Category: 2007-11 Japan

The Tokyo Design Week had a lot of neat stuff. Held in a field in Aoyama Park, it had a big tent in the middle full of vendors and cool stuff you could buy (but couldn’t photograph), a stage for musicians, a cafe and obligatory omiyage stand and about 20 containers (you know, the kind that big ships and trucks carry) full of design exhibitions from different organizations.  There was soo much design, I forgot to keep good notes. However, I did take pictures for your bemusement.

Being “green” (the only time you will EVER read that phrase on this blog) was a popular theme this year. Not only did it get people’s attention to the exhibits, it served as an opportunity for designers to get creative. This lamp is made with old gashapon containers as the light fixtures and what looks like junk for the rest

How about these distant relations to SpongeBob?

Here is a lamp from the collection of Wile E. Coyote. Gee, I didn’t know he was a designer in addition to being a soooooper geeeenius. No mention if this is from the Acme Corporation.

This bag pretty much sums up what I like to cook with and put under my pancakes in the morning…

This was a Enveloop projector dog from Sanyo. It’s a dog you plug into your computer and it projects whatever is on the computer on the nearest screen or wall. Very powerful.

Sometimes it’s nice to take a breather and slow down. Also it’s nice to do when the sun comes out. Today I’m in Minowa, in the part of Tokyo known as Shitamachi. It’s the older part of Tokyo, representative on how it was back in the day.

Tokyo has one tram line left, a line that cuts through backyards and runs parallel to main streets, rumbling along at its own leisurely pace with lots of old folks riding it. The Toden Arakawa Line runs from Minowa-Bashi to Waseda with several transfer stops to JR and Tokyo Metro and it is 12.2 km long.

Many of these folks grew up with the tram line and some fear that once they begin to pass on, so too will this last tram line. It was a nice day to ride around and get some fresh air (because you can open the windows).