Click through for a look at some absolutely stunning animated stereoviews taken by T. Enami in the late 19th and early 20th century in Japan.

I haven’t linked to any in a while, but Ian Lynam continues to post his series of red, white, and black patterns based on Japanese graphic design of the 50s over at Neojaponisme, with the latest pictured above.

Spotted by Matt Alt in Akihabara: a sign for a bar, using a very recognizable casing.

The Cycle Chic from Copenhagen blog has a post up featuring a few ladies riding their bicycles in Fukuoka, courtesy of photographer Stephen Crawford. It is indeed great living in a city/country where women are frequent cyclists. Via Ryan Ruel.

Minkus Architects Tokyo have renovated an apartment in Tokyo, with the main feature being the use of curtains throughout the space, doubling (or replacing) walls. Dezeen posts more on the project.

• Some good news if you haven’t yet had a chance to catch the “PROTOTYPE 03” exhibition, as it’s been extended until December 13. Some of the designers will also be on hand on both December 6 and 13 (Sundays).
• PangeaSeed is collaborating with Parties 4 Peace on a winter fundraising at Favela in Aoyama on December 11. Expect an international mix of activism, art, music, and fashion.
• Artist Tanya Tanaka is having a “Tokyo Taping” installation project in two parts, first on Wednesday (December 2) during PechaKucha Night Vol. 67 at SuperDeluxe, and then the installation proper at SinDen in Aoyama, with the opening happening on Friday (December 4, 19:00-21:30).

After having such a great time coming up with tracks for this past Friday’s PLAY 00 (I used “00″ because it was a bit of a test for me) — see this post for the complete set list — I’ve decided to do it again this coming Friday (December 4). If you have nothing better to do, then hey, come on down to Cafe Pause in Ikebukuro for PLAY 01 to listen to a selection of tracks by me, from 21:00 to 23:00.

So yes, as I threatened last week, I did my PLAY two hours set at Cafe Pause this past Friday, and had a great time doing it. I didn’t make a big deal out of it because this was more a test run for me, and I did find a few things I need to take care for next time (longer cord, adjust bass on the sound system). But yes, there will be a next time, and more on that in my next post. I’d like to thank Hiro for dropping by and spending the evening with me (and taking the photo above), as well as Jason and his crew for coming by before the end.

As promised, I’m including here the entire playlist of my set, although keep in mind that the order is only 90-95% accurate because the software I was using, Djay, crashed at the end. The reason it crashed is because it doesn’t seem to want to record a 2-hour set, as I’ve tried to record my set twice after that, and it crashed every time. Since I did want to share the music, I instead managed to record it in two parts.

PLAY 00 (Part 1) (58 MB)

1. Tori Punk – “Sensor”
2. Beck – “Broken Drum (Boards Of Canada Remix)”
3. RJD2 – “Counseling (Instrumental)”
4. Bloc Party – “Banquet (Cornelius Remix)”
5. Erlend Oye – “Sheltered Life (with Soviet)”
6. Arling & Cameron – “Shake It”
7. Holland – “Bloodbath”
8. Mark Robinson – “100% Guaranteed”
9. Air Miami – “Airplane Rider”
10. Fujiya & Miyagi – “Cassettesingle”
11. Bran Van 3000 – “Jean Leloup’s Dirty Talk”
12. Czerkinsky – “Natacha (Remix)”
13. April March – “Mon petit ami”
14. Jacques Dutronc – “Et moi, et moi, et moi”
15. Belle & Sebastian – “Legal Man”
16. The Gruesomes – “Stop It, Girl”
17. Dog Day – “Sleeping On Couches”
18. Thurston Moore – “Cindy (Rotten Tanx)”
19. Aiha Higurashi – “Platonic”
20. Elastica – “Line Up”

PLAY 00 (Part 2) (45 MB)

21. Komeda – “More Is More”
22. Ladytron – “Playgirl (Tobias Newmann Mix)”
23. Freezepop – “Science Genius Girl”
24. Le Tigre – “Nanny Nanny Boo Boo (Junior Senior Remix)”
25. Metric – “Help I’m Alive”
26. Cat Power – “Love & Communication”
27. Charlotte Gainsbourg – “5:55″
28. Four Tet – “Twenty Three”
29. The Books – “Tokyo”
30. Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man – “Romance”
31. Cake on Cake & My Lost Era – “Les souvenirs suédois”
32. Les Hommes – “Intraspettro”

Today marks the last day of artist Polly Yates’ exhibition, showing works from her “Lacemakers” series, at Cafe Pause, so you still have time to check it out if you haven’t already.

When the time came to roll up the laces again, we both sighed; it took so long; but we weren’t willing to entrust it to anyone else. Just think, if we had to make them, Maman said, looking really frightened. I couldn’t imagine that at all. I caught myself thinking about little animals incessantly spinning these Things and which for that reason are left in peace. No, of course they were women. The women who made these have certainly gone to heaven, I said, filled with awe…. Maman took a deep breath; the laces once again lay rolled up together. After a while, when I had already forgotten my last words, she said, quite slowly, To heaven? I think they are completely in these laces. Each one, looked at in the right way, can become an eternal bliss. We know so little about it.

- Rainer Maria Rilke, The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge

The Lacemakers series is a body of work that explores absence, femininity and desire. Polly Yates has exhibited in England, Germany, the US and Japan. She is currently living in Tokyo.

Felissimo in New York is hosting a Japan Brand pop-up shop during the holidays (until December 24), and it’s been getting some coverage on a bunch of NYC-based blogs, including JoshSpear.com and Spoon & Tamago.

Pictured above is a bicycle designed by Gelman, made of lacquer, silver plating, and gold leaf. It was created for his “Gelman’s Masterpieces” exhibition earlier this year at the Kakitsubata gallery in Nakameguro. I was actually given the chance the take it for a spin after the show was over, but I chickened out — was just too nervous that I might crash it or something.

Excite Japan has a piece up (in Japanese) that covers a new office/apartment building called The Soho, designed by the king of Tokyo retail space design, Masamichi Katayama (Wonderwall) — the article is photo-heavy. Via Dezain.net.

The Comme des Garcons brand has opened a new concept store in Omotesando Hills called Trading Museum. As noted in this Wallpaper piece,”the space features eight expansive display cabinets on loan from London’s Victoria & Albert Museum.” Via Dezain.net.

The Rat Hole Gallery in Aoyama has recently re-opened, and TABlog posts a photo report of the first show to occupy the renovated space, “Oil,” by Isa Genzken. The exhibition runs until December 27.

Interesting edition of Monocle‘s “Monocolumn” on the state of chocolate in Japan. I barely eat chocolate, but I sure love me some Kit Kat. Unfortunately, my fave chocolate treat, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, remains unavailable here.

During last week’s PauseTalk (Vol. 35), Imre Ostmann introduced us to an art project he’s been working on called “Tokyo STOP.” The idea is to take a “long exposure photograph of seven people standing in a dead-end road during sunset.” He’s done four areas so far, and is looking for some volunteers for upcoming dates — you’ll find all the details here, including his contact info.