All About Japan

Student Merges Metal & Traditional Woodwork

Japanese student and bicycle enthusiast Hiroto has merged traditional Japanese craftwork with bicycle-making to create what he calls a "wa-modern" bicycle.

Lawson’s First Register-Free Store

Convenience store giant Lawson will open a store this month with no cash registers, and plans to more in the Tokyo area by summer 2020.

Pop-up Shop Interior Made of Ziploc Containers

It was back in 2018 when Beams first announced a series of haute couture items with bag and storage maker Ziploc, but the brand is doubling down on the intriguing collaboration.

Official 2020 Summer Olympics Posters Unveiled

As 2020 kicks off, the real countdown to Tokyo’s Summer Olympics begin and the organizing committee isn’t wasting any time. The series of official Olympics and Paralympics posters have been released, designed by renowned artists from Japan and abroad.

Marvel at Remarkable Single-Stroke Paintings

Daigoro Yonekura is a Japanese artist who creates abstract paintings that resemble billowing plumes of smoke or ink. At once both mysterious and beautiful, they pull the viewer in, offering familiar shapes and forms, leaving us with a particular question.

Tsukiji Market Memories Through Photogrammetry

The Tsukiji Fish Market relocated to Toyosu in 2018 and officially closed their doors forever. Using thousands of archival photographs, however, designers have created an immersive artwork that explores the former largest fish market in the world.

Shohei Otomo's Hyper Realistic Pen Drawings

The artist Shohei creates dauntingly dense and bold ballpoint pen drawings. He also happens to be the son of Katsuhiro Otomo, the creator of Akira.

No Need for Fire with Self-igniting Incense

Incense and matches, combined as one. This ingenious yet intuitive design comes from a 90-year old Japanese match manufacturer, who never stopped innovating.

DESTROY ALL THE THINGS at the Reeast Room

It's stressful being a civilized, polite human being. Sometimes you just want to let yourself go wild. That's why the Reeast Room was created—to release the beast and destroy all the things.

New Osaka Louis Vuitton Resembles Sailing Ship

On February 1, 2020, Louis Vuitton opened its new Osaka Midosuji store. Although not necessarily a flagship, it certainly resembles a sailing ship!

Building the Future: Tokyo's Robot Exhibition

Cutting-edge machines are on display at the International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo.

Photography Shows Life in Japan 100 Years Ago

Thanks to Eliza Scidmore, we can see images of everyday life in Japan, with some photographs over 100 years old.

Miniature Model of Shinjuku Made Only of Paper

Toshi is a Japanese office worker in his 20s who has a unique hobby: building miniature paper models of cities at a 1/2200 scale. And he has completed his most ambitious project to date: a mini model of Tokyo's sprawling area of Shinjuku.

See Through Your Mistakes with Clear Erasers

The rubber eraser is roughly 250 years old. But for all its old age, the partner to any pencil has always had one major flaw. You can’t see what you’re erasing. Until today.

Preserving History with Newspaper Sculptures

Japanese visual artist Atsushi Adachi creates miniature replicas of objects from the past using old newspaper clippings and articles sourced from the same period, including replicas like this battleship and other historical moments.

Kyushu Bank Redesigned Using Local Wood

The power of design was on full display when Higo Bank, a regional bank in Kyushu, opened its newest branch and completely transformed all our preconceptions of how a bank can make us feel.

Make Your Own Chopsticks from 'Hamidashimono'

For more than 100 years, a town in Nara Prefecture has been using leftover, high-quality cypress wood from the home construction process to create disposable chopsticks. And now, you can make your own at home.

Toyota's Future City Near Mount Fuji

One of Japan's leading automotive manufacturers, Toyota, is planning to bring their vision of the future to life at the foot of Mount Fuji.

New Japanese Passports Feature Famous Artworks

In February, Japan began issuing new passports featuring the well-known works of ukiyo-e master Katsushika Hokusai.

Bringing Natural Harmony to a Nursery School

A nursery school in Tottori is connecting children to nature with its award-winning design.

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