A few ways to go the whole dog in 2018
Cats may have surpassed dogs as pets in Japan for the first time in more than 20 years, but that hasn't stopped the nation preparing for the year of the dog with canine events and all manner of engimono lucky charms to see you ...
Now that the festive season of partying and extravagance is over, now's the time to take a breather with a return to some of the calmer things in life — tea, coffee and books.
Japanese fashion's great end to the year
With the holidays upon us, it is a season for celebration. Japan's fashion industry has its own reason to enjoy the festivities, as the ceremony for the Mainichi Fashion Grand Prix awards revealed some amazing talent on home turf. And then, we discover o-kaizome, ...
A modern answer to your home prayers
With its white latticed facade, shiny walls of glass and monochrome interior lighting, passers-by could be forgiven for assuming that Wakabayashi Butsugu is a fashion flagship or contemporary interiors store. Yet the reality is a little different, for the minimal, clean-lined space, which opened in ...
It's time to stop blocking color
Minimalist interiors have been a growing trend for many years now, primarily dominated by a monochromatic palette of white. But who says we need to abandon color to live a de-cluttered life?
Throwback time for fashion leads to innovation
As regular followers of Japanese fashion can attest, the industry can be seen as somewhat flirtatious, dallying with new debutantes, another sister brand, another collaboration, another short-term "limited shop" or another retail concept that makes the news but doesn't really change the game. It is ...
Last month saw the launch of Designart — the capital's new annual collection of exhibitions that bring together Japanese and overseas creators for collaborations on product design and objets d'art. Here are a few picks that showcase the inaugural event's embrace of color, versatility ...
Tadao Ando: When every single building is a passion project
A few simple lines on paper — that's all it was. But there was something extremely alluring about it that intrigued Tadao Ando. Then barely out of his teens, Ando might not have fully understood what he was looking at: a sketch of the chapel ...
Amazon Fashion Week Tokyo: Womenswear sees domestic designers back on home turf
The Tokyo fashion scene continues to lead the pack in fresh streetwear trends and international haute prowess.
Amazon Fashion Week Tokyo: Menswear designers take it back to the streets
The menswear collections on display at Amazon Fashion Week Tokyo in mid-October appear to be pushing irony-drenched streetwear.
The traditional kimono never goes out of style
The fusion of traditional Japanese culture with contemporary life isn't a new concept, but as trends change the results can vary greatly. On the runway, we are seeing sophisticated ideas that infuse new looks with time-honored tastes in subtle yet effective ways; while on ...
Tokyo fashion week kicks off to showcase 2018 spring/summer designs
Amazon Fashion Week Tokyo began Monday, showcasing the latest designs of some 50 global brands for the 2018 spring/summer season. A show by Yohei Ohno, a brand created by and named after a young Japanese designer who won Tokyo Fashion Award 2017, kicked off the ...
