RFID noodle ordering in Tokyo – drop your ‘ticket’ on the sensor zone on the table, and the waiter knows where to come to drop your food. Japan is just so thoughtful about these things it makes me want to pack my stuff and move there.
Some pics, for you, loyal reader… Commuting to work – these guys looked super cool as they cruised around, and seemed confused as to why I would find it strange or funny – is this the future of electric transport? Meiji Shrine – wetter than last time! Cool trains I love the Tokyo Taxis –…
Well, here I am on the design roller coaster, sipping Kirin and staring out of my immaculately clean 30th floor window at the improbably Parisian Tokyo tower, and thinking things are rather nice. Kan pai! View out to the rather camp Tokyo Tower Some station, squeezed between the buildings The story of a British Industrial…
I came away feeling like Japan is an immediately accessible place, and yet one that is completely impenetrable. If the society has a simple, immediately recognisable silhouette, then its culture is an intricate texture of patterns and forms. One of my mini personal projects was to look harder at these surfaces and textures. Just to…
Back in Tokyo, and ready to leave after a few days staying with Kaoru. This time, returning has been fantastic, but very different to last time. Whereas with the previous visit everything was new and shiny, this time I more or less knew my way around the major locations. As a result, I focussed my…
Some bikes … just for you. The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…
I managed to hold out an enormous amount of time before finally making it to Japan, and still Ele beats me to it by a few hours. But now I have broken my duck and I can be positive that I will be back here again very soon. Impressions are intense and very varied, both…
We got in late last night. Roppongi. Mark as dangerous. The area I was told not to go was of course the first destination for the CSR crew boys here. A late night and a lack of sleep did not help getting up this morning, despite Tokyo being on our door step. Indeed, it took…
A predictable title perhaps, but completely apt since the view from the hotel is completely fantastic. I am pretending that the park stretching out in front of us is the Forbidden City, and I am also pretending that the sun setting over the mountains is instead a rising sun. But who needs such imaginary worlds…