Despite the fact that I’ve been house-bound and on my back for the past month, I’m very glad to say that the “Urban Paper” paper toy art show and book launch is still happening at Cafe Pause next month. Produced by Josh McKible — who you all know from NaniBird — it celebrates the recently launched book Urban Paper: 25 Designer Toys to Cut Out and Build by bringing together new works from a host of designers who were featured inside (including Josh). It’s an awesome book — I have a copy — and so it’s a thrill to be able to help spread the paper toy gospel here in Tokyo.

As you can see above, Josh has designed a very cool poster for the show, starring the show’s mascot. More than just a graphic, the little dude can actually be printed out and built (see below), so get to it.

The show will run September 7-20, and thanks to some good news from my doctor today (and a beautiful x-ray), we’ll be celebrating the opening at next month’s edition of PauseTalk (Vol. 34) on the 7th.

My latest Tokyo post for MoCo Loco is up, covering the following: Fumie Shibata’s Nagomi utensils (above), No Quiet’s Naname glasses, Naoto Fukasawa’s netbook for Samsung, Suikosha’s “Anything Collection” of desktop accessories, Jun Yasumoto’s Reading Lamp, and Ryohei Yoshiyuki’s ash tray.

For his latest project, artist Yuken Teruya turns trash — like disposable paper bags from MickeyD’s — into beautiful art installations, like the scene pictured above. Via Marxy.

Ian has some work featured in the just-released Visual Language for Designers: Principles for Creating Graphics that People Understand, and one of examples is the poster he originally created for my Cafe Pause poster series.

If you find yourself in Inokashira park, beware of the roaming yokai, especially Inoko, pictured above on a pair of buttons. Matt has more info on a yokai-related event happening there this coming Saturday (August 28).

In these coming elections, there’s only one real choice. Thanks for your support — and thank you David for the awesome image, you made my day!

How have I been getting any work done while having to lie down on my back? It’s thanks to Thanko, really. I’ve been using the desk pictured above, which I ordered a couple of weeks ago. Funny thing is, it’s actually a product I recommended in one of the very first editions of my “On Design” column for the The Japan Times years ago. What goes around, comes around I guess.

One day maybe: the Néojaponisme kiosk.

Sony is launching a new PlayStation promotional campaign called “Playface” in September, and they already have a teaser site up with brilliant use of full-screen flash video, showcasing people’s faces (lots of celebrities) when they play.

Update: Now you can also watch the TV commercials that have started airing here.

This is certainly exciting for me, as a resident of Ikebukuro: the main Muji store in Ikebukuro (which I believe was actually the first Muji store) is undergoing some major renovations, and it’s going to be turned into a new flagship store (although it certainly won’t be as massive as the Yurakucho one). They will be celebrating with exhibitions, and a series of talk events, everything kicking off September 18. Note that Ikebukuro is still home to the Muji corporate HQ.

This is pretty damn cool: Shin Tanaka, arguably the father of urban papercraft, has contributed a design to Josh’s NaniBird series, in the form of the “Balaclava.”

Dezeen posts a gallery of architect Makoto Tanijiri‘s new installation at the Diesel Denim Gallery Aoyama. The show runs until January 31.

Tokyo Art Beat is carrying a new tee (not part of the regular TAB line) produced by designer duo Noto-Fusai. As the name “Utility Pole” implies, the design not only draws graphically from the theme, but also includes three cables that are stitched into the t-shirt. Utility Pole is just the latest in the duo’s “Shikisai” brand of black ink on white tees.

My weekly Tokyo post for MoCo Loco is up, this time covering Jun Yasumoto’s Phyto Purification Bathroom (above), Masanori Oji‘s “Baby in Table,” and Norihiko Inoue’s concept phone for Vertu.

Last week I covered the “Touch the Invisibles” installation, Muji’s collaboration with Thonet, and Jin’s Global Standard’s “Notable Creators” line of frames designed by architects.

PSFK shares a gallery of computer-generated flowers by artist Macoto Murayama.