Category: General

  • Ghost in the Shell

    As Yuko has been enjoying the Ghost in the Shell TV series, STAND ALONE COMPLEX, a lot lately (it’s shown on Monday nights after MONSTER, and before that after GOKUSEN), we decided to pop in my DVD copy of the movie last night. I hadn’t watched it in years, and was very pleasantly surprised to…

  • Image Forum Festival 2004

    The Image Forum Festival 2004 is being held right now at the Park Tower Hall in Shinjuku and the Yokohama Museum of Art. From REALTOKYO: A festival packed with cutting-edge films that are worth seeing without exception. After the kick-off at Tate Modern, the show has traveled Berlin, Paris, New York, Jonas Mekas’ Anthology Film…

  • Coca Cola C2

    More Coke! Found this on CarbWire, due for release in Japan this summer: Consumers are the true architects of this idea,” said Doug Daft, chairman and chief executive officer of Coca-Cola. “Coca-Cola C2 was created to specifically address their desire for a lower-calorie cola with that great Coca-Cola taste”. “Coca-Cola C2 will be available in…

  • Stylish Ramen

    THE JAPAN TIMES takes a look at how a lot of ramen shops are going upmarket. Ramen has long been known as a staple of construction workers and penny-pinching students. But in a push to win over new clientele, ramen chains are going upscale, serving special pork and organic vegetables at eateries featuring dark-wood interiors…

  • Rhythmus Modern

    Last night I went to the release party of the 2003 FutureDesignDays book and movie. At the event this great band (actually music collective) called Rhythmus Modern was playing. They played a sort of dance driven live muzak, and the guy playing tambourine was easily one of the coolest dudes I’ve seen on a Swedish…

  • Remix Vol. 1 for Modernica

    I’m presently enjoying my Golden Week holidays, and today is an especially beautiful and sunny day, in fact a perfect day to surround myself with sounds from the recently released compilation REMIX VOL. 1 FOR MODERNICA (which you can buy online from the wonderful Jet Set Online Shop), a sort of followup to the recent…

  • Paper Sky 9 and BOOK246

    A new issue of PAPER SKY is out (9), and it looks like they’ve launched a new English version of their site (although only the Japanese version has info on the new issue). I imagine this is to coincide with the launch this month of a new US edition of the magazine. Paper Sky is…

  • Tokumaru Shugo

    Trevor, in town recently and the special guest at last week’s Tokyo Fun Party, runs an indie label from New York called Music Related. The next release is from Tokyo native Tokumaru Shugo, an album called NIGHT PIECE. If you go here, you can download an MP3 preview mix of the album, which I’ve ended…

  • Designing a Mask

    A Dutch designer gives the surgical masks that most Japanese wear when they have a cold, or to fight allergies (pollen in the air), a design twist. Read the INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE article.

  • From Tokyo to Naiagara

    The album seeing the heaviest play at Casa Snow these days (or on the iPod) is Tujiko Noriko‘s FROM TOKYO TO NAIAGARA, released on the Tomlab label. Combine a haunting voice backed with restrained atsmospheric electronics and you get something that has grabbed a hold of me. Think recent Bjork, but cooler. My biggest regret…