We had a smaller group at this month’s edition of PauseTalk (Vol. 21), but it still made for a pleasant gathering. Talk revolved around a few specific projects this time, and thanks to James for his harrowing account of his work on a reality series currently being shot in Tokyo. The next edition will be held June 2. Below is the list of participants, although I am missing at least two names (I often get caught up in conversation once we’re done, and forget to get everyone’s details).
Designboom posts a few images covering the works of Yuichi Higashionna. He has a new show, “Refract,” that will run from May 16 to June 5 at Calm & Punk Gallery.
Just a reminder that due to the Golden Week holiday, tonight (May 12) marks this month’s edition of PauseTalk at Cafe Pause in Ikebukuro. Start time is 20:00, as always.
BRUTUS (639) asks “How do you live?” and reports with a look at the ways people find to make their homes what they are. I tend to be quite fascinated by these peaks into people’s homes (an obsession I share with the way people work as well), and so I love this sort of feature. The magazine’s insert, the “Interior Book 2008,” covers furniture ideas in various style categories.
STUDIO VOICE (390) presents its “Temporary Guide for Absolute DVD Collectors,” and as you’d imagine, they manage to offer a pretty decent list of the titles (280 in all) that you should include in your collection. There were a few that I didn’t really get though — Kim Basinger’s CELLULAR?
This month’s EYESCREAM (2008/06) is the skateboard culture issue and features coverage of plenty of skaters, as well as artists, brands, and companies that revolve around the world of skating.
Can’t say that I found much to like in the latest PEN (221), with its “Discovering Dino World” feature. I’ve just never had much of an interest in dinosaurs, even as a child (unless they’re biting off someone’s head on the big screen or in a game).
Even though I didn’t care much for the cover feature on business tools (mostly covering suits and leather accessories), there’s always a lot of good stuff to find in the pages of REAL DESIGN, and the latest issue (24) is no different.
Video directed by Hiroshi Kizu, featuring dancer Masako Yasumoto. From Warren Ellis’ blog:
OMODAKA is the name of the project developed through a trial and error process of mutational fusion of music and motion graphics. It will knock over your existing image toward a music video by a beautiful trajectory.
Chin Music Press has made a major update to the promotional site for ART SPACE TOKYO, now including a section that will offer the art maps found in the book as downloadable PDFs (a new one every two weeks or so). The maps are absolutely beautiful, and it’s great that they’re offering them for download like this — very useful, even if you own a copy of the book. The new site also features a blog.
Marxy’s new album, FORTY YEARS FROM NOW, is now out! I personally love it, but don’t take my word for it, go and check out the first single, “Cat vs. Mouse,” that also features vocals from Kiiiiiii’s UT. This post at the META no TAME blog includes links to some of the physical stores that carry it (as well as more tracks to sample), including links to the major digital download stores.
Time to stock up on t-shirts from Tokyo Art Beat’s “Tokyo Collection #3,” with all designs on sale for 2500 yen until the end of the month. And remember, all proceeds go to help finance TAB and its various projects.
PingMag interviews Ken Oyama about his passion for housing complexes. Oyama is behind the new photo book DANCHI NO KENKYU (AN ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING COMPLEXES).
In case you’re thinking that the lack of posts here have to do with me having fun during Japan’s Golden Week holiday, if only that were true. Since Saturday, I’ve been hit by a flu/stomach virus, and have barely left the futon.
The Superfuture Superguides are a series of PDF travel guides to some of your favorites cities, updated monthly, and obsessively compiling the best places to shop, eat, and drink. The Tokyo guide is edited by Jean Snow.
Jean Snow is the design/culture editor at Neojaponisme, a web journal covering social and cultural aspects of Japan. Read the manifesto, by founder and chief editor W. David Marx, here.
PauseTalk is a regular series of events that take place at Cafe Pause on the first Monday of every month, with a start time of 20:00. The idea is to create a forum where Tokyo-based creatives can get together and discuss their own projects, as well as cultural currents of the city. The next edition happens June 2.
I write a monthly column covering Japanese product design for The Japan Times, called "On Design." It appears on the fourth Tuesday of every month, in both the print edition and online.
I contribute a weekly round-up covering the latest product and interior design happenings from Tokyo and Japan for MoCo Loco. It gets posted on Wednesdays, and you can find links to previous posts here.
I write a monthly column covering Japanese product design for 
I contribute a weekly round-up covering the latest product and interior design happenings from Tokyo and Japan for 
