Designboom posts a few images — and a video, but it wasn’t loading for me — from what looks like an amazing installation that was featured at the Milano Salone by Canon. Both parts — “Aquatic Color” and “Animated Knots” — were created by architect Akihisa Hirata and interactive artist Takahiro Matsuo.

This post is going to be about something good, something better, and then the best.

First with the good. Everyone’s favorite Tokyo-based Swedish graphic designer Micke Thorsby (PMKFA) — well, mine at least — has recently launched a new collection of his “It’s Our Thing” brand of tees and sweatshirts. The new line introduces a brand new logo, which you can see above, and get as a t-shirt even.

Even better is that we also see the launch of an “It’s Our Thing” online store, where you can buy each piece in the line, with shipping worldwide (free shipping inside Japan). The store is also selling a few designs from older collections at a discount of 50% off.

What’s the best? Well, Micke was kind enough to offer readers of JeanSnow.net a discount on orders: enter “jeansnow” on checkout, and you’ll receive a 20% discount.

Just got back from the opening for Tokyo-based Canadian artist Rob Judges terrific new show at Gallery Kabutoya in Ginza. I very much enjoyed Rob’s modern take on totem poles of old, augmented with a healthy dose of comics-influenced superhero visuals and beyond. The show runs until May 10, and I recommend you check it out.

Pictured above, “Poems, Hugs & Harmin’ Me” (left) and “Another Day on Wall Street.”

I am officially excited: Kyoto-based Q Games has just released the first trailer for its still unnamed next release in its terrific PixelJunk collection of downloadable games for the PlayStation 3.

We ended the “Little Pink” exhibition last night with a nice little gathering, which also gave us a chance to say goodbye to Shantell, who left for NYC today. Thank you Hiro for the photo. From left: me, Shantell, and Anna.

Lovingly surreal — and hilarious — short by Takashi Taniguchi. Via Josh.

Koara has a special offer for you:

The free event will feature DJ Mega Frank (Frank Stofer of Sonore), Marcel Luckyghost (Philippe Chatelain of Laptop Orchestra), and Olivier Pasquet. You can also check out the Facebook event page.

During his recent visit to Tokyo, Patrick Macias sat down with Marxy at a discount tonkatsu shop, and they then proceeded to record for Néojaponisme a talk on, among other things, the state of the Japanese recession and current yankii culture. I give you, The Tonkatsu Tapes.

How’s this for a quick follow-up! After last week’s great episode of Radio OK Fred with Alex of Chicks on Speed, we’re already back with a new episode (13). We call it the “lost” episode, because we basically re-did what was to have been the first show in the current run, but that we had to ditch because of technical difficulties.

Radio OK Fred 13 (74.1MB)

Even better, episode 14 is already in the can, and will be released sometime next week. Subscribe to the feed to make sure you don’t miss it.

The “Little Pink” exhibition at Cafe Pause ends today (Sunday, April 26), and we’ll have an informal gathering tonight from 19:00 until 22:00, before we do the takedown. Shantell leaves Tokyo for NYC on the very next day, so it’s a final chance to say goodbye and wish her well on the next leg of her artistic journey!

Everyone twitters these days — I do too — and so it made sense to give Néojaponisme its own feed. The feed is updated by all of the NJ editors, and you can find it here.

The site may be called Tokyo Tuesday, but for data junkies you can check in for instant numbers on various Japan-related topics. Via Peter Heerens.

This coming Tuesday (April 28) catch the “Sound Gardening” electronic contemporary music event.

The three performers are Go Taneda, Philippe Chatelain, and Olivier Pasquet. Tickets are 2,500 yen (includes champagne, drinks, and garden entrance), and a reservation — by email or phone (090-8552-9995) — and advance payment is required.

Audrey — otherwise known as Ay2 of the Radio OK Fred podcast — will be doing a public reading of her new book, Des Ailes, at BOOK246 in Aoyama tomorrow (April 25, 15:00-16:30), accompanied by Gutevolk and Utrecht‘s Hiroshi Eguchi.

Nice to see Craig in the latest issue of Esquire Japan (April 2009). He collaborated on — and appears in — a 6-page piece on rakugo (from page 54).