Almost everyone I talked to about Japanese design had been referring to Kyoto as the origin of the traditional WABI-SABI feeling. Therefore I had to go on a side trip to Kyoto. SOICHIRO was so kind to give me company and guidance trough Kyoto’s cosy streets, the stunning temples and delicious restaurants.
We took the SHINKANSEN express train on Sunday morning and arrived in Kyoto at noon. Until our departure in the late Monday afternoon it didn’t stop to rain.
Published on April 11, 2010
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We stayed at an old RYOKAN built in 1909 with tatami-matted rooms, communal baths, small Japanese garden in the courtyard, sliding doors and lovely owners who told us stories about the house and the visitors while serving green tea and breakfast.
Published on April 11, 2010
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After a long stroll through Kyoto’s kitchen, the narrow NISHIKI passage lined by more than hundred small shops selling Japanese sweets, fresh seafood, vegetables, and very cute baby sardines and shrimps simmered in saltwater and dried in the sun called CHIRIMENJAKO, we went for lunch with a huge appetite nearby the market.
The CHRIMENJAKOS are as tiny as bred crumbs, maybe 1 mm diameter and 5 mm long, crispy and very tasty. They are part of the traditional Japanese breakfast.
Published on April 11, 2010
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The approach to the red temple along the steep and busy lane of the HIGASHIYAMA district was as atmospheric as the view above the hillside of the eastern mountain.
On the way up we paused in a tea room and had the thick and strong green tea with cherry flavored sweets.
KIYOMIZUDERA means pure water temple and was found in 780 on the side of the OTOWA waterfall in the wooden hills.
Published on April 11, 2010
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A bowl of rice seasoned with AKA SHISO, a purple-red mint with a strong flavor compared to that of mint or fennel.
Once used as a currency the rice is still very precious and the most important ingredient of the Japanese cuisine. Raw rice is called KOME while cooked rice is GOHAN. However the daytime defines the attribute and the way of preparation. The morning rice is called ASA GOHAN, the noon rice HIRU GOHAN, and the evening rice BAN GOHAN.
The bowl of rice is placed to the left side at the table. The left palm embraces and lifts the bowl while the chopsticks between the fingers of the right hand point, pick and move the white rice flakes. A truly august ritual.
Published on April 11, 2010
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The full bloom draws to a close. The cherry blossoms scatter under every tree and cover the streets in pink.
Published on April 11, 2010
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JOPSU RAMU and TIMO HUHTALA are creatives from Helsinki and friends of SHUN KAWAKAMI. They worked together on a TV design project for the Finnish TV channel NELONEN (http://vimeo.com/7681282).
JOPSU RAMU, an art director and designer and her creative partner and manager TIMO HUHTALA have founded the interdisciplinary design studio MUSUTA Ltd.(http://musuta.com) in Helsinki.
JOPSU had studied furniture design and architecture at the Oulun Yliopisto University in Oulu Finland. During her studies she has spent some time in Tokyo and fell in love with the city. Since than they have been recurring for inspiration and projects and managed to establish their second office in Tokyo.
Published on April 9, 2010
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SATORU YAMSHITA is the founder and creative director of the magazine PLUS EIGTHY ONE (http://plus81.com).
Published on April 9, 2010
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SHUN KAWAKAMI introduced me to the Japanese fashion designer TARO HORIUCHI for whom he has created the corporate identity and the interactive portfolio (http://tarohoriuchi.com).
Published on April 9, 2010
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TAKASHI KAWADA is the partner of SHUN KAWAKAMI and the founder of KOTENHITS (http://kotenhits.com). He was responsible for the art direction of the print issue of the RICH magazine whereas SHUN has created the online issue together with the web production ART CODE INC.
Published on April 9, 2010
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Published on April 9, 2010
Filed under: people Tags: people
SHUN KAWAKAMI was about to print his beautiful illustrations for the GIULIANO FUJIWARA exhibition in Milan when we ran into him at the WOW studio.
SHUN KAWAKAMI has founded the design studio ARTLESS (http://artless.co.jp, http://nullartless.com/alog) in 2000 in Tokyo. He works as a designer and artist on graphic and installation art. He is a member of Art Directors Club in New York and the Japan Graphic Designer Association (JAGDA).
The collaboration between SHUN KAWAKAMI and the Japanese, Italian fashion brand GIULIANO FUJIWARA (http://giulianofujiwara.com) founded in 1986 in Milan has been not really a coincidence since both share the same spirit of Wabi-sabi, the Japanese aesthetic and attitude to enjoy the beauty of the shadows and transience.
Nor is the collaboration between the artist and WOW. They are dedicated to the same values and visions and have been working together on several projects including the work TEN SPACES which was published to celebrate WOW’s 10th birthday.
We have exchanged only few words and the cards. However back in my apartment I was so impressed by the short research on ARTLESS that I couldn’t help asking SHUN KAWAKAMI for a short interview. And he invited me to a release party of the new fashion magazine RICH (http://richmagazine.com) in MONTOAK club (http://montoak.com).
Published on April 8, 2010
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A black cab drove us to a neat place in 1-14-3 Jinnan in the Shibuya ward where KAZUHIKO KAMEDA, a good friend of SOICHIRO NISHIGAKI and the chief producer at WOW expected us. He introduced us to the cosy studio, the team and the chief creative director KOSUKE OHO (photo).
WOW is a throughly Japanese visual design studio based in Tokyo, Sendai and oddly enough in Florence balancing between commercial projects for prestigious brands and stunning installation artwork for exhibitions (http://wow.co.jp, http://wowlab.net).
We were sitting in the living room on soft leather sofas, drinking iced green tea and watching beautiful, sophisticated and touching pieces of work on a really gigantic TV. While KOSUKE OHO was telling us the stories behind the ideas, the room started to fill steadily with other team members and all of a sudden we had a great chat about inspiration, creativity and Japanese design beyond the pop culture of Akihabara.
WOW’s inspiration oscillates between Tokyo’s high speed and the timeless Japanese arts such as IKEBANA, the traditional art of flower arranging. It’s apects of philosophy, history and representation deeply affect all creativity of the team. On the other hand it is also the constant transformation of the city that gives KOSUKE OHO the daily inspiration dose of highways lined with road signs, rising and falling apart buildings, and emptying and filling places.
Published on April 8, 2010
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At 09:15 pm we knocked at the door of the design studio BLUES. After dinner SOICHIRO invited me to join an idea presentation for a beer brand. HIROSHI KAMAMURA opened the door and let us into the small design studio. He used to work as a creative director at Ogilvy until he has founded his own design studio called BLUES (http://blues.co.jp).
Tonight he was meeting up with SOICHIRO to present some ideas for Heineken’s new office interior design. At 10:00 pm NAOKO KOBAYASHI, an interactive planner and SOICHIRO’s partner arrived and started a creative discussion which lasted precisely until 11:30 pm.
After the two hours meeting we left the studio, went to the station and took the last train home which was completely packed with utterly exhausted people.
Published on April 7, 2010
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YUYA OZAWA suggested to see a life act of NAOITO, one of the artists he is managing and a good friend of his. So we were heading southwards for Enoshima in the early Sunday afternoon.
Enoshima is both a small island and a tiny seaside town in the bay of Sagami which is two hours drive away from Tokyo. The island is dedicated to Benzaiten, the goddess of everything that flows such as water, words, music, and knowledge. It’s nature and the good vibrations attract a lot of surfers, artists, and musicians. It has this certain touch of California feeling.
Despite the smoothness of the sea that evening one could feel the enormous power of the Pacific.
Published on April 4, 2010
Filed under: location Tags: location
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