storm from the east

Toyota recalls 437,000 cars over brake problems

Toyota has announced that it is to recall nearly half a million of its hybrid cars around the world due to a problem with the braking system.

In a further blow to the company, it was revealed that the recall also affects its high-end Lexus brand, as the Lexus HS 250 hybrid shares the same platform as the third-generation Prius, the world's best-selling hybrid car.

Toyota president Akio Toyoda, a member of the company's founding-family, said that "[w]e have decided to recall as we regard safety for our customers as our foremost priority." Another model which is affected is the Sai hybrid, which is currently sold only in Japan.

Coming so soon after last month's recall of a staggering eight million Toyotas over fears of accelerator pedal defects in several models, it is publicity the company could do without. Lawyers in the US further claim that defects with the cars have led to 19 deaths and the company is now facing over thirty lawsuits in North America.

Joshua Prince-Ramus: Architectural agency and building a theater that remakes itself

Joshua Prince-Ramus believes that if architects re-engineer their design process, the results can be spectacular.

Speaking at TEDxSMU, Dallas, he talks about 'architectural agency' and walks us through his fantastic re-creation of the local Wyly Theater as a giant 'theatrical machine' that reconfigures itself at the touch of a button.

Related TED Talks:

Rachel Armstrong

Bjarke Ingels

Daniel Libeskind

Asashoryu retires

Asashoryu, the third most successful wrestler in sumo history, has retired from the troubled sport after allegations he assaulted a man outside a Tokyo night club last month.

“I am proud of being a Yokozuna,” Asashoryu, 29, said, adding that he was retiring in order to take "responsibility for having caused so much trouble”. He declined to comment about the allegations or his future plans. Unlike many foreign sumo wrestlers, Asashoryu has not taken Japanese citizenship, which precludes him from taking any further part in sumo after his retirement as a wrestler.

Asashoryu, whose real name is Dolgorsuren Dagvadorj, made his debut in 1999 and rose quickly, becoming only the third foreigner to become a Yokozuna, following Hawaiians Akebono and Musashimaru. His victory in last month’s tournament was his 25th championship, which places his third on the all-time list behind legends Taiho and Chiyonofuji. Although imperious in the ring, his behavior out of the ring, including scuffles and criticism of other wrestlers, has drawn increasingly negative reactions from coaches, fans and press, who said his actions were not befitting the rank of Yokozuna. He was suspended for two tournaments in 2007 after skipping an exhibition due to injury and later filmed playing soccer in Mongolia with footballer Hidetoshi Nakata.

His retirement leaves sumo once again with a sole Yokozuna, fellow Mongolian Hakuho, and - as stated in an earlier article - comes at a time when the sport is not exactly bursting at the seams with up-and-coming future greats. As Asashoryu was summoned before the sumo association and rumours were circulating that they planned to expel him, it seems to have been a case of jump or be pushed. 

Despite his bad behaviour, Asashoryu remains a very popular wrestler and his retirement is a further blow to a sport already under pressure from waning interest and a lack of home-grown talent.

7th International Conference on Design & Emotion: Call for Submissions

The Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology, and the Design & Emotion Society are pleased to invite you to participate in the 7th International Conference on Design & Emotion in Chicago, October 4-7.

The International Conference on Design & Emotion is a forum held every other year where practitioners, researchers and industry leaders meet and exchange knowledge and insights concerning the cross-disciplinary field of design and emotion. The conference will offer workshops, research paper presentations, design case presentations, and poster presentations. The conference language is English.

Since this conference was first established in 1999, what many predicted then came to be. Technologies are now able to achieve emotional qualities and design examples using these technologies abound. While we have made significant progress in research and practice relevant to emotional factors in design, many fundamental questions remain unanswered and new issues have been raised as we experience major changes in technological, social, cultural and economic environments. We are at the stage for another leap forward in the development of new understanding and vision of emotional factors in design through our critical reflection, innovative exploration and collaborative endeavor.

This conference calls for your contribution to this exciting international forum of research and practice representing academic, professional and business communities. The deadline for submissions is 15 March 2010.

Submission details: http://www.id.iit.edu/de2010/des+emo-call4submissions.html

Art Fair Tokyo 2010

Sachigusa Yasuda, "Flying #28" 2008. Digital photograph 70 x 116.6cm. BASE GALLERY

ART FAIR TOKYO, the largest fair of its kind in Japan, began in 2005, and this year it celebrates its fifth anniversary. Featuring contemporary art, modern art, nihonga and ukiyoe, in addition to other Asian works of art and antiques, ART FAIR TOKYO is known throughout the world for both the wide genres and periods it covers and for the quality of its exhibits.

Last year’s edition of the fair attracted 45,000 people, an increase on the previous year, and an indication of how interest in art has gradually grown in Japanese society. ART FAIR TOKYO 2010 will be held, as always, at the Tokyo International Forum, and will include 139 galleries. As with last year, a special section that is devoted to new galleries of contemporary art will be set up and held in the lobby of the main venue, this time under the banner of “PROJECTS.” Meanwhile, a fascinating selection of related events will be held, including the popular talk series, “Dialogues in Art,” and a range of guided tours tailor made for everyone from art fair beginners to veteran collectors.

As always, ART FAIR TOKYO 2010 will be held in the cherry blossom season, the most beautiful time of year in Japan.

Brera Design District, Milan

Studiolabo and Fuorisalone.it staff have announced the launch of the project: Brera Design District.

Brera Design District is intended to enhance the Brera district, the historical reference point for Milanese art, design and culture, as a prestigious showcase at the international level. The district with the highest concentration of showroom, design and fashion events during Design Week in Milan, presents an integrated communication project to with a schedule of events distributed throughout the year.

Companies, showrooms and event organizers in the neighborhood are invited to share their work and support the project.

Website: www.breradesigndistrict.it

Jane Chen: A warm embrace that saves lives

Design that saves lives. In the developing world, access to incubators is limited by cost and distance, and millions of premature babies die each year. TED Fellow Jane Chen shows an invention that could keep millions of these infants warm -- a design that's safe, portable, low-cost and life-saving.

Monika Drożyńska: Scarf sold by the metre

Polish artist and designer Monika Drożyńska invites you to rethink your concept of the humble scarf, reinventing it as as something that can be used by one person at a time, or even a hundred people together. She is now giving people the chance to purchase parts of this extraordinary scarf by the metre.

The total length of the scarf is 135 metres and it is rolled into a one metre high roll and is designed for sale in one metre and one metre and a half pieces, although longer pieces are available. It is ready to use after cutting.

The price is 40PLN per metre. For more details:

http://www.delikatesy.org.pl

www.monika.drozynska.pl

Call for submissions: Concrete Geometries

Concrete Geometries: Spatial Form in Social and Aesthetic Processes

The ‘Concrete Geometries’ Research Cluster at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London is seeking submissions of work from the fields of art, architecture, sciences and humanities that explore the relationship between spatial form and social or aesthetic processes. The deadline for submissions is 12th April 2010.

http://www.concrete-geometries.net/

For full details, click below.

Please help Haiti

We never ask readers to click on advertisements on this site, but we're making an exception with the two that you can see in the banner and in the sidebar: Save the Children and UNICEF. Both charities are helping in Haiti. (We are not receiving any money for these advertisements, obviously.)

Tomoaki Suzuki solo exhibition in Tokyo

SCAI The Bathhouse is currently hosting the first Japanese solo exhibition by London-based internationally-acclaimed artist Tomoaki Suzuki.

Suzuki creates small wooden figures of humans, each carefully proportioned and around 60 cm high, and all rendered using classical techniques of wood carving.

The models for these sculptures include a young girl who spoke of her conviction that she would achieve her dream of become a famous musician, an Italian youth who sells clothes on the street, and a young African who adapts a western business suit in his own distinctive manner. Suzuki carves as he chats to the models, holding the materials in his arms, which limits the size of his sculptures but produces arresting, intimate portraits of his subjects.

Highly recommended.

Exhibition period: Fri. 22 January - Sat. 20 February, 2010

Opening hours: 12pm - 7pm closed on Mon. Sun. National holiday

http://www.scaithebathhouse.com/

日本語

imm Cologne 2010: Reef by Neuland Industriedesign

Not all cabinet systems are created equal. With the sculptural "Reef" system by Eva Paster and Michael Geldmacher (Neuland Industriedesign), Interlübke is restructuring space. Whilst the cabinets are arranged in systematic rows and stacked in typical Interlübke style, the concept shatters the uniformity of the surface.

The cabinet becomes a raised relief and spatial entity - with practical interior fittings that are just as fascinating as the three-dimensional facade. At the same time, the different depths of "Reef" pick up on architectural trends in interior design and change the way we see things.

This and many other innovations will be on show in Hall 11.3 of the imm cologne from 19th to 24th January 2010. Besides Interlübke, the "Pure" segment in Hall 11 will be showing the versatile collections of numerous other international premium brands, including Alias, Brühl, Cappellini, Gervasoni, Team by Wellis, Treca de Paris, Walter Knoll and Zeitraum. The top-quality furniture is accompanied by high-end lighting, textiles and flooring products.

For more details about imm Cologne, click the banner at the top of the page.

For more about Neuland Industriedesign, visit their website here.

imm Cologne 2010: Brühl

Brühl has made a wholehearted commitment to eco-protection. The company is the first German upholstered furniture manufacturer to be awarded the "Blue Angel" - the reward for the years of intense effort the company has invested in ecology and sustainability.

At the imm cologne, Brühl will be presenting new evidence of its commitment by launching covering fabrics made of bamboo fibre. Such a concept obviously strikes a chord with consumers: a recent survey by tns-Infratest/Emnid shows eco-aspects play an important role in the purchase decisions of every fourth German with a net income of up to 1,500 euros. That's sales potential nobody can afford to miss out on.

Other designers, brands and newcomers who are willing to shoulder responsibility for our environment will be showing their wares in Cologne from 19th to 24th January.

As Chiyotaikai retires, will the next Japanese sumo star please step forward

Chiyotaikai, the former ozeki has decided to call it quits having lost his final bout against Kaio. Chiyotaikai had been demoted to sekiwake for the New Year Basho, currently underway in Tokyo, and having lost all of his opening bouts, his chances of securing ten wins - thereby ensuring he would regain his ozeki status - were looking increasingly slim. His retirement, however, only adds to more weight the question being asked with increasing regularity: where are the next Japanese sumo stars?

A quick look at the top ranks of sumo, yokozuna, ozeki, sekiwake and komusubi, paints a less than pleasing picture for Japanese fans looking to restore some national pride to their ancient national sport: both yokozuna are Mongolian, only two of the four ozeki are Japanese (Harumafuji is Mongolian and Kotooshu is Bulgarian), Estonian Baruto is currently the sole sekiwake and another Mongolian, Kakuryu, is one of the two komusubi. The last Japanese yokozuna was Takanohana, who retired in 2003, and the latest Japanese wrestler to win a tournament was Tochiazuma back in November 2006. With interest in the sport waning as the domination of Asashoryu and Hakuho continues, many are asking which of the current crop of Japanese wrestlers can challenge them.

Ozeki Kaio, it has to be said, is not likely to be one of them. Rumours of his imminent retirement have been circulating for the last couple of years and, at 37 years old, he surely can't have many more tournaments left in him. He lifted his last Emperor's Cup in 2004 and, as he has recently surpassed legendary yokozuna Chiyonofuji's record of 807 victories in the elite makuuchi division, his motivation to stay active may not be so strong.

Harmonie-intérieure 2010 letterpress wish card

Harmonie-intérieure have produced a limited edition 2010 wish card, which looks great and is letterpress printed on quality 450g classic crest solar white paper. They come in sets of ten from only €15, but hurry before they're all gone - there are only 500 being produced.

http://www.harmonie-interieure.com/home2010.htm

A new decade and a new concept of 'total design'?

As we enter a new decade, the world is slowly recovering from a financial crisis yet, increasingly, there is a steady flow of rehashed ideas of existing products. People may salivate over the latest incarnation of the iPod/computer/shoe/car, but how many are truly original? Recently I wrote that the Vibram FiveFingers shoes have somewhat broken the mould for footwear in that they do not only look radically different from traditional shoes, they have also changed many peoples' perceptions of running and running shoes. The Sony Walkman and the iPod similarly transformed the way we listen to music. But what about other spheres of design? Is anybody challenging our perceptions of what a chair should be like, a table, light or even computer?

Many designers are producing different versions of each of these products - and more - each with varying degrees of aesthetic success, but how many are truly revolutionary? Design should not simply be about the aesthetics of a product; it is so much more than that. Could the new decade push designers towards a new concept of 'total design'?

Total Design

First of all, I should point out that I am not talking about earlier conceptions (for example 'total architecture') in which the designer takes centre stage and orchestrates everything around him. A possible example of this approach that stands out here in Tokyo is the Asahi Building, for which Philippe Starck designed the whole lot - inside and out. My concept of total design - and I don't claim it it be either revolutionary or earth-shatteringly original - has come about through discussions with designers, architects, writers, artists and consumers. The shift may become increasingly dictated by the consumer.

When times are rosy, people perhaps don't mind paying more for a product that ranks higher from a desirability standpoint than a practical one. But when people start to tighten their belts a little, the scales often tip much more in favour of practicality, value for money and durability. Increasingly, the materials used to produce the product may affect the decision to make a purchase. Designers perhaps need to start stepping back and viewing their products from a consumer's point of view. I have spoken to designers who are over-enamoured with their, frankly, impractical designs and remain bewildered why manufacturers don't want to produce them or why consumers aren't beating down their doors to buy them. Total design, therefore, would - should - involve thinking about every stage of the life of a product.

The first stage would arguably be identifying a market; better still identifying a niche. If you want to design a light, what makes yours different? Who will use it? Why would they choose yours over another? How much will it cost and is it worth it? Would you buy it if another designer produced it? Other considerations could include: 

Vibram FiveFingers: Redesigning footwear

Some design concepts break the mould and have influence over a wide spectrum of activity, with the Vibram FiveFingers shoes falling squarely into that category. Designed by Robert Fliri and released in 2006, the shoes quickly became something of a cult hit, but the publication of books like Born to Run by Christoper McDougall last year have pushed their popularity through the roof.

There are currently seven models of the FiveFingers available, with more planned, and the uses that people put them to continue to grow. They are used for water sports, yoga, climbing, walking, martial arts and trekking, but it is perhaps the barefoot running community that has embraced them with the most passion. On any website or forum about running barefoot, you are sure to find discussion of Vibram's FiveFingers (VFFs). One site, birthdayshoes.com, is dedicated to them. Even Wired magazine featured them.

So what's all the fuss? Why would you want to wear a funny-looking, not inexpensive pair of shoes with a wafer-thin sole and no support? The main reason is that these shoes mimic the sensation of going barefoot, which many people – especially runners – are claiming not only cuts down on injuries, but also leads to a more efficient, less stressful style of running. Without going into a lot of detail, there is evidence that suggests the built-up heel on modern running shoes could actually lead to the injuries they claim to prevent. At the very least, putting a pair of these on your feet is bound to get you noticed.

The delay in writing about the FiveFingers is mainly because your intrepid editors have been trying these shoes out for the last few months – Richard is currently running up to 15km a time in them and enjoying running for the first time in his life, while Ryo is sporting them on the streets of Paris, Milan and New York. We're loving them. And that's the point.

These shoes may represent a paradigm-shift in footwear design, they may change the way we think about running, they may look crazy and they may be tricky to get on an off (at first), but at the end of the day, the one thing that all their owners seem to agree on is this: they're great fun.

http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/

Toyota announces launch of Etios in India

Toyota has announced a concept version of the Etios, a compact car newly developed specifically for the Indian market. Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private, Ltd. (TKM) is showing the concept car at the 10th Auto Expo automobile show in New Delhi, which runs until January 11.

The Etios is aimed at family users in India's rapidly growing automobile market and to make the car as affordable as possible for potential customers, local parts will be used to reduce costs. Etios chief engineer, Yoshinori Noritake, said that part of the development process including him personally visiting "many Indian cities and homes to learn the market and to hear from the consumer directly."

TKM plans to produce the Etios from late 2010, aiming at annual sales in India of 70,000 units. The company also plans to introduce the third-generation Prius hybrid in India in 2010, along with the Prado SUV.

Burj Khalifa opens

The tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, is officially open for business, rising almost a kilometre into the Dubai sky and dwarfing the previous tallest, the Taipei 101 by over three hundred metres.

Although it was officially unveiled in a lavish ceremony, the building opens its doors at a time when many of those who forked out for one of the many apartments it houses face immediate losses on their investments after a recent slump in Dubai property prices. Despite this, Mohamed Alabbar, chairman of Emaar Properties, the state-owned developer said Burj Khalifa was 'another demonstration of Dubai's ability to achieve what few people thought possible' and that it 'represents the determination and optimism of Dubai as a truly world city. It is a powerful symbol for the entire Arab world.' Powerful it may be and tall it certainly is, but is it good architecture?

Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, the architects behind the building originally known as the Burj Dubai, based the design on their own Tower Palace Three in Seoul, Korea, and the building was originally intended to be entirely residential. The design is said to have been influenced by Islamic architecture, but the influences are not immediately obvious as Islamic architecture boasts some of the most ornate and beautiful buildings in the world. Design architect Adrian Smith also said that the hymenocallis flower, native to Dubai, was the inspiration for the triple-lobed footprint of the building, which is more readily apparent. For a building so tall, it actually doesn't appear monstrously large – until, of course, you compare it to the rest of the Dubai skyline. It's also not as outlandish as some of the other architectural experiments Dubai has embarked upon. Neither is it ugly. In fact, it looks rather elegant. Steve Rose, writing in The Guardian, called it 'surely the best-looking tall building since New York's Chrysler and the Empire State in the 1930s'. Praise indeed, but one can't help but wonder what somebody like Santiago Calatrava, Steven Holl or Jean Nouvel would have come up with. Perhaps something outlandish, but we'll never know.

To be honest, I like it very much and I admire the work that went into it, but compared to the Infinity Tower, also in Dubai and also by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, I can't help wishing for something…more. Considering it is the world's tallest building, however – and a nice looking one at that – I accept that I may be wanting a little too much.

Richard Knobbs

Masato beats Souwer in last fight

Masato, Japan's most-successful kick-boxer, has brought his illustrious thirteen-year career to an end with a win over Holland's Andy Souwer.

The fight was a rare five round K-1 match, which gave Masato's legions of fans an extended opportunity to see him in action; and action they got. In stark contrast to some of the other out of shape fighters on the less-than Dynamite line-up, both Masato and Souwer showed why they are both worthy ex-champions.

Masato took the first round, with the second and third more even. The fourth, however, saw Souwer put down by a right counter, although he quickly recovered and came back strongly against Masato for the rest of the round and in the fifth. Masato was ahead on points all the way and took the fight by decision. Immediately after the result was announced, Souwer hoisted Masato onto his shoulders in a display of sportsmanship and respect, and afterward, the retiring thirty-year-old received gifts from well-wishers - including Souwer and his son - and signed autographs for waiting fans.

The night also saw the MMA debut of judo gold medallist Satoshi Ishii, whose fight with forty-year-old Hidehiko Yoshida was a pretty lacklustre affair which, more than anything, showed that both lack stamina.