Hagane Bito, a book of collected works by freelance artist Naochika Morishita, is teeming with illustrations of anime robots. Here are a few.
Gundam heads
Daijyushin
Gundam
GM Custom
Gundam vs. Elmeth
Jaburo
Jaburo-2
Z Mobile Suit-2
Dom
Wing Gundam Zero Custom
MagiDragon
Scopedog and Berserga
Dom Tropen
V Gundam RX-93 Nu Gundam (Thanks, Ian!)
Cockpit
Scopedog
GM vs. Zaku
Gouf
GM Cold District Type
Gundam RX-78-2
[More: OZKai, ! * `n@men!cht ]
Here is a collection of Japanese advertisements for drinks and smokes (1894-1954).
Hero Cigarettes, 1894
Tokio Beer, 1896-1906
Chūyū Cigarettes, 1900
Peacock Cigarettes, 1902
Kabuto Beer, 1911
Dai Nippon Brewery Company, 1912
Kembang Beer (Sakura Beer export label), 1912-1916
Sakura Beer, 1924
Umegatani sake, 1926
Sakura Beer, 1928-1932
Cascade Beer, 1929
Yebisu Beer, 1930
Minori Cigarettes, 1930
"Tobacco Profits for National Defense" Week, 1930 // Hibiki Cigarettes, 1932
Urara Cigarettes, 1932
Kirin Beer, 1933
Zuigan sake, 1934
Takara shōchū, 1935-1938
Gekkeikan sake, 1935-1938
"Defense for country, tobacco for society" (South Kyoto Tobacco Sellers' Union), 1937
Sakura Beer, 1938
Kirin Beer, 1939
Anti-black market poster (violators face 3 years in prison, 50,000 yen fine), 1948
Message from Japan Monopoly Corporation, 1954
[Sources: Tabako Omoshiro Catalog Zukan (Kodansha, 1987) and Meiji/Taisho/Showa O-Sake No Hōkoku Graffiti (Kokusho, 2006)]
Here is an excerpt from artist Naoyuki Tsuji's "A Feather Stare at the Dark" (2003), a simplistic, yet hauntingly surreal, hand-drawn animation made from charcoal drawings.
+ Video
A unique characteristic of Tsuji's minimalist style is that each frame is created by partially erasing and redrawing the scene on the same sheet of paper. Traces of the previous frames remain visible as the dream-like action unfolds, creating an uncanny sense of motion and the passage of time.
Inter // States is the latest Tokyo time-lapse piece by photographer Samuel Cockedey. The soundtrack is "Paradigm Flux (Tokyo Cut)" by Woob, from the new "Paradigm Flux" EP (listen).
The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) maintains a collection of 400 health-themed woodblock prints from 19th-century Japan. The collection -- which includes drug advertisements, illustrated instructions for treating and preventing contagious diseases, and visual guides to the human body -- offers a unique look at Japanese medical knowledge in the late Edo and early Meiji periods. Here are a few images from the collection.
Ad for Kinder-Puwder, King of Pediatric Drugs -- Morikawa Chikashige, 1880 [+]
Chasing measles away -- Utagawa Yoshimori, 1862
Ten realms within the body -- Utagawa Kuniteru III, c. 1885 [+]
Pills to cure toxic illnesses such as syphilis and gonorrhea -- Artist unknown, late 19th century
Protective gods help good drugs fight evil disease -- Utagawa Yoshikazu, 1858 [+]
Hōsō-e talisman print to ward off smallpox -- Artist unknown, c. 1849
Ad for drug to improve handwriting and reading skills -- Utagawa Yoshitsuya, 1862
Foods that can be eaten by measles patients -- Utagawa Yoshimori, 1860s
Pregnancy guide -- Hamano Teisuke, 1880 [+]
Eye, ear, nose and hand -- Ochiai Yoshiiku, c. 1865
Defeating cholera -- Kimura Takejiro, 1886 [+]
Hōsō-e talisman print to ward off smallpox -- Utagawa Toyohisa II, c. 1830
Three mighty men conquering measles -- Ochiai Yoshiiku, 1870s [+]
Measles treatment -- Ochiai Yoshiiku, 1862
Teaching on harmonious body and mind -- Utagawa Yoshikatsu, 1850 [+]
Measles-themed hand game -- Utagawa Yoshitsuya, 1862
Illustrated guide to parental obligations -- Utagawa Yoshitora, 1880 [+]
Shinto god from Izumo province for preventing measles -- Taiso Yoshitoshi, 1862
Seller of eyeglasses -- Katsushika Hokusai, c. 1811-1814
Hōsō-e talisman print to ward off smallpox -- Utagawa Yoshitsuru, c. 1849
Illustrated account of cholera prevention -- Taiso Yoshitoshi, 1877 [+]
Bodily functions personified as popular kabuki actors -- Artist unknown, late 19th century [+]
Methods for preventing measles -- Utagawa Fusatane, 1858 [+]
Defeating measles (personified as a child) -- Utagawa Yoshifuji, c. 1840
Pregnant women playing in summer heat (5 heads, 10 bodies) -- Utagawa Kunitoshi, 1881 [+]
A pair of action-packed Ultraman Monster paintings by Toshio Okazaki were published in Shōgakukan's 1979 edition of Ultra Kaiju (Shōgakukan Nyūmon Hyakka Series #97).
[+]
[+]
Alien Guts, Windam, Gyango, Black End, Kingsaurus III, Bemstar
Alien Icarus, Gomora, Muruchi, Alien Baltan, Alien Magma, Kemular
Dancan, Giradorus, Astromons
Gandar, Gabora, Alien Metron, Agira, Antlar, Seabozu, Woo
Gubira, Takkong, Pestar, Gamakujira, Bemular
Eleking, Alien Kuuru, King Joe, Zemistiar
Geronimon, Jirass, Alien Pegassa, Dino-Tank
Pegassa, Hydra, Black King, Mephilas, Verokron, Starbem Gyeron, Red King, Dorako, Godola
[Source: Ultra Kaiju (Shōgakukan Nyūmon Hyakka Series #97), 1979]
This year's Good Design Expo, which took place at Tokyo Big Sight over the weekend (Aug 27-29), showcased over 2,000 design-conscious items under consideration for the 2010 Good Design Award. Here are photos of a few items that were on display.
Goya de Goya: Goya (a.k.a. bitter melon) planter bag that resembles a giant goya (Protoleaf)
Tomato ni Tomato: Tomato planter bag that resembles a giant tomato (Protoleaf)
Sola Cube: Botanical materials encased in cubes of acrylic (Sola)
GreenMarker: Grassy page markers (yuruliku DESIGN)
Nature LED bulb (Advanced-Connectek) // QLD-104 coral-inspired LED table lamp (Qisda)
X-Frame Folding Vehicle alters shape to suit driving style (Nagoya Institute of Technology)
USB Clip: Tiny USB flash drive that doubles as paper clip (Emami Design)
Tongue cleaners (Green Bell)
Kinpachi-Mikan mandarin orange boxes (Kadoya Keshouhin)
Centry outdoor security robot (Dongbu)
Pebble salt and pepper shaker set (Kyung Ran Choi)
Itamimai rice bags (Itami Sangyo Co., Ltd.)
Itamimai rice bags (Itami Sangyo Co., Ltd.)
Metaphys Cortina humidifier (Gourmandise Inc.)
LOVE packing peanuts (minna + TooR Inc.)
Lightweight milk bottles (Toyo Glass)
Tread-Walk: Treadmill-controlled personal mobility robot (Waseda University)
Underwater camera housing (Sigma)
Cartoon Box: Trixi Box - Sushi (Grupo BdeB)
Zou-san cutter: Elephant-shaped tape dispenser (Nichiban)
Bags made from recycled brewer malt waste (Kouhei Okamoto)
Rainbow-colored toilet paper made from 100% recycled paper (Felissimo)
Candles modeled after traditional Japanese confectioneries (Pegasus Candle)
Candles modeled after traditional Japanese confectioneries (Pegasus Candle)
Docomo SH-02B Marimekko mobile phone (Sharp, NTT)
Bone Float: Bone-shaped pens that balance/rotate on stand (Zero Seiko)
Kaori honey wine (Minenoyuki Ltd. + Miyagi University)
Sony Vaio
t-pod
Angled drinking glass to minimize neck movement
Wooden bicycle (Sano Magic)
Wooden bicycle (Sano Magic)
Wooden bicycle (Sano Magic)
Art Setouchi publicity fans
TOFU DX professional makeup sponge (CrossMarket Inc.)
The illustrations of TokyoGenso (a.k.a. Tokyo Fantasy) depict a post-apocalyptic Tokyo devoid of people and overtaken by nature.
Shinjuku skyline [+]
Tokyo Big Sight [+]
Rainbow Bridge [+]
Moai statue at Shibuya station [+]
Kabuki-za Theater, Ginza [+]
Mode HAL iKO Building, Shinjuku [+]
Poster for "The Book of Eli" (Japanese title: "The Walker") [+]
Gundam // Tokyogenso Robot
Tokyo Sky Tree [+]
Sofmap Akihabara [+]
Haneda Airport [+]
Cover of Liberal Time, September 2010
Akihabara [+]
Saigō Takamori statue, Ueno
Poster for "The Book of Eli" (a.k.a. "The Walker) - Osaka version [+]
Osaka street scene - Tsūtenkaku Tower [+]
Osaka street scene - Billiken [+]
Osaka street scene [+]
Hato Bus [+]
Tokyo Monorail [+]
Shibuya station (Fukutoshin Line) // Seibu Shibuya
"Manneken Pis" statue at Hamamatsuchō station
Ueno [+]
Tokyo Tower [+]
Shinjuku station [+]
Hanayashiki amusement park, Asakusa [+]
McDonald's [+]
Yoyogi station [+]
Nakano station [+]
Akihabara [+]
Shibuya [+]
Wako Building, Ginza [+]
[Links: tokyogenso blog, pixiv, deviantART]
Gundam videographer darwinfish105 has captured some dazzling footage of the 8-meter-tall laser-shooting Hello Kitty spectacle at Odaiba Beach, which has appeared as part of a campaign to promote tree-planting activities in Tokyo.
+ Video
The event, which features periodic light and water shows, will continue through August 22.
