Tag: essay

  • Design Sprints in Japan

    Sure, I mention the Tokyo-based design studio AQ a lot in part because they’re good friends of mine, but it’s no secret that they’re also incredibly talented at what they do — the fact that they’ve been at it for so long and continue to grow is a testament to that. They recently shared an…

  • Making Koya Bound

    Craig recently shared a new essay that talks about the process he went through in putting out Koya Bound — as with all of his essays, it’s as informative as it is entertaining to read. I’d also point you to the latest edition of his Roden Explorers newsletter, in which he describes in detail what…

  • Kurosawa Color

    This is a great video essay on the use of color by Akira Kurosawa and his later films. I watched Ran recently, and was struck by the mesmerizing and intensive use of color — it absolutely acts as a tool to help tell the story that is being told. Via this tweet.

  • Craig Mod’s Offline Directive

    I’m of course exaggerating, but this latest essay by Craig is a nice look at how he went about getting his attention back by going offline. No, it’s not rocket science, but sometimes it’s good to be reminded of stuff like this.

  • The Renaissance Man

    I met my friends Devine and Rekka a few years ago in Tokyo, while they were based there — we first met after a few Twitter exchanges, that led to a “hey, let’s meet up for a beer.” For the past year, they’ve been living a nomadic life on a boat — you can follow…

  • The Year of Nothing

    Néojaponisme has tended to end the year with a collection of short pieces by a bevy of collaborators (including me), looking back at some of the top ideas, topics, and themes that marked Japan that year. This year, as David shares in this essay, nothing much happened, and that’s OK. He also ends with a…

  • The 1964 Olympics Uniforms

    As part of his “Ametora Extended” collection of online essays, David has just posted a new piece that takes a look at the controversy surrounding efforts to determine who exactly designed the Japanese uniforms — mainly comprised of those iconic red blazers you see pictured) — for the 1964 Olympics. It’s an interesting read, especially…

  • That’s Entertainment!

    Ian Lynam is a Tokyo-based dude I love so much, and embarrassingly it’s just now that I’m catching up on the fantastic essay/exhibition he produced earlier this year called “That’s Entertainment!” Get some background through this TypeThursday interview, and then get online and read through the project’s main essay — and that’s also where you can download plenty…