Tokyo Designers Week and the long weekend
3rd November. Exhibitions
Holiday here. Tokyo was crazier with all the design exhibitions this weekend. Designers Week, 100% Design, Design Tide and Swedish Style (Continuing till 15th i think). Decided to checkout Designers week at Jingu Gaien Garden (near Shinanomachi St.) Atmosphere was refreshing and crazy with talent screaming for attention. Specially Designboom had pulled together an excellent bunch of designers from all over the world in 100% Tokyo Design tent. Outside on the ground there were two rows of 40 foot shipping containers filled with more talent. Between the rows were the work from students of Japanese design academies. And could have got a iTatoo if I had my powerbook with me.
So where are the pictures? Um, I lost my camera somewhere in the hassle. If you happen to find a red Konica Minolta Dimage with pictures of Sri Lankan food and some crazy dudes dancing in it, that’s mine!
All in all exhibition was an excellent start to autumn, though it left me thinking “How many of designs actually solve a real problem” . Now don’t ask my why a design should solve anything at all.
4th November. Onsen
Saturday, The onsen (hot spring) day. Kato san finally decided to do something with his, never-washed-since-seeing-factory-exit car. So we ended up in a place called Sagamihara in the wild, though the plan was to drive to Hakone. It was the best outdoor onsen I have been so far. Place smelled old and felt fresh. And that’s what I like.
Need to travel north in the winter. A natural outdoor hot spring in the snow would be the perfect experience.
5th November. Yoyogi Park
Spent the afternoon at Yoyogi park reading. Tree tops are turning red. People seem to feel the joy of the fall. It’s one of handful of places where people actually smile and let themselves seen in Tokyo.
Bought a postcard from “Drawing Lion”, a pastel artist from Kyoto, with a unique style and vibrant, tropical colours.