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 essay (on Medium too) that takes a look at how they’ve adapted the sprint method for use in Japan (where it’s still a relatively new concept to be used within companies).
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 he experienced during a meditation retreat he attended earlier this year.
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.
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 all of their adventures through their Hundred Rabbits project/Patreon. Devine posted this great essay today, that I think does a fantastic job of describing what a nomadic life like theirs can be like, and why it may be worth making the plunge.
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 little tease about a new Néojaponisme project for 2017, and that’s certainly something to get excited about.
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 in revealing how collaborative an effort it probably ended up being.
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 of digital material to take in the rest of the project, like all of the posters that were part of the exhibition.
