If you have even the slightest interest in all things textile, the first thing you do after you step off the plane in Japan is make a beeline for the Nuno store. It’s a treasure trove of cutting-edge fabrics designed by Reiko Sudo, the creative mastermind (and all-around warm and generous person) who has spentContinueContinue reading “Making Nuno Textiles: The best Japanese fabric art exhibition EVER”
Category Archives: Just…Beautiful
Alt Cherry
This spring has been hella cold and rainy, so not only did the cherry blossoms bloom a week late, everyone’s selfies in front of the pinkness feature brave smiles hunched in Seattle-worthy raingear. Which is why we need to be cheered by the pink pleasures of hanami season that don’t give a fig for theContinueContinue reading “Alt Cherry”
Eye Candy from the Tokyo Kimono Show 2024
If you think that “kimono fashion” is something that went out when samurai stopped roaming the streets, think again! Not only is modern kimono dressing alive and well, the annual Tokyo Kimono Show is where designers showcase their latest innovations. This year’s special exhibit was a rare chance to see Heian period robes (from whenContinueContinue reading “Eye Candy from the Tokyo Kimono Show 2024”
Art with a side of quirk
Tokyo Art Fair checks all the Serious International Art Exhibition boxes, but this year’s artists went above and beyond in displaying that unique Japanese mix of fabulous craftsmanship and quirky worldview. Like Tetsuya Noguchi’s spoof on famous Western general statues and portraits of wealthy worthies… “Ring and Man” and “The Light of 2024” by TetsuyaContinueContinue reading “Art with a side of quirk”
These weeping plums will make you smile
There are other reasons to come to Japan in February, but basking in the goodness of weeping plum trees in full bloom is reason enough to say TAKE MY MONEY. Nowhere are they more glorious than at Soga Bairin, a plum-growing region just a short train ride from Tokyo in Odawara. If you really wantContinueContinue reading “These weeping plums will make you smile”
A flowery splash of an exhibition at Tokyo Node
The new Tokyo Node site is attempting to bring a little life and culture to the stark and soaring new office/mall complex at Toranomon Hills, and this Mika Ninagawa exhibition at first seems hellbent on going just as extreme in the other direction. The poster for her “Eternity in a Moment” exhibition suggests it’s goingContinueContinue reading “A flowery splash of an exhibition at Tokyo Node”
Old skool Japanese illuminations are the most beautiful of all
One of the things I love about the nighttime light displays in Japan is that they’re not “holiday lights” that become obsolete the minute Santa and his reindeer are yesterday’s news, they’re “winter illuminations” that light up the long nights from the beginning of November to the end of February. And even though Japan’s cutting-edgeContinueContinue reading “Old skool Japanese illuminations are the most beautiful of all”
Art brings light into the chilly heart of Toranomon
All the usual glowing things are joined by some unexpected guests! Gazing up at Tokyo Tower from the perpetual construction zone at street level around Toranomon Hills delivers a first glimpse of the art that’s breathing a little life into the stark and chilly office towers of Tokyo’s newest mega-office complex. Seven delightful sculptures areContinueContinue reading “Art brings light into the chilly heart of Toranomon”
In Yokohama, new year’s is lit!
If basking in the glow of a giant multifaceted cube that’s illuminated by an ever-changing light show is on your bingo card for the new year, get thee to Yokohama right now, because you’ll never see a more illuminating sight. The Yorunoyo nighttime light-up extravaganza is all along the waterfront in Yokohama through January 4,ContinueContinue reading “In Yokohama, new year’s is lit!”
Be wowed by all the mega-illumination crowd-pleasers without leaving Tokyo!
Tokyo Mega-Illumi is back! It’s got all the crowd pleasers of more remote illuminations displays but is just a two-minute walk from Ōi-keibajō-mae Tokyo Monorail station. As a veteran of scouting illuminations displays—from the in-town twinklers to the far afield—I can vouch for the fact that the Mega-Illumi designers really did pick the best ofContinueContinue reading “Be wowed by all the mega-illumination crowd-pleasers without leaving Tokyo!”
Where there be dragons
If dragons are on your fantasy bucket list, get thee to Ryōanji temple in Kyoto and feast your eyes on these beauties! From now through March 31, 2023, the legendary lizards take over Ryōanji temple in Kyoto, and they do not disappoint! Imagine having a real live dragon to bork at burglars! Or one thatContinueContinue reading “Where there be dragons”
Jazz Age kimonos to die for
If you’re in Tokyo right now, drop what you’re doing and hightail it to this kimono exhibit at the Yayoi-Yumiji Museum! There are two floors of fabulous 1920s-1950s kimono ensembles on display, each more swoon-worthy than the last. If this museum were a shop, I’d want to buy them ALL! The unifying theme of thisContinueContinue reading “Jazz Age kimonos to die for”
Minoru Nomata: Paintings of an achingly lovely apocalypse
In this fabulous Minoru Nomata restrospective, the paintings in the very first room are already asking the questions that only grow more pointed and subtle over the course of his career… Building or landscape? “Land-Escape 1” 1992 Construction or destruction? “Nowhere-1” 1993 Past or future? “Land-Escape 12” 1992 And then you look closer, and wonderContinueContinue reading “Minoru Nomata: Paintings of an achingly lovely apocalypse”
Roppongi Art Night Returns!
“White Wings” by Close-Act Theater (Netherlands) Originally conceived as art from all over the world that goes on all night long, Roppongi Art Night returned for the first time in four years with a small—but choice!—fanfare of art and performances. The show-stealer was the “White Wings” production by a troupe from the Netherlands, whose divaContinueContinue reading “Roppongi Art Night Returns!”
TeamLab’s magical rainbow acorn forest
The permanent TeamLab installation at Higashi-Tokorozawa’s Musashino Woods Park features the exact same mildly-interesting, mirrored, schmoo-shaped things they have at TeamLab Planets… …but at night they will Cinderella your socks off! These mirrored “acorns” glow from within, but also reflect the colors of the lit-up foliage around them. Here’s the same view a few secondsContinueContinue reading “TeamLab’s magical rainbow acorn forest”
Where to see the best wisteria in Tokyo 2023!
You haven’t seen wisteria until you’ve ogled the giant purple vines of Tokyo. Not only is each plant astoundingly huge and lush with garlands of blooms, the streamers of flowers can be nearly a meter long! Here are my favorite places to see them in Tokyo: NISHIARAI DAISHI TEMPLE This year is the first timeContinueContinue reading “Where to see the best wisteria in Tokyo 2023!”
Sakura Night Garden
For the entire month of April 2023, the glorious cherry trees of Shinjuku Gyouen National Garden are lit up in ever-changing colors, turning Tokyo’s grandest park into a springtime wonderland. I went early in the month, so the crowd was hanami-huge, but it didn’t feel crowded because the area that’s lit up is so massive.ContinueContinue reading “Sakura Night Garden”
The crazy hair art show
What does a fashion house do when they want to make an upworthy statement that doesn’t stop at the edges of the garment? They hire a hair artist like Katsuya Kamo. Kamo’s creations went so far beyond haircuts… they’re sometimes closer to taxidermy… or sculpture… or masks… or crowns. The “Kamo Head: Katsuya Kamo WorksContinueContinue reading “The crazy hair art show”
Tokyo Kimono Show: Feast your eyes on THESE beauties
The Tokyo Kimono Show returned last weekend, and the fabulous new kimono coordinations have never been more inspiring. Rows upon rows of mannequins displayed the stylish offerings of designers from all over Japan… …and they were skillfully set up so they could be appreciated from front and back Some designers took the opportunity to styleContinueContinue reading “Tokyo Kimono Show: Feast your eyes on THESE beauties”
Cherry Blossom Planets
The fabulous TeamLab Planets site gets a pink makeover for cherry blossom season! Between March 1 and April 31, instead of wading among the fish and flowers like this… …you can submerge your ankles in a sea of koi and petals like this! Like the usual immersive digital pond, the music and animation start withContinueContinue reading “Cherry Blossom Planets”
Floating flowers are taking over Japan this spring
Hanachōzu at the Gyōda Hachiman Shrine In Japan, too many flowers is just enough, especially when it comes to hanachōzu! The latest fashion for excess splendor started at shrines that fill their purifying mizu-chōzuya (“hand washing water place”) with a mix of spring blooms and colorful floating balls… Hanachōzu at Kawagoe Hachimangu …but it grewContinueContinue reading “Floating flowers are taking over Japan this spring”
Luck meets art at the most delightful Girls Day exhibit ever
Cross your fingers and rub your rabbit’s foot, because we are about to venture into an exhibit where luck meets art and, well, THIS is what might result… “Lucky Subjects and Symbols in Japanese Art” is a delightful surprise of an exhibit, not least because it sounds like the driest of academic takes on theContinueContinue reading “Luck meets art at the most delightful Girls Day exhibit ever”
How to grow a Japanese snow monster
Everyone who spends any time on the interwebz has seen the Snow Monsters of Zao—evergreen trees that become so enrobed in snow and ice that they stop looking like trees and start looking like something that goes bump in the night. The ads for the ski resort usually look like this: Thank you Good LuckContinueContinue reading “How to grow a Japanese snow monster”
The fourteen best places in Tokyo to see plum blossoms in bloom
The plum trees are going to be at peak bloom this weekend—here are my favorite places to see them! • YUSHIMA SHRINE This is one of the most beautiful shrines in Tokyo, and it not only has a ton of plum trees, it has a festival to celebrate them the whole month of February, withContinueContinue reading “The fourteen best places in Tokyo to see plum blossoms in bloom”
TeamLab x Galaxy: Catch & release rare sea creatures without getting your toes wet
How do you sell a phone that will set your Japanese customers back over *cough, cough* ¥150,000 (about $1,100 USD)? Well, first, you hire TeamLab to build you a killer undersea digital environment… https://videopress.com/v/Xs0I1Hqg?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true then you hand visitors your want-worthiest model… and set them loose to catch and release all kinds of rare sea creatures.ContinueContinue reading “TeamLab x Galaxy: Catch & release rare sea creatures without getting your toes wet”
Epic Japanese Cake Show: Part 1
No Japanese apartment comes equipped with an oven. That shocked me, until I stopped to think about it, and realized not a single traditional Japanese dish requires baking. Which doesn’t keep them from being some of the most skilled bakers in the world. Like the fiber artists of the Tokyo International Quilt Festival, the pastryContinueContinue reading “Epic Japanese Cake Show: Part 1”
Yes, all these origami cranes were folded from ONE sheet of paper
Paula Pietranera, “Stillness in Movement” I don’t know about you, but I have to lie down and rest after wrestling one square of origami paper into a crane, let alone folding hundreds, none bigger than a quarter and all connected because they’re made from a single sheet of paper! What sorcery is this? (Paula Pietranera,ContinueContinue reading “Yes, all these origami cranes were folded from ONE sheet of paper”
Art Aquarium Lives!
If Japan had a shrine dedicated to goldfish, the new Art Aquarium Museum would be it. It’s fitting that as you enter the new, permanent home of my favorite summer event, you really feel like you’re stepping into another dimension, a world where goldfish are elevated to art… Countless varieties of fancy fish are displayedContinueContinue reading “Art Aquarium Lives!”
Japan’s borders are finally opening! When are YOU going?
After two and a half looong years, the Japanese government finally announced that from October 11, 2022, you don’t have to be on a tour or book your tickets through a Japanese travel agent or get a visa, as long as you can prove you are vaccinated and boosted!* If you’ve been itching to goContinueContinue reading “Japan’s borders are finally opening! When are YOU going?”
Uber Dandy Kimono: Wildly modern, breathtakingly bold, insanely stunning
Tia Oguri is so fabulous I can’t even I’ve been a fan of the divine Tia Oguri since long before she began designing kimono with traditional African fabrics, because her kimono styling has always been out-of-this-world fresh and exciting. Her latest venture, though, is pure WOW. Take a look at her Uber Dandy Kimono designs,ContinueContinue reading “Uber Dandy Kimono: Wildly modern, breathtakingly bold, insanely stunning”
Amazing scenes emerge as you use this notepad
The Japanese design firm Triad just released one of the most Japanese products ever: the Hogwarts Castle notepad. Wait, that’s not Japanese! But…it is. The latest design in a series of notepads that reveal 3-D scenes as each piece of paper is peeled away happens to be Hogwarts Castle, but the idea of creating threeContinueContinue reading “Amazing scenes emerge as you use this notepad”
These lovely Tokyo sites light up at night
One of the most entertaining things you can do in Tokyo is wander around the city after the sun goes down, if you know where to look. The wizards of stagecraft have worked their magic all over town, and all kinds of interesting stuff lights up after dark, in dramatic and technologically inventive ways. AndContinueContinue reading “These lovely Tokyo sites light up at night”
Five Japanese flower seasons that will make you happy you missed the cherry blossoms
If you have to postpone your Japan trip and miss the cherry blossoms this spring, don’t despair! There are other flower seasons you can catch after the current contagion dies down that deliver just as much flowers-as-far-as-the-eye-can-see amazement, without the crowds. If eye-popping flowers are what you’re longing to see, here are my five favorites,ContinueContinue reading “Five Japanese flower seasons that will make you happy you missed the cherry blossoms”
Feast Your Eyes On This: A Shop Full Of Taisho, Meiji & Showa Era Kimonos
Whoa, is that a Meissen silk…? ga-ZINGGGG! Today I was beelining toward a garden, through a neighborhood I never visit, when I was stopped cold by the kimono lovers’ equivalent of Aladdin’s Cave. Your nose would have been glued the glass too, if you’d spotted this many brilliant & pristine Meissen silk kimonos in oneContinueContinue reading “Feast Your Eyes On This: A Shop Full Of Taisho, Meiji & Showa Era Kimonos”
Spring Arrives Early: Flowers by Naked 2020
Just when you’re beginning to long for spring but it’s still shivery and damp and gray outside…Flowers By Naked arrives! The projection-mapping environment group Naked is staging its annual flower-themed extravaganza again for the whole month of February, so hop on over there and get a dose of spring fever. This year’s theme is “Sakura”ContinueContinue reading “Spring Arrives Early: Flowers by Naked 2020”
If You Miss The 2020 Tokyo International Quilt Festival You Will Have REGRETS
This one is from last year, but you can be sure there will be equally fantastic offerings in 2020! (“Memories” by Reiko Hatakeyama, 2019) I won’t be in town for the Tokyo International Quilt Festival next week <sob!> but if you are, go. The hundreds of quilts on display will be world-class quality, and youContinueContinue reading “If You Miss The 2020 Tokyo International Quilt Festival You Will Have REGRETS”
Kimono Princess For A Day!
Ever since I discovered that one of the most inspiring kimono stylists I know offers private tour and photo sessions, I’ve been dying to swan around Tokyo in a gorgeous ensemble, styled down to the last deco bracelet by modern kimono maven Anji Salz. (If you don’t already follow @salztokyo on Instagram, check these photosContinueContinue reading “Kimono Princess For A Day!”
At The Mori Museum: 3D-Printed Sushi & Other Glimpses Of The Future
The Mori Museum’s current exhibit, Future and the Arts: AI, Robotics, Cities, Life – How Humanity Will Live Tomorrow pushes all my favorite buttons: food, fashion & WTF! It’s a satisfyingly huge show, with installations ranging from utopian plans that harness cutting-edge tech, to darker commentary on how we’ll use technology to evolve in a worldContinueContinue reading “At The Mori Museum: 3D-Printed Sushi & Other Glimpses Of The Future”
Where To See The Best Holiday Illuminations In Tokyo 2019!
The frenzy of building bigger, newer, better illuminations with which to charm shoppers during the holiday season has died back a bit in Tokyo, but there are still plenty of amazing free displays, if you know where to look! Here are my must-sees for 2019: • New for 2019! HIBIYA MIDTOWN This is the firstContinueContinue reading “Where To See The Best Holiday Illuminations In Tokyo 2019!”
Where To See The Best Autumn Leaves In Tokyo…Lit Up At Night!
The hot new trend of holiday illuminations in Tokyo has spread to the gardens and parks, with more and more lighting up their naturally spectacular autumn leaves and opening for special evening viewing! Here are my current favorites: • SHOWA KINEN PARK near Tachikawa Station There are two areas lit up at night: 1: TheContinueContinue reading “Where To See The Best Autumn Leaves In Tokyo…Lit Up At Night!”
Killer Chrysanthemums 2019
It’s that time of year again, when the chrysanthemum wranglers of Tokyo liberate their flower-of-choice from ragtag funeral bouquets and show the world they can hold their own with far more glamorous blooms! Here’s what’s new for 2019: • YUSHIMA TENJIN SHRINE It’s hard to argue that this isn’t the must-see chrysanthemum diorama every year.ContinueContinue reading “Killer Chrysanthemums 2019”
The Most Beautiful Autumn Leaves In Japan
Last fall on this exact day, I was ogling some of the most gorgeous autumn leaves in Japan, and I’ve been WAITING for the season to roll around again, so I can show you! All these places are within shouting distance of Tokyo, but while the leaves are still maddeningly green in the city, they’reContinueContinue reading “The Most Beautiful Autumn Leaves In Japan”
Smart Illumination Yokohama 2019: WOW
This year, there were fewer artworks at the Yokohama Smart Illuminations, but the ones on exhibit were SO worth seeing! Or – more accurately – worth DOING. Because this year the participation element was front and center, and quite a few of them required serious athletic juice from the audience to power them. When IContinueContinue reading “Smart Illumination Yokohama 2019: WOW”
Insanely Detailed Sculptures Made From Japanese Snack Packages
Generations of small boys have fantasized about becoming mighty cyborgs while scarfing Bisco cookies From the nation of insane Japanese modelmakers, this. The artist known as “Karabako Shokunin Harukiru” (That’s “Empty Box Craftsman Harukiru” to you), snips and folds and glues the unlikely medium of Japanese snack food boxes into unbelievably intricate sculptures, and rightContinueContinue reading “Insanely Detailed Sculptures Made From Japanese Snack Packages”
Tokyo Cake Show: So Gorgeous, So Japanese
How can you tell a professional baking conference is in Tokyo? Because among the fantasy wedding cakes, there’s a Shinto shrine wedding, complete with marzipan bride and groom. From the roof tiles, to the torii gate tunnel, it’s pretty clear that this loving couple isn’t getting married in Winchester Cathedral That pink cake is 100%ContinueContinue reading “Tokyo Cake Show: So Gorgeous, So Japanese”
Dahlia Bonanza At The Toshogu Shrine
Every fall, this exquisitely curated exhibition happens at the Toshogu Shrine in Ueno Park, at the same place that hosts the eye-popping peony specimens in May. This “garden” only exists for a few weeks every year, when the patiently nurtured dahlias are coaxed into bloom by their owners and brought to the shrine Each plantContinueContinue reading “Dahlia Bonanza At The Toshogu Shrine”
Jazz Age Paintings Of Beautiful Women And The Real Kimonos They Were Wearing
If you love kimono – and especially if you love Taisho and Showa-age kimono – don’t miss this exhibition! Right now, the Yayoi-Yumeji Museum – where over 3,000 of artist/illustrator Takehisa Yumeji’s works are archived – is displaying the actual kimonos and accessories worn in his paintings, side by side. I’m a huge fan of TaishoContinueContinue reading “Jazz Age Paintings Of Beautiful Women And The Real Kimonos They Were Wearing”
3-D Goldfish Art: Wait, Those Are PAINTINGS?
Doth my eyes deceive me? Riusuke Fukahori paints 3-D goldfish so real you can’t believe they’re not wriggling. And I know you’ll find this hard to believe, but the exhibit of his work going on RIGHT NOW at the Sano Art Museum in Mishima is so astounding, that in real life, the fish look more realContinueContinue reading “3-D Goldfish Art: Wait, Those Are PAINTINGS?”
When The Gods Decide To Plant A Lotus Garden, They Don’t Mess Around
It was construction as usual in the town of Gyoda, until an excavation for a new building hit a layer of lotus plants that had been dead for thousands of years. They didn’t think much of it, until the rain came, and the ancient lotus seeds began to sprout. When the plants bloomed, the flowersContinueContinue reading “When The Gods Decide To Plant A Lotus Garden, They Don’t Mess Around”
If Only Japanese Rock Gardens Were Filled With Cooling Mist & Illuminations…
Oh. Wait. At Tokyo Midtown this summer, they are! On the lawn that hosts those amazing winter illuminations, they’ve constructed a wide wooden veranda enclosing a “rock garden,” complete with clouds of mist and a fireworks-themed lightshow. And the best part is, you can sit and dangle your feet for as long as you like,ContinueContinue reading “If Only Japanese Rock Gardens Were Filled With Cooling Mist & Illuminations…”
Only In Japan 