Archives: ‘Art/Culture’ Category

Hot-rod bath

18 Sep 2007

Tetsuya Nakamura's Premium Unit Series --
(Premium Unit Bath)

Artist Tetsuya Nakamura?s Premium Unit Series of curvaceous, luxury bathroom fixtures -- a tub, a pair of sinks, a step designed for insertion into a stairwell, and a decorative column -- are sculpted from fiber-reinforced plastic and painted with colorful, fluid patterns meant to evoke a sense of speed. Nakamura, who created the Premium Unit Series with the DIY-er in mind, encourages the purchaser to add his or her own custom paint job, body modifications and part upgrades, despite the 3 million yen ($26,000) cost of the tub and 1.5 million yen ($13,000) price tag on each of the other items. According to the accompanying disclaimer, Nakamura's heavy emphasis on form -- and relative disregard for function -- means bathers should enter the tub at their own risk, as the artist and dealer assume no responsibility for injuries or accidents that may occur.

Tetsuya Nakamura's Premium Unit Series --
(Premium Unit Sink)

Tetsuya Nakamura's Premium Unit Series --
(Premium Unit Sink)

Tetsuya Nakamura's Premium Unit Series --
(Premium Unit Step/Premium Unit Pillar)

[Link: Nippon Style]

Shuetsu Sato tape signs at Nippori station

11 Sep 2007

Shuetsu Sato is a Japan Railways employee known for making complex, stylish signs and maps from strips of colored duct tape. For years, his work graced the walls and construction barriers at Shinjuku station while it underwent extensive renovations. Sato's creative use of tape has earned him quite a following, particularly online, and recent blog buzz has prompted some Japanese TV networks to take notice. This video from an NHK news magazine program profiles Sato and his work at Nippori station on Tokyo's Yamanote line, where his most recent work is currently on display.

The video begins with commentary about the online popularity of Sato's work. (At the 30-second mark, a screenshot of Pink Tentacle appears while the narrator describes the attention Sato's work has received on "overseas" blogs...!?!) From 1:00 to 2:00, Sato shows how it is done -- this is the highlight of the video, as it shows the degree of complexity involved in shaping tape into beautiful kanji. From 2:00 to 2:40, Sato laughs off some criticism he has received for the way his "?" character looks, and from 4:30 to 5:00, Sato demonstrates his techniques for creating rounded corners. At 5:30, one of the hosts tells Sato that bloggers have honored him by naming his font style "Shuetsu." He looks almost as if he might be impressed.

Here are a few photos of Sato's work at Nippori station:

Nippori signs made from tape --

Nippori signs made from tape --

Nippori signs made from tape --

Nippori signs made from tape --

Nippori signs made from tape --

Nippori signs made from tape --

Nippori signs made from tape --

Nippori signs made from tape --

Kiri-origami creatures

07 Sep 2007

Kiri-origami artist Taketori cuts and folds paper to make realistic-looking insects. Each critter is crafted from a single sheet, without glue, and paint is often used to add to the realism. Check out his gallery of 60+ beasties (click the "?????" link on the right side of the page to display the thumbnail images).

Papercraft insect --
Stag beetle

Papercraft insect --
Lucanus maculifemoratus vs. Japanese rhinoceros beetle

Papercraft insect --
Woodlouse on a hydrangea leaf

Papercraft insect --
Ants vs. oriental longheaded locust

Kiriorigami insect --
Stag beetle

Kiriorigami insect --
Paper wasp

Kiriorigami insect --
Centipede

[Links: Gallery, Taketori homepage via Gizmodo Japan]

Canned udon: Vending machine cuisine

06 Sep 2007

Canned udon -- Following the success of its vending machine ramen, foodstuff producer UMAI has added two flavors of udon to its canned noodle selection -- kitsune udon (udon with fried tofu) and curry udon. The canned noodles have begun to appear in vending machines and convenience stores nationwide.

Like UMAI's ramen, the thick udon noodles are made from konnyaku, so they don't turn soggy before you eat them. The kitsune udon is priced at around 300 yen ($2.60) per can, while the curry udon goes for about 350 yen ($3). Each ready-to-eat serving comes with a small plastic fork.

The idea for UMAI's canned noodles came when the manager of the Men-ya Musashi ramen restaurant in Tokyo was distributing food and supplies to victims of the Niigata earthquake in 2004. There, he was inspired to develop noodles that could be enjoyed by people in areas with disrupted gas and water supplies. About 2 million cans of the popular ramen have sold since it was launched in April.

To provide general consumers, disaster victims and Akihabara vending machine aficionados an ever-more enjoyable selection of canned treats, the company plans to keep expanding its product line. Future noodles in the works include kenchin udon, various regional styles of ramen, and canned versions of ramen from famous restaurants.

[Source: IT Media]

Scarecrow Road 280

31 Aug 2007

Asashoryu scarecrow plays soccer -- While frightening the birds away, about 60 scarecrows along a stretch of the Route 280 Bypass in Aomori are attracting the attention of passing motorists.

The scarecrow display, which includes one modeled after sumo wrestler Asashoryu scandalously playing soccer (pictured right), is part of Kakashi Road 280 (kakashi means "scarecrow"), a recently established annual September event designed to stimulate the local economy and welcome the 2010 opening of Tohoku Shinkansen Shin-Aomori station.

Organizers hope to eventually create 150 scarecrows to watch over the 15-kilometer stretch of road.

Scarecrows are also known to populate the roadsides in other parts of Japan. The photos below are from Machida (a Tokyo suburb) and Nara.

Scarecrow --

Scarecrow --

Scarecrow --

Scarecrow --

Scarecrow --

Scarecrow --

More photos of Machida scarecrows: 1, 2, 3

[Via: Mainichi]

Canned Final Fantasy VII Potion

31 Aug 2007

Final Fantasy VII Potion character cans --

To help commemorate the 10th anniversary of the release of Final Fantasy VII, Suntory has announced plans to begin selling its vitamin-packed Final Fantasy VII Potion carbonated drink in special aluminum cans featuring depictions of Cloud, Sephiroth and other characters from the game. Sixteen different character cans will be available at a price of 191 yen each when the limited-edition 4.8-million can shipment hits shelves on October 23.

[Source: Mantan Web]

Soy sauce for ice cream

29 Aug 2007

Ice cream soy sauce -- Since early this year, Yamakawa Jozo, a soy sauce brewery based in Gifu prefecture, has been selling a type of Tamari soy sauce specially designed for use on ice cream. With the sauce's rising popularity and a growing number of restaurants using it on their dessert menus, the company sold 5,000 bottles (70 ml for 350 yen/$3) in the second half of August.

A small amount of the rich, dark brew is said to give vanilla ice cream a caramel-like flavor, while a more liberal dose apparently makes vanilla ice cream taste more like mitarashi-dango (skewered rice dumplings covered in sweet sauce).

According to the president of Yamakawa Jozo, the company developed the soy sauce specifically for use with vanilla ice cream, but consumers have come forward with a number of unexpected recipes. In addition to claims that it goes well with other ice cream flavors like strawberry and chocolate, fans of the special sauce say it tastes great on kaki-gori (shaved ice) and on toast, and that it makes a great mixer for shochu (distilled liquor).

[Link: Asahi]

Afterthought: This special soy sauce would undoubtedly make a great topping for a number of these mouth-watering ice cream flavors: 1, 2, 3

Garbage Bag Art Work

28 Aug 2007

Garbage Bag Art Work --

Garbage Bag Art Work trash bags aim to transform Japan's unsightly neighborhood garbage collection points into instant works of disposable art. Produced by design agency MAQ, the bags come in three patterns -- trees, fish and flowers -- and they are colored to match Japan's official color codes for various types of waste, each of which are collected on different days. Green is for recyclable trash, blue is for non-burnable and red is for burnable, so while livening up the appearance of trash heaps, the bags also remind neighbors about what trash day it is. Packs of ten 45-liter bags sell for 380 yen (about $3) at a select few Tokyu Hands and Loft outlets in Tokyo, or they can be purchased online here (Japanese).

SHiBA brand trash bags --

In a related project, MAQ has also teamed up with author/illustrator Lily Franky's SHiBA brand to plaster the unique dog logo on their trash bags. Now if they could come up with a design that would keep people from generating so much trash, they might have a masterpiece.

[Link: Garbage Bag Art Work]

Curry-flavored mock terror drill

27 Aug 2007

Curry rice flavored mock terror drill --

Curry rice flavored mock terror drill --

Curry rice flavored mock terror drill --

In these video stills from a Japanese TV news report, law enforcement officers engage in hand-to-hand combat with a mock terrorist armed with a curry-rice banner -- the kind commonly placed on sidewalks in front of restaurants. The training exercise was designed to test the response to an invasion by foreign terrorists coming ashore at Tokyo Bay. It is unclear whether curry restaurants are considered a likely terror target, but the fact that the enemy obtained his deadly weapon in a part of town where restaurants are scarce shows a remarkable level of sophistication. We can all take comfort in knowing that law enforcement agencies recognize the potential threat and are training appropriately. Either that, or these images are fake.

[Link: Netamichelin via Korokoro Zaeega]

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