Exploring the "UNESCO Design City KOBE" in a bus

Photograph by Rie Nitta

In 2008, Kobe was appointed as a UNESCO City of Design. To commemorate the appointment, many design related events are held every year around the 16th of October, the actual day of the appointment. Among this year's events is a "travelling editorial team meeting in a bus". I am happy to be a member of this editorial team, together with Lucas Badtke-Berkow from Knee High Media and Duncan Brotherton from OOO Projects. We will look around Kobe as a kind of research for a prototype media which spreads Kobe's creative contributions and potentials to its citiziens as well as to the design world.

There are 10 seats for guests to join our tour, more here, or join us on facebook.

And many thanks to Tetsuya Goto from OOO Projects.

"Nothing can last"

is the title of the current issue of STYLEPARK Magazin fuer Produktkultur (No. 24, Summer 2011), a magazine in German published by the international platform for architecture and design Stylepark.

Transience is the theme of the entire issue and I have contributed with a piece about evanescence in Japanese Packaging Design. One example featured is the frequently changing Tirol Choco. The design of each variety of these very small, square shaped chocolates is always different -- reflecting the idea that ‘nothing stays the same’.

Please see the full article here (sorry, only in German).

And many thanks to Nancy Jehmlich.

Wow, it turns into a card case!

Look at our exhibition flyer: A normal DIN A4 format, but yes, without the use of scissors, just by folding, you can turn it into a card case. In the right size for business cards.

This flyer is a wonderful team work of Tetsuya Goto and Duncan Brotherton of OOO projects and me.

It reflects the processuality and playfulness of Japanese packaging design -- aspects we also highlight in our exhibition.

The exhibition can be seen until March 21, 2011; 11:00-21:00 at D～ba in the E-ma building in Osaka (Umeda).

There will be a designer talk with Akio Okumura on March 12, 2011; 17:00 - 18:00, followed by a casual reception party from 18:30 on, and a gallery tour with me on March 20, 2011; 14:00 - 16:00. For more, please check www.jpdex.net.

First Sign

Since FLAG 007 is delivered in Osaka (and Kyoto as well), the first sign of the upcoming JAPANESE PACKAGE DESIGN EXHIBITION is visible.

While we -- Tetsuya Goto and Duncan Brotherton of OOO projects and me -- work on the flyer, on the website and of course on the exhibition, why not read the FLAG article (English and Japanese) and find out more about our concept.

And mark this date in your calendar: 01 - 21 March; 11:00-21:00 at D～ba in the E-ma building in Osaka.

BIG THANKS to Tetsuya, Duncan -- and Lucia Baeza for the illustrations!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011

For this year's Christmas and New Year card DAAD Tokyo (German Academic Exchange Service) chose the picture above, showing one of my form studies of boat-shaped wooden takoyaki plates.

The design is a further development of works presented at the "Butterbrot und Bier" event earlier this year, and is based on a traditional Japanese pattern called asa-no-ha.

This popular pattern can be found on various kinds of textiles as well as in the interior design of shops and restaurants. Its name is said to derive from the resemblance of hemp leaves. And since the hemp plant is sturdy and grows upright, the pattern was preferably used for baby clothes, wishing for the child's growth. (Read more about the asa-no-ha pattern on my Kyoto blog.)



With this in mind, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2011. May it be a year of growth and development, of juvenile energy to accomplish plans straight away, of marvelous discoveries and hilarious fun together with supportive and like-minded people.

Takoyaki, octopus dumplings, is a popular Japanese dish and usually served on boat-shaped plates made from thin wooden sheets -- as seen below.
To view more of my form studies and experiments with these plates, please click here.

And THANKS to Sabine Yokoyama and Kaori Shimada.

Update: Japanese Packaging Design on SNOW Magazine

Time for an update about my Japanese Packaging Design column on SNOW Magazine:

Discover the amazing bilingual Script on Ippodo Tea Packages or find out how "Every Wish Comes True with a Sachet of Bath Salts".

You can find all my SNOW Magazine columns here.

"Butterbrot und Bier" on takoyaki trays

On May 14th, as a part of the social networking event "Butterbrot und Bier" (buttered bread and beer) organized by DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), I will have the opportunity to show my work "the way home from the station - tokyo 7/2005 - 03/2009" as well as form studies made from boat-shaped wooden takoyaki trays that will serve as centerpieces for the buffet tables.

Thanks to Sabine Yokoyama and Reiko Gamo.

Want to know what "Kansei" is?

For those capable of the German language, in the current issue of PAGE magazine (5.2010) I provide a look at the activities of the Kansei Information Laboratory of the University of Tsukuba. See the full article here or check the link list of the article.

Also covered is the "visual brainstorming" software alchemy by Karl D.D. Willis -- a master's graduate of the University of Tsukuba -- and Jacob Hina, which is a very inspirational tool and I highly recommend anybody who wants to boost creativity to give it a try.

And many thanks to Verena Dauerer, Prof. Toshimasa Yamanaka, Prof. Toshiaki Uchiyama and Karl D.D. Willis!