The latest edition of my “On Design” column is in today’s Japan Times, and it can be read online here. Pictured above, the Hinoki no Hakimono clogs from Mizutori.

My “On Design” column for The Japan Times is in today’s issue (March 28), or you can read it online here. Pictured above, Normal‘s new Vivid series, designed by Tokyo-based Ross McBride.

I know it’s been slow going these days here, and oh how I wish I could share with you some of the cool things we’re developing on the PechaKucha front, but that’ll have to wait for a bit. One fun little thing I did the other day was to put together a Tumblr blog to just share PechaKucha Night posters, as I thought it would be great to see them all together up on a wall like that. It only includes posters from 2012 (so for the past 2 and half months), and I’ll keep updating it with new ones I receive.

I know I haven’t put up the last PauseTalk participants list yet, but I’ll do that soon, and in the meantime, you can have a look at photos by Michael, up on Facebook.

I haven’t had time for much else, but I do hope to record a new episode of the Codex tonight, and over on Warren Ellis’ blog, you’ll find a few thoughts I shared with him on the topic of magazines.

Despite this gray and rainy weekend, it really does feel like warmer spring weather is just around the corner, which should mean my bike life will become active again — can’t wait.

Today is March 11, which marks the anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan both with its initial impact, and with the nuclear scare that followed, and that continues to worry us. Last year, about a month after that date, we organized a global PechaKucha event we called Inspire Japan, to help raise funds for reconstruction efforts in Tohoku, partnering up with Architecture for Humanity and ArchiAid. Today, we release a free iBook that commemorates that event. But more importantly, this is but the start of what we are calling a “living book,” with plans to update a few times a year with more content that helps highlight some of the work being done to rebuild.

Pictured above, the Inspire Japan event that was held in Kathmandu, on April 16, 2011. Below, one of the pages from the book. It includes event photos, posters that were produced for all of the city events, videos, 20×20 presentations, and more.

If you regularly check the participants list of PauseTalk events, then you’ve probably spotted the name Niko Lanzuisi quite a few times. A regular at the events, he’s a very talented filmmaker, and he’s been working on a few different video projects over the past year, and the latest is called TOKYO X CREATIVES. The idea is to create a series of shorts, with each focusing on one Tokyo creative — I’ll humbly add that I will be one of the initial six interviewees. Included in this post are the two first video teasers, and there are four more to come. Niko is actually trying to shop these around, to get some funding to continue doing them, so if you like what you see help spread the word (or if you’re a production company or publisher, get in touch with Niko).

The trailer above is for the interview with UAMOU creator Ayako Takagi, and the one below features chiptune artist OMODAKA performing at last month’s FAMIMODE event — you’ll find more details on each of the video’s Vimeo pages.

I forgot to post it last week when it was published — blame the nasty flu virus that has gotten me down for the past week — but the January edition of my “On Design” column was published on the 31st in The Japan Times, and you can read it online here. Pictured above, Postalco‘s fantastic new Snap Pad (and until February 16, you can catch Postalco’s “Wheel Printer” exhibition at the Creation Gallery G8 in Ginza).

My “On Design” column is a week early this month, appearing in today’s edition (Tuesday, November 22) of The Japan Times — or you can read it online here. Pictured above, 15%‘s Ice-Cream Spoons.

Let me point you to a new post on The Magaziner that helps explain why you should go and support this Kickstarter campaign to help finance a fourth issue of Letter to Jane on iPad. Tim’s a friend of mine, and he’s been doing some amazing work in terms of editorial publishing on iPad — first with his independent magazine called Letter to Jane, and then by collaborating on the third issue of Port magazine. I really want to see this fourth issue happen, so please consider chipping in a few shekels — and for $200, he’ll even give you the source code.

This month’s edition of my “On Design” column is in today’s The Japan Times, and can be read online here. Above, Branch’s Paper Chopstick Rest.

This month’s edition of my “On Design” column was in today’s The Japan Times, and you can read it online here. Above, one of the items covered, the Notchless tape dispenser designed by Mamoru Yasukuni.

You’d figure I’d be better at pimping my stuff on the web, but it feels like it’s been ages since I last linked to my regular “On Design” column on The Japan Times. But yes, it continues to appear on the last Tuesday of every month, and this month marks the 6th anniversary! The first edition was published in September of 2005, and you can still read it online (and here’s a post about it).

While I’m at it, here’s a link to last month’s column, in which I covered among other things Mile‘s Milestone, pictured above. This month’s edition will appear in the September 27 issue of the paper.

Just before I went to the TOO MUCH magazine launch party, I stopped by my friend Spikey’s new studio in Daikanyama. Spikey (or Shin Takahashi) worked at Klein Dytham architecture for 7 years, and just a few months ago left the company to start his own thing, in the guises of Special Normal. He’s an amazing interior designer, and I got to hear about some upcoming projects which all sounded fantastic. Loved his studio space as well, which is what you’re seeing in this post.

Go and do something with them too — “just do it” (oops, that’s another company I think).

So tomorrow (Monday, May 9) will mark the 50th edition of PauseTalk, and to commemorate the event I’ve decided to prepare a few things, both pictured below. First up is a little booklet I quickly put together that talks about how PauseTalk started, what it’s about, and gives thanks to every single person (well, at least the ones who filled out the attendance sheet) who has attended at least one PauseTalk (277). I’m going to print out and staple a few copies for the event, but I invite everyone to download the PDF version.

I’ve also made a few badges for the event, using the “PauseTalk 50″ logo, but these are very limited (only 15), and I will hand them out to the first people who arrive.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve attended one before or if this would be your first one, come join us tomorrow for a bit of talking. It all happens at Cafe Pause in Ikebukuro with an official start time of 20:00, although I’ll be there from around 19:30.