Muji is starting their own international design competition, with a call to entry (details here). Results will be announced at next year’s Milano Salone del Mobile.

Patrick is going to be digging out some goodies from his massive collection to do a bit of DJ at cara*mill, a shop/cafe/bar in Kichijoji, tomorrow. Free entry, all drinks at 400 yen, and more details here.

After their foray into iPod cases, guess it was inevitable for GAS to go after the PSP next. Seems like the DS would have made more financial sense though.

• The new issue of TITLE (74) takes you on a tour of “Rock Around the U.K.” It’s a pretty thorough guide, and I’m sure Toe over at Groovisual Diary has already picked up a copy.
• I don’t always browse through ESQUIRE, but the new issue (Vol. 20, No. 5) features a guide to Aoyama Dori, highlighting lots of things well worth seeing in the area. It’s also an over-sized fashion special.
• There’s a new DESIGN NOTE out (6), and it’s another great look at top art directors (15 in all).
• The second issue of the REAL DESIGN mook has also hit the stands, and it’s chock full of product design-y goodness, including coverage of items found in top Tokyo luxury hotels, digital cameras, the latest cells (is it just me or is everyone going boxy all of sudden), and much more.
• Although they haven’t updated their website to reflect it, the new issue of OK FRED (7) is now out. The theme for the issue is fashion, and I contribute my regular column (“Sekai no Mise”), as well as a few record reviews (Taichi’s MORE OR ENOUGH, Kazumasa Hashimoto’s GLLIA, and Masakatsu Takagi’s AIR’S NOTE).

Can’t believe I’m actually lashing out at Apple, but damn it, I’ve just gone through my second pair of Apple In-Ear Headphones, with both breaking the same way (the left ear bud stops working). Now, I loved the way they sounded, and they fit perfectly in my ears, but I can’t spend 5-6000 yen for another pair, and so I need to get something cheaper, and I’m wondering if anyone has recommendations. The last time they broke, I did try buying a cheaper brand at Bic Camera, but had to return them because even the smallest one was too big for my ears (it would just pop out), and it was a hassle returning them. What I loved with the Apple ones, is that the smallest size fit perfectly.

If you’re wondering why I absolutely need in-ear headphones, it’s because I can’t listen to video files on my PSP with regular headphones, because the volume doesn’t go high enough (to counter the noise from the train).

Hisashi Tenmyouya has some rather nice illustrations on his site, like the one you see here, “Nine Kamakura Samurai.” Nice blend of the traditional with the here and now. Link via Drawn.

If you didn’t know — I just found out today when the listing popped up at TAB — this month’s PechaKucha Night (Vol. 31) is happening tonight, on a Tuesday (not the regular Wednesday). I should be going, so hope to see some of you there!

A door in one of the back streets of Harajuku (not far from the Santouka ramen shop).

Just a reminder that this month’s “On Design” column will be in tomorrow’s (Tuesday) edition of THE JAPAN TIMES. The focus this time is on wooden furniture, and I’m quite happy with the way it looks in the layout.

The “Canadian Video Art Channel Vol.3” event held last Friday night at Tokyo Wonder Site in Shibuya. Sitting to the left is event organizer and participant Shinobu Akimoto.

The sakura are finally in bloom in Tokyo, and so the annual pink landscape is now in full effect. Shot taken at a small park in Ikebukuro (a bit of trivial for TRICK fans: that park was used in a scene in the second’s season’s third combination episode).

It was about a year ago that I first proclaimed my love for Michael Young‘s PXR-5 watch, and finally, I have one! It’s as nice as I thought it would be, and I’m quite happy about being “with watch” again (I’ve been patiently waiting to replace my previous watch for over a year now, waiting for just the right one). If you’re looking to get one, it has popped up on Charles & Marie a few times (and I imagine it will again), but they only ship to the US and Germany.

Update
Someone from the Charles & Marie site has informed me that although they can’t handle international orders through the shop yet (but there are plans to add this), you can still place an international order by using the “International Order Form.”

Seems like I just can’t shake off this damn cold. After getting back to work last week, and feeling better, this weekend was another in-house kleenex-a-thon mixed with a sore throat. Joy. Feeling a bit better today, but this time I’m cautious about saying I’m done with this damn virus. I’m just hoping I can take advantage of my week off, and get some stuff done. On the nice side of things, the sakura are out!

Everyone, we must all get on our knees and bow to the fine folks at Madhouse. First this:

A new film from Satoshi Kon!?! Oh my. And then this:

And if that wasn’t enough, the following political anime sounds intriguing as well:

Consider me very excited by all these projects.

PingMag interviews type designer Akira Kobayashi.