We love Japan, and this is where we show it. From gadgets to toys, live-action to anime, hillsides to cities and cars to architecture, JHYPE loves it all.
The name Inakadate usually doesn’t conjure up any specific imagery of Japan in one’s head. It has a population of around 8700 people and it is situated about 965km (600 miles) away north of Tokyo. Mount Fuji, vending machines, futuristic miniature technologies, karaoke, boxy cars, pokemon, anime, maid cafes, cosplayers, mechas … have nothing to do with this village in the Aomori prefecture. So why does Inakadate make it to JHYPE?
Every year, hundreds of volunteers and villagers in this rural town create rice field art by planting four different varieties of rice in late May across huge swathes of paddy fields in special patterns. Let’s have a look at some of the truly AMAZING works of rice crop art in Inakadate (and beyond).
In a salute to luxury brand Chanel, artist Tetsuya Noguchi has created some concept samurai armour suits designed to appeal to the fashion-conscious warrior. Made from resin, cashew lacquer, cloth and glass, the exquisitely crafted protective suits sport the iconic double-C logo, allowing the wearer to flaunt his superior social status while crushing the enemy on the battlefield.
“Collectible Erasers” sounds like an oxymoron to most people outside Japan, but in the Land of The Rising Sun (or Rising Fun in this case) these are hot collectibles for those who are in and out of school. They are literally too cool for school.
Take a look at the above dimsum set for example. The fine detailing extends to individual grains of fried rice and four sets of chopsticks!
The sushi, snack food and cake erasers have to be seen to be believed. They look so good you’ll be tempted to take a bite, so don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Chances are good that even if you know only a little about Japan, you would have heard of Hello Kitty.
The fictional feline character from Sanrio is Japan’s answer (and eternal nemesis?) to Disneyland’s Mickey Mouse. And like Mickey Mouse, the merchandise range brandishing the Hello Kitty image is enormous.
This time around, Dr. Romanelli (trendy streetwear and fashion designer), Sanrio, and Medicom Toy Co, have come together to release three limited vinyl figures in the “Anatomy” series.
One thing you have to love about Japan is the way its manga/anime culture permeates into normal everyday life. From the life-sized Gundam in Odaiba to the futuristic Himiko watercraft in Tokyo Bay (we’ll look at both of these soon), you can’t help but be bombarded with anime-inspired paraphernalia everywhere you go.
Take this computer mouse by Elecom for example. It has styling and design cues straight from the pages of “Ghost in the Shell” or “Metal Gear Solid“. But it’s all not just style and no substance.
Welcome to Manga Monday, where I’ll introduce you to a manga series I’ve read and loved in the past. If you’re not clear on just what manga is, the Wikipedia entry would be the best overview – but in simplest terms, manga is the term for Japanese comic books.
First up is Beck, the story of ‘Koyuki’, a young boy who takes up the guitar after saving an odd-looking dog – Beck – from some neighbourhood kids. Beck’s owner, Ryusuke, is a young American-Japanese guitarist in a rock band, and to Koyuki, it’s just the change his self-described boring life needs.
To put it simply, Shinichi Maruyama hurls black India ink into water (or vice versa) and photographs the millisecond that these two liquids collide.
Maruyama takes full advantage of a recent advancement in strobe light technology which can record physical events faster than the naked eye can perceive them – 1/7500th of a second, in fact.
In the series Kusho, which means “writing in the sky,” Maruyama’s goal is to arrest in space and time the sublime intersection of two different media before they merge into one.
Whilst many people outside Japan are familiar with Anime (Japanese animation), Manga (Japanese graphic novels/comics) and Doramas (Televised Japanese dramas), Japanese films are often a hit and miss affair.
I stumbled upon Goemon whilst I was flying home from Tokyo last September. I was familiar with Kazuaki Kiriya’s earlier film, Casshern, which is about one hour too long and 50 plots too many.
Despite that, it was achingly stylish. Think Bleach or Naruto meets Final Fantasy (the game, not the awful one off movie). So with some reservation, but in the Australian spirit of mateship, I gave Goemon a… go.
Thin mikromowell silk-screened carton sleeve with laser-cut Tiger motif
Onitsuka Tiger is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year – an event of major significance in Japan.
‘Made of Japan’ is the beautiful end result of the journey: 260 achingly beautiful pages presenting the brand’s original sports heritage, its vision and evolution, and its influence as a style icon amongst fashion leaders, artists, athletes and sports fans around the world. Only 250 of these are in existence!
“Collectible Erasers” sounds like an oxymoron to most people outside Japan, but in the Land of The Rising Sun (or Rising Fun in this case) these are hot collectibles for those who are in and out of school. They are literally too cool for school.
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