Archive for January, 2008

Caught this on the way out of the subway on my last day in Tokyo.  Not quite an Otl Aicher caliber piece, but good nonetheless. (caveat: I color corrected it a bit to give it a more muted vibe….couldn’t resist)

Waiting to leave Tokyo for Bangkok right now.  It’s been a great time here in Japan, went by too fast.  Went to the Tsukiji fish Market early this morning (3am) and got a lot of pics.  Will be posting them as soon as I have a chance.  The above image is from the side of a truck in Azubu-Juban, it’s a sticker saying something about fighting crime I believe. While I am sure Thailand has a lot of visual beauty in store, I will definitely miss the non-stop display of design superiority that is Tokyo.

Broker / Dealer is a San Francisco based duo now recording for Ghostly International.  They also seem to be one of the most under appreciated bands I know of.  They released their debut album "Initial Public Offering" in 2003 on Asphodel (SF) and it seems to have stayed just a bit below the radar ever since. I have been loving this album since that time and it’s been a big influence on my own music over the years. Not unlike the Field record, I have found this album serves as a great backdrop for the vibe of Tokyo. Here’s a couple tracks to whet your appetite.

Broker / Dealer – Initial Public Offering

[audio:cantbelieve.mp3]

On a Claire Day

[audio:claire.mp3]

The official registration page for the ISO50 Workshop in Stockholm, Sweden on January 25th is now up.  Go here to register!

Was walking around Tokyo last night listening to music and took note of the songs I gravitated towards.  In spite of the less-than-inspiring cover art, I really enjoyed listening to this album and particularly enjoyed this standout track.  A very nice soundtrack to the futuristic utopia that is Tokyo.

The Field – From Here We Go Sublime – "Everyday"

[audio:everyday.mp3]

 
Some more wonderfully designed signage from Tokyo.  Most of these were taken in the Harojuku area, a few are from Shibuya.   The type and design of the subway system is incredible, so well thought out.  More to come….

My friend Paul used to live here in Tokyo so yesterday we met up with his friend Ena who showed us around some new parts of the city.  We went to the shopping district in Harojuku then to the temple there.  All sorts of great stuff to look at.  We ended up in Shibuya at this tiny bar that only sat 5 people.  I am not sure of the name of the area, but on some back alley in Shibuya there is a row of these little bars apparently all built very quickly after the war. I have to say Harojuku has been my favorite part of the trip thus far.

The typography in Tokyo is absolutely incredible.  Everywhere you look you’ll find great examples of type usage. The images above are just a random sampling, mostly from the Roppongi Hills area of Azubu-Juban Tokyo. I wish I had more time to take some better shots with film, but I’ve been using my Nikon digital for quick posting.  I will try to get the Lomo out in the coming days, it seems to be the only camera I can get consistently good results with.

Today we hit the Roppongi Hills area of Azubu-Juban in Tokyo.  There’s a great contemporary art museum there and the Mori Tower which has an excellent view of the city from the top floor.  There were all sorts of great examples of design and also the weirdest pair of pants ever made available for sale (see above). We had lunch at "Freshness Burger", a spot my friend Paul recommended. It definitely lived up to the hype, try to get there if you’re ever in Tokyo. 

Great poster from Pink Ponk’s Flickr via FFFFOUND. Sadly I myself won’t be doing much skiing this season though.