 2005 - 2:17 pm
tsukkomi, even.
By marxy April 4, 2005 - 3:17 pm
Yeah I’m not sure the manzai analogy works.
By Brad April 4, 2005 - 5:34 pm
I don’t know, you guys orchestrated that April Fool’s thing. You’re only a couple of steps away from working on contes some late evening at a Royal Host.
By Jean Snow April 4, 2005 - 7:14 pm
I’d say Momus is the boke, definitely. If you’ve seen him in concert, I’m sure you’d agree.
By nik April 5, 2005 - 9:32 am
oy — I kind of liked the article … and (takeing the Murakami article out of the picture), since Pico Iyer is such a great travel writer, the whole Tokyo Spring piece on the Lawsons convenient stores was very interesting …
By sparkligbeatnic April 6, 2005 - 3:39 pm
I’m sure I’ve read that Pico Iyer piece a few years ago. I think it may be an updated version of an essay from one of his books.
The piece had new resonance for me. The Lawsons close to my train station closed several months ago. The closure has ruined the neighborhood, which tells you pretty much all you need to know about the neighborhood. One more factor that has precipitated a decision to live the whole week, rather than just the weekend, in town. (Reverse) Commutership, Ho!
My danchi town is only a few train stops away from Iyer’s. I’ve never met him though we some common acquaintances.
By Jean Snow April 6, 2005 - 9:04 pm
Wow, that would be so interesting to meet with Iyer, have a talk at a cafe. I’m a fan of Iyer’s writings.
By Massimo April 7, 2005 - 2:26 am
We have a show on BBC4 by Tyler Brule, called The Desk:
http://www.thedesk.tv/the_flash/frameset.html
It’s a tv version of Wallpaper Magazine.
Jean, are you Canadian?
I believe, Tyler Brule is Canadian also.
By Jean Snow April 7, 2005 - 2:33 am
Yes, I’m Canadian. I had no idea he was too.
That show looks great. I hope I can find it on UKNova.
By sparkligbeatnic April 7, 2005 - 10:57 am
Wow, that would be so interesting to meet with Iyer, have a talk at a cafe. I’m a fan of Iyer’s writings.
After writing that I recall that I had a very nice conversation with Pico Iyer’s mother, Nandini, a few years ago when she visited Kyoto. She’s a professor of comparative religion at UCSB.
Iyer’s parents seem like interesting people:
http://www.worldculture.org/iwc_webpages_folder/pages/2_founders.html
By John April 11, 2005 - 7:17 am
“The Desk” definitely isn´t a TV version of Wallpaper Magazine.
By Jean Snow April 11, 2005 - 12:00 pm
Indeed, it isn’t. I was able to watch this week’s episode, which was quite interesting, looking at the future of television.