storm from the east

W-Base Durcus One Stylin' new colours

W-Base have released three new colours for their own Durcus One Stylin' frame: matte black, matte red and matte purple. In stock soon.

W-Baseブログから：

3サイズの新色で、近日入荷！！！
今回入荷しますSTYLIN'フレームのカラー(マットブラック、マットレッド、マットパープル)３色ともマットカラーになります。
ありそうでなかったマットカラーのトリックフレームなので、探していたいた方も多いのでは。。。

Design Festa 32

Design Festa 32 is sold out, although the organisers tell is that they expect some spots to open up due to last minute cancellations, etc. Here's what on offer for visitors:

- 8800 independent artists/groups

- 2850 mini and regular-sized booths 

- 72 atrium/indoor stage booths 

- 30 intimate and large-size live painting booths

- 20 eclectic bands 

- 16 countries participating 

- various restaurants, bars and cafe areas

Sigg Bottle by we+

Young Japanese design team we+ have created two original designs for the famous Sigg bottles.

Using a special ink, the designs on the bottles appear when liquids under 17 degrees celsius are added.

The bottles are available at: http://weplus-sell.jp/

83 Design: Keat at Design Tokyo

One of our favourite design teams, the inventive 83 Design, will be displaying their wonderful Keat key holder at Design Tokyo.

The exhibition will be held from 7-9 July at Tokyo Big Sight.

For more information:

http://www.designtokyo.jp/

http://www.83design.jp/

Evangelion Bike/貞本義行デザインEVA02

 If ever there was a sign that the fixed-gear trend in Japan has gone too far, surely this is it. Not only can anime fans dress up like their favourite characters, they can also now ride around on a very expensive Evangelion fixed gear bike, well, mini bike. 

Designed by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, the man behind the Evangelion characters, the bike has a cro-moly frame and 20-inch wheels, although such details may not matter too much to the intended market. We could be totally wrong, of course, and the people who are no doubt swamping Amazon Japan with pre-orders may be incredibly dedicated and discerning cyclists. But we doubt it. 

The bike goes on sale on July 27th (in Japan only) for a snip under 100,000. More information here (Japanese).

日本アマゾンから 

エヴァのキャラクターデザイナーであり、自転車にも精通した貞本義行自らがデザインを描き起こし、カスタマイズまで監修を行った限定モデルの自転車です。◆貞本義行 コメント◆『カラータイヤにカラーチェーン、ブレーキはアルマイト素材ではなく、あえて塗装にこだわりました。 20インチにも関わらず、全体的に小さく見えずに存在感 がでるように設計しました。またEVAらしいポイントもおさえました。長く飽きずに乗ってほしいです。好評なら例のアノ人も出るかもネ。』◆仕様◆【車名：EVA00BIKE type-r】【タイヤ径：20インチ】【変速機：無し(シングルスピード)】【フレーム材質：クロムモリブデン鋼】【箱サイズ：高さ640mm×幅1240mm×奥行き195mm】【重量： 9.9kg】【サイズ：全長1565mm×高さ900mm×幅460mm ※高さ＝サドルを一番上に上げた状態】【ハンドル：ドロップバー】【お届け期間：6月中旬頃より順次お届け】※商品 は一部組み立てと工具が必要となります。

 

Sumo in upheaval

Japan's ancient sport of sumo is making the headlines once again for all the wrong reasons. In the last few years, the sport has seen a bullying yokozuna being forced into retirement, wrestlers kicked out for smoking marijuana, and a young wrestler bullied and beaten to death. The latest scandal involves a group of wrestlers who have been betting illegally on baseball games. Ozeki Kotomitsuki and stablemaster Otake have been at the forefront of the allegations, but a total of twenty-six wrestlers and sumo elders have been suspended from the upcoming Nagoya Basho (tournament).

Kotomitsuki, pictured, is to be kicked out of the sport following his involvement, which is an ignoble exit for a popular wrestler - he is the favourite wrestler of the young Princess Aiko. His dismissal also means that, unbelievably, there is only one Japanese wrestler fighting in the top two ranks of Yokozuna or Ozeki, and that is veteran Kaio, who at thirty-seven years old is very much in the twilight of his career.

The Nagoya Basho will now be held, despite worries that it would be cancelled in the wake of the scandal, and NHK - the national broadcasting corporation - will screen the tournament as usual. Whatever happens, the sport needs a good shakeup.

Hopefully this will expose the mismanagement and arrogance that has been blighting the sport and bring some much needed dignity back.

HH

Japan bow out of the World Cup

The Japanese players are heading home, but they can do so with their heads held high having made it out of a tough group that many thought they had no chance of surviving. Takeshi Okada's stated aim of reaching the best four was never seen as likely by anybody but the man himself, but his charges have impressed in their last few matches, even yesterday's lacklustre match against Paraguay. Sadly, neither team created many chances and the game ended with more of a fizzle than a bang as Paraguay converted all their penalties to win 5-3. 

A team which looked ineffective and wildly unprepared before the tournament became much more cohesive during it, with one player in particular showing his star status. Keisuke Honda, who currently plays his club football for CSKA Moscow, has been imperious for Japan. How long will it be before clubs from England, Italy or Spain come calling? 

HH

 

Studio Conran phone for LG

The new Studio Conran-designed mobile phone, released in Japan on the NTT Docomo network, is one of the few phones released recently that is actually worth mentioning.

The Conran phone has a 176-degree angle which echoes the natural contour of the human face, and is only 11mm thick. The other good thing about it: it's not an iPhone, so there probably won't be a new version out sometime next week.

http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/product/foma/style/l04b/index.html

『TRICK DICTIONARY』Fixed Gear Trick DVD

Japanese bookstores and video stores are lined with 'how-to' books and DVDs, and they are generally very well put together. The latest is a 'dictionary' of tricks that can be done on fixed gear bikes and is produced by Transworld Japan and Warp. It will be released on June 30th.

ウィリー伯爵によるトリック系ハウツーDVD、6月30日（水）全国発売.
上野の『JAN』にて、先行発売.　6月29日（火）19:00か ら、発売記念パーティー開催決定！

The world of byōbu screen paintings

Starting on 12 June and running until 25 July, Idemitsu Museum is holding the exhibition Discover the Beauty of Japan IV, The World of Screen Paintings: Transition and Development, focusing on byōbu, traditional folding screens. 

Byōbu were originally created in China to provide protection from circulating air. After their introduction to Japan, artists began to illustrate the changing of the four seasons on byōbu using uniquely Japanese techniques such as elaborate decorations in gold and silver and application of fan-shaped paintings, developing a characteristic style that depicted the differences in time and space. The folding form of the byōbu in particular enabled the artists to literally "bring out" and emphasize the climax of a story or a scene, providing a stage to demonstrate their artistic techniques and abilities.

This exhibition will trace the development of Japanese byōbu through masterpieces of flowers-and-birds paintings, painted tales and landscapes from the Muromachi to the Edo period.

http://www.idemitsu.co.jp/museum/english/index.html

屏風は中国で風よけの調度として誕生しました。日本に伝わってからは金銀や扇面貼付などによる日本独自の技法と四季絵の展開によって、移ろいゆく時間・空間が表された形式へと変化しました。

特に大画面を折り畳んで使う屏風は、目前に主題のクライマックスを引き出すことができる点で、画家の腕の見せ所となりました。本展では、室町から江戸時代にかけての花鳥画・物語絵・風景画の優品によって、日本の生活を飾った屏風の変遷と展開をひもときます。

2010年6月12日（土）～7月25日（日） http://www.idemitsu.co.jp/museum/index.html

Joseph Cornell × Mutuo Takahashi

Currently showing at Kawamura Memorial Museum of Art in Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture, is the unusual 'Intimate Worlds Enclosed', a mix of Joseph Cornell's art and Mutuo Takahashi's poetry. Cornell created intricate boxes and collages and, inspired by his work, contemporary poet Mutuo Takahashi presents 16 new verses, one each for the seven Cornell boxes and nine collages from the Kawamura collection in this exhibition.

Well worth a look, the exhibition runs until 19 July 2010.

http://kawamura-museum.dic.co.jp/en/museum/index.html

貝殻や星図、リキュール・グラスや古い絵画の複製など、小さな品々が詰まった手作りの木の箱。コーネルが地下室のアトリエでこつこつと作り続けたそれらは、美術作品でありながら、彼自身の幸せな子供時代を封じ込めた宝物箱、叶わぬ夢や憧れのための飾り棚といえるものでした。そしてまた、両手で抱えられるほどの大きさの箱は、のぞき見る人の空想しだいで、どこまでも拡がっていく無限の宇宙にも姿を変えます。誰もが心の奥に大切にしまいこんでいる世界。その豊潤さや甘美さを、コーネルの箱は思い出させてくれるのです。

そんなコーネル芸術を深く敬愛する高橋睦郎（むつお）は、1993 年に「この世あるいは箱の人」と題した詩をつくり、この稀代のアーティストを讃えました。そして本展では、当館が所蔵する７つの箱作品と９つの平面コラージュひとつひとつに捧げた詩16篇を新たに発表します。コーネルの創作と同じくひそやかに綴られた言葉は、その「小さく広大な世界」を清新な光で照らし出すにちがいありません。 美術家と詩人、20世紀のアメリカと現代の日本――異なる時空に生きながら、それぞれ独自の小宇宙を創造したふたりのコラボレーションを通じ、これまでにないコーネル・ワールドを体験していただけることでしょう。

http://kawamura-museum.dic.co.jp/museum/index.html

Naoto Kan becomes Japan prime minister

Japan seems to change prime minister almost as often as Apple launches a new product recently, with Naoto Kan becoming the fifth person to hold the post in three years.

Kan replaces the largely ineffective but entertaining Yukio Hatoyama, who quit after failing to follow through on pre-election promises, most notably the relocation of US armed forces bases in Okinawa. Much has been made of Kan's background - unlike most of his predecessors, he does not come from a politically connected, highly affluent family - so many are hoping he can connect better with the average Joe (or Jun).

How he fares remains to be seen, but he could hardly be any worse than some of those who have gone before him. Let's hope he lasts a little longer.

HH

Sony PIIQ headphones / ソニー「PIIQ」ヘッドホン

Sony has introduced a new range of headphones aimed at young, active users. The PIIQ range includes five models, each sporting colourful designs, ranging from earphones priced at just over ¥1,800 to the top of the range MDR-PQ1 priced at just under ¥13,000.

ソニーは、アクティブな若い世代の人たちをターゲットとした新ラインアップ「PIIQ」（ピーク）として、アウトドア用オーバーヘッドバンド型のステレオ ヘッドホン『MDR-PQ1』『MDR-PQ2』『MDR-PQ3』、ステレオイヤーレシーバー『MDR-PQ4』『MDR-PQ5』の計5機種を発売し ます。

近年、若い世代のお客さまの間では、ヘッドホンをファッションアイテムとしてとらえる傾向が強くなっており、商品群も個人のファッションやライフスタイル に合わせ多様化しています。同時にデザインのみならず、音質や装着感へのこだわりを持つお客さまもますます増えています。
当社は、ストリートパフォーマンスや音楽、スポーツなどに取り組むアクティブな若い人たちに向けて、ライフスタイルを軸とした「PIIQ」を立ち上げまし た。「PIIQ」は、ヘッドホンそのものに求められる機能や性能を妥協することなく、こうした若いお客さまのニーズにあった新しいスタイルを提案します。

http://www.sony.jp/

Nissan Leaf

Nissan is accepting reservations for its 100% electric vehicle, the Leaf. As this is 2010, the promotion for the car naturally features a dedicated website, a blog and a Twitter feed.

Time for a dose of reality for Japan football

Japan lost to local rivals South Korea for the second time in a year Monday night, losing 2-0 and once again raising serious questions about manager Takeshi Okada's aim of reaching the best four in the upcoming World Cup.

To be honest, neither side really dominated, but it was Manchester United player Park Ji Sung who looked the class act, scoring a well-taken goal in the sixth minute. In reality, it will be a great achievement for Japan to make it out of their group, and Park has said the same about his own team's chances, yet Okada is doggedly sticking to his goal of reaching the semi finals. While it's great to be ambitious, it's also good to remain realistic, something that Keisuke Honda clearly has problems with - he has suggested that Japan could win the World Cup. I agree; it is a possibility. If none of the other teams turn up.

I'm Japanese, so of course I want my national team to do well, but do I really think they can best the likes of Portugal, Spain, Holland, Italy, France, Brazil, England, etc, etc? No. I'm a fan, but I'm also a realist. It's time for the national team to temper their ambitions with some humility and reality.

HH

Anish Kapoor solo exhibition in Tokyo

Running until 19 June, SCAI The Bathhouse presents a solo exhibition of work by UK-based, internationally active artist Anish Kapoor.

SCAI THE BATHHOUSEでは、6月19日(土)まで、インド出身で現在英国を拠点に国際的に活動している、アニッシュ・カプーアの展覧会を開催いたします。

http://www.scaithebathhouse.com/

Back to biking in Tokyo

The public transport system in Tokyo is clean, efficient and relatively inexpensive, but it is crowded and doesn't really give you the freedom to explore and get fit into the bargain. This is where bikes really come in, and this is why I'm going back to bikes to complete the bulk of the commuting I need to do.

Bikes have always been a common sight on the streets of Japan, but more and more you can see people riding custom bikes more fitted to their personalities and design tastes, rather than the ubiquitous shopping bikes. Some do it for convenience, others as a green alternative to other forms of transport, and others just because they enjoy it.

It's something of all three for me, but I'm somewhat torn. Should I follow my desires and go with a fixed wheel bike, something like the Create model pictured above, or should I go for a road bike that is perhaps more practical?

For the time being, I'm going to stick with the Giant cross bike I bought a few years ago and lavish some care and attention on my beloved Hoffman EP BMX, pictured below.

But as bikes are something of a passion, there may be more on this in the future.

Sony P Series pocket PC / ソニー「Pシリーズ」

Do you fancy a really small computer? Thinking of getting an iPad but but not really sure what it's for? Sony's new P Series pocket PC could be just what you're looking for.

As part of the popular Vaio series of computers, the P Series comes complete with Windows 7 home Premium, an Intel Atom processor and lots of other goodies you'd expect. It also comes in three colours: white, pink and orange. At a projected price of 100,000 yen, however, it's about twice the price of the basic iPad, although you don't need to be tied to a Softbank contract (in Japan) if you buy one of these. For those wanting a truly portable computer, however, the new P Series might fit the bill.

The P Series goes on sale in Japan on May 22.

http://www.sony.jp/CorporateCruise/Press/201005/10-0510/

ソニーは、パーソナルコンピューターVAIOの夏モデルとして、より活動的な使用シーンにも適したデザインと利便性を備えた、新しい“ポケットスタイル PC”「Pシリーズ」を発売します。

http://www.sony.jp/CorporateCruise/Press/201005/10-0510/

Japan's World Cup squad named

Takeshi Okada, the manager of Japan's national football team, has announced his 23-man squad for the upcoming World Cup in South Africa, sticking with a squad that fans in Japan have become used to seeing. Perhaps the only suprise was not including Shinji Ono who has been impressive upon his return to Japanese football.

The most experienced member of the squad is goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, who is currently recovering from a broken leg but should be fit for the tournament, although fans will also be looking towards players like Shunsuke Nakamura and Junichi Inamoto to bring some experience and flair to the side as both have played in the Word Cup before. In fact, experience seems to be the key, as only five of the players named for the squad are under 25, compared with seven members who are aged 30 or over.

Japan face a stiff test right from the get-go, however, as their group includes Holland, Cameroon and Denmark, all of which are currently some places above Japan in the FIFA rankings - especially Holland. This means that even getting past the first round will be a great achievement for the team, yet Okada is sticking to his goal of finishing the tournament as one of the best four. When you consider that in 2006 the best four teams were Italy, Germany, France and Portugal, the reality of the current Japan squad being able to match them seems optimistic at best, downright bonkers at worst. International friendlies against arch-nemesis South Korea, England and the Ivory Coast should give fans a better clue of what to expect when the tournament proper begins.

Hopefully it will give Japanese fans something to cheer about.

Hiromitsu Honda

DesignTide 2010 Entry/エントリー募集 開始

News from the DESIGNTIDE Team:

DESIGNTIDE TOKYO 2010 has started accepting entries.

We are looking for ideas and creations arising from the attitude of designers who seeks the earnest engagement with society. Submissions can be in any medium and category.

DESIGNTIDE TOKYO aims to be a springboard that will allow these ideas and creations to take real, concrete shape within society, and also to create an exhibition with a solid reputation, trusted by media and markets around the world.