Name Name
titledescript
To us brutish North Americans, salt is just a spice that makes food taste good. To the Japanese, it carries deep symbolic meaning as an essential element for purifying body and soul during death rituals. Japanese artist Motoi Yamamoto starting making his intricate, maze-like "saltworks" after the untimely passing of his sister due to brain cancer. Traces of brain scans and......read more
You're probably familiar with sakura matsuri, the cherry blossom festival that takes over Japan every spring. But did you know about fuji matsuri, its wisteria counterpart that happens around the same time? Well, we didn't, but now that we do, we're much happier thank you very much. These photos were shot at the Kawachi Fuji Garden, about a four hour drive from Tokyo, which......read more
Born in eastern Canada, Murray Carter traveled to Japan at the age of 18, a move that changed his life forever. There, a chance encounter at a knife shop led to a six-year apprenticeship with a Master Bladesmith. After a six-year tutelage, he became the 17th generation Yoshimoto bladesmith. Today, after more than 25 years learning the craft, he runs Carter Cutlery on the outskirts of......read more
Takashi Kitajima is a Tokyo-based software engineer and a talented photographer to boot. You can see his impressive image editing skills on full display in this ongoing series of photos, in which Takashi uses bokeh to render the details of Tokyo cityscapes as blurred dots of light. The images were shot from high altitude overpasses and building observation decks, looking down upon the city's......read more
When we think of Japan, the first image that comes to our heads is the urban frenzy of Tokyo, lights crashing and shimmering across the megapolis. But there is of course a quieter, more rural side of Japan, and photographer Tatsuyasu Watanabe captures it beautifully in images on film. Watanabe, whose photos we spotted on the OEN (currently offline getting revamped), is a trained architect who......read more
It's hard to describe the intoxicating thrill that comes with a visit to Japan. Luckily we don't have to, thanks to Australian filmmaker David Parkinson, who recently visited the country with his girlfriend and put together this gorgeous, evocative video documenting their trip. Set to Message To Bears’ plodding remix of Bon Iver’s "Holocene," Parkinson takes us on an intimate......read more
Photographer Hidenobu Suzuki has captured the idyllic landscapes of Japan in a remarkably tranquil light. Between the quiet foggy rivers, peaceful rice fields, and twilight at Mt. Fuji, there's something for everyone who's looking for a visually relaxing utopia. "My photographs are like Japanese paintings," Suzuki explains. "Japanese like to express emotions and spiritual feelings through......read more
Japanese studio Akihisa Hirata has designed the ‘Tree-Ness House’, a multi-story complex that replicates the structure of a tree — creating an organic layering system that refutes traditional layered architecture. The firm designed this residential complex in the metropolitan area of Toshima-ku, Tokyo, with the purpose of exploring the possibilities of......read more
In our neverending quest to find the best food blogs out there, we recently came across Green Kitchen Stories, on which a Stockholm couple dish out day-to-day food stories along with vegetarian recipes using all organic ingredients. The recipes are always healthy and simple, and the photography is always stunning. Pretty much what we're looking for. With the days shortening and the nights......read more
With frosty temps, pervasive cold and flu bugs, and dry indoor air, winter creates plenty of breathing challenges. A good humidifier can be the answer for breathing easier in the cooler months, but the typical design is boring and bulky and can leave your sense of style congested. Enter the sleek, teardrop-shaped Middle Colors Humidifier by Japanese designer Takashi Hiroshi Tsuboi. Available......read more
