Categories
Design

Muji Award 01

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Muji is starting their own international design competition, with a call to entry (details here). Results will be announced at next year’s Milano Salone del Mobile.

Categories
Events Music

DJ Chipple

Patrick is going to be digging out some goodies from his massive collection to do a bit of DJ at cara*mill, a shop/cafe/bar in Kichijoji, tomorrow. Free entry, all drinks at 400 yen, and more details here.

Categories
Design Games

PSP Cases from GAS

After their foray into iPod cases, guess it was inevitable for GAS to go after the PSP next. Seems like the DS would have made more financial sense though.

Japanese design group Gas Project are releasing a new line of designer Playstation Portable slipcases.

Surface to Air, Hideki Inaba and Colette each designed a case.

Surface to Air’s case is red and features crossed bayonetes and the words New York Cards Surface to Air printed on its flip lid.

One side of Hideki Inaba’s black case is filled with a list of all of the PSP’s buttons and switches in giant white letters.

The Colette case is white with odd-looking black creatures staring at the four iconic Playstation symbols, which are printed in grey.

All three cases feature flip lids, a pocket for holding a UMD, a belt loop and shoulder strap. I think my favorite is the Surface to Air model. (Kotaku)

Categories
Magazines

This Week in Magazines

  • The new issue of TITLE (74) takes you on a tour of “Rock Around the U.K.” It’s a pretty thorough guide, and I’m sure Toe over at Groovisual Diary has already picked up a copy.
  • I don’t always browse through ESQUIRE, but the new issue (Vol. 20, No. 5) features a guide to Aoyama Dori, highlighting lots of things well worth seeing in the area. It’s also an over-sized fashion special.
  • There’s a new DESIGN NOTE out (6), and it’s another great look at top art directors (15 in all).
  • The second issue of the REAL DESIGN mook has also hit the stands, and it’s chock full of product design-y goodness, including coverage of items found in top Tokyo luxury hotels, digital cameras, the latest cells (is it just me or is everyone going boxy all of sudden), and much more.
  • Although they haven’t updated their website to reflect it, the new issue of OK FRED (7) is now out. The theme for the issue is fashion, and I contribute my regular column (“Sekai no Mise”), as well as a few record reviews (Taichi’s MORE OR ENOUGH, Kazumasa Hashimoto’s GLLIA, and Masakatsu Takagi’s AIR’S NOTE).
Categories
Meta

In-Ear Irritation

Can’t believe I’m actually lashing out at Apple, but damn it, I’ve just gone through my second pair of Apple In-Ear Headphones, with both breaking the same way (the left ear bud stops working). Now, I loved the way they sounded, and they fit perfectly in my ears, but I can’t spend 5-6000 yen for another pair, and so I need to get something cheaper, and I’m wondering if anyone has recommendations. The last time they broke, I did try buying a cheaper brand at Bic Camera, but had to return them because even the smallest one was too big for my ears (it would just pop out), and it was a hassle returning them. What I loved with the Apple ones, is that the smallest size fit perfectly.

If you’re wondering why I absolutely need in-ear headphones, it’s because I can’t listen to video files on my PSP with regular headphones, because the volume doesn’t go high enough (to counter the noise from the train).

Categories
Art

Hisashi Tenmyouya

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Hisashi Tenmyouya has some rather nice illustrations on his site, like the one you see here, “Nine Kamakura Samurai.” Nice blend of the traditional with the here and now. Link via Drawn.

Categories
Design Events

PechaKucha Vol. 31

If you didn’t know — I just found out today when the listing popped up at TAB — this month’s PechaKucha Night (Vol. 31) is happening tonight, on a Tuesday (not the regular Wednesday). I should be going, so hope to see some of you there!

Categories
Art TB.Grafico

A Door

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A door in one of the back streets of Harajuku (not far from the Santouka ramen shop).

Categories
Design Meta

On Design for March

Just a reminder that this month’s “On Design” column will be in tomorrow’s (Tuesday) edition of THE JAPAN TIMES. The focus this time is on wooden furniture, and I’m quite happy with the way it looks in the layout.

Categories
Art Events TB.Grafico

Canadian Video Art

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The “Canadian Video Art Channel Vol.3” event held last Friday night at Tokyo Wonder Site in Shibuya. Sitting to the left is event organizer and participant Shinobu Akimoto.