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.
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.
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.
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.
Fire Extinguishers Combining Safety & Style
One fire extinguisher company had the interesting idea to combine the fascination of home decoration with disaster preparedness, with very stylish results.
Bringing Natural Harmony to a Nursery School
A nursery school in Tottori is connecting children to nature with its award-winning design.
A Fun Design Twist for Fermented Products
Established in 1940, Nishiri is a Kyoto-based company carrying on a local legacy of pickled and fermented vegetables. But two years ago, for a rebrand, they turned to design agency Nosigner.
Graffiti Pikachu at Shibuya's Pokémon Center
The newest Pokémon Center in Shibuya, within walking distance from the Scramble intersection, also has giant Mewtwo in a research tube waiting to greet guests.
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.
Cup Noodle Created the Perfect Fork for Ramen
It took a team of obsessive designers to create this marvel of delicious engineering.
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!
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.
Top 10 Kengo Kuma Buildings in Tokyo
In Japan, there are many wonderful buildings that clearly showcase the talents of Kengo Kuma and his team from Kengo Kuma & Associates. Simply read on for our top 10 Kengo Kuma architecture in Tokyo, Japan, that you can see.
Usual Landscapes Painted on Unusual Canvases
Working with acrylics, painter Daisuke Samejima uses irregular canvases to paint realistic yet regular scenes of the Japanese suburban life.
Cool Kanazawa Hotel Connecting People & Places
Kumu opened during the summer of 2017 in a building renovated by architect Yusuke Seki, who set out to design a space that is both inclusive and engaged with its context. Spoon & Tamago has the full story.
Paper Relief Images Capture the Glory of Tokyo
"Farewell My Tokyo," by designer Megumi Takami, sets out to preserve the essence of Tokyo's architecture and landmarks, cut from paper in captivating detail.
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.
Always Bounce Back with Rubber Band Fashion
Working entirely with rubber bands, which have limited functionality and are definitely not scarce, Rie Sakamoto created a line of garments that were on display at an exhibition in Tokyo.
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.
Marvelously Modern Metal Company's Work Space
Located in one of Japan’s industrial hubs of Osaka is Nakanishi Metal Works, a company that manufactures metal components. And it's about time the 95-year-old metalworking company got a makeover of its own.
