It is well-known that Japanese people are great at smoothing over potential conflicts by diffusing situations with the most subtle of gestures. Although a lot of the delicacies in language and culture often go unnoticed by the average tourist, there is one aspect that stands out clear, mascots. In Japan there is a mascot for everything. From the dog that reminds you to pick up his own poop, to the smiling bug-type-thing that is in charge of your sewage treatment facility, these cute characters smooth over flaws in a brands image by giving an instantly lovable face to the most dull of subjects.

This month, the Japan Times newspaper [ link ] looked to the foreign community to ask for their versions of characters to represent everyday life activities from the dull to obscure. In particular, a group of illustrators and comic book artists under the name of Uzomuzo 有象無象 [ link ] responded with a series of great answers to the call for entries. See the other entries here: [ link ]

Hosted at the famous Tokuzo Live House, the 20 Jijo Art Show (20の二乗) brings together a gathering of experimental artists and musicians in unique and engaging live performances. The premise of the evening limits each performance to a total of twenty separate, twenty second long segments. Each segment incorporates a live performance or projection accompanied by a live musical performance. As each artist’s piece is performed, the abstracted duet comes together as an original performance incorporating both creator’s work in a melding of the visual and audio experience. The evening is accompanied by a diverse group of viewers ranging from local artists and creatives to those intrigued by the event’s constant evolutionary performing art.

The event’s history is well-grounded throughout Japan with collector’s clubs traveling from all over the country to take part. Live DJ’s joined the stage with a variety of artists painting on large canvases, helping to set the creative mood with complementary imagery. Most of the collectors make a yearly mecca to the States to get up to speed on recent trends and new collectibles, bringing back the most coveted goods to the “Island of the Rising Sun”.

Speaking to the hosts of the event, it was clear that American culture continues to have a huge impact in the world of vinyl toy collecting in Japan. The spirit of “Americana” was alive and well as eager patrons dove into tubs full of objects from the obscurest McDonald’s Happy Meal Toy to the well-known Rat Fink collectible. Each guest contently walking away with a handful of childhood memories and a lighter wallet.

Fixies, brakeless, fixed gear, track bicycles, name your choice, with gas prices on the up and pay checks diminishing, this unique type of bicycle is here to stay.

Often referred to as “those bikes with no brakes” in Japan, fixed geared bicycles have awoken from a hundred year slumber to become the most popular way to get around town. Once upon a time, they were the only type of bicycles available before the invention of the “freewheel” which allowed cyclist to coast and the wheels to spin independent of the pedals. Much in contrast to the fixed geared bicycle, which has its wheels and pedals connected by a fixed rear cog. This means when the wheels turn the pedals follow suit allowing the rider to slow the bicycle down or bring it to a skid using leg resistance. This unique setup allows for a distinct riding style that incorporates maneuvers that include “track stands,” where a rider brings the bicycle to a stop without dismounting, and the ability to ride backwards.

In Japan, the fixed gear trend is alive and well, although it has taken a few years to get things up the speed. By 2008, select shops began popping up in major cities offering a variety of high-end NJS (Nihon Jitensha Shinkōkai 日本自転車振興会, lit. Japan Bicycle Promotion Association) track bike parts to enthusiasts and professional riders. Japan, as the holy grail country of the rider’s sport, is often highlighted for its Keirin racing, a distinct form of track bicycle racing where betting is encouraged in a similar fashion to a horse race.

Japan has always been a country where bicycles out-number cars, and is known for its two-wheel accessibility and beautiful trails. The classic Mama-chari is still the staple mode of transport for grandma and high schooler alike. However, as fixed gear riding began to rise in popularity, the purest bicycle quickly became a fashion statement. Small shops importing clothes and gear from overseas saturated the market with “premium” non-NJS track bicycles that began to move in large volumes. Much in contrast to the late 90′s where used NJS track-ready frames could be picked up for a few hundred dollars, nowadays they go for upwards of 500,000 JPY (about 5000 USD).

Naturally, with sports-derived trends involving equipment that requires skill to operate, a range of legal and controversial issues surrounded the track bike as they began to make their way onto the street. First and foremost, the fixed gear road bike is not optimized for urban road racing or riding with traffic. Although purist might say otherwise, these type of vehicles must be maniuplated and handled with extreme caution in order to avoid injury to oneself or other pedistrians and drivers. Because of this fact, many novice riders find themselves in between a curb and a hard place when their inexperience turns into road rash. Although often fitted with one brake for the front wheel, the braking power compared to a properly brake-fitted bicycle drops by almost 70 percent. Not to mention that in hazardous conditions such as rain or a chain malfunction, the rider’s ability to control the bike is reduced to almost zero.

Because of these various cautions and dangers while riding a fixed geared bicycle, Japanese police have begun to crack down on riders sporting their brand new “track bikes” with less than ample braking. Especially cracking down on reckless riding and adhering full responsibility for the rider in the case of an accident where they are found to have an ill-equipped bicycle.

Unlike most trends in Japan that come and go with the seasons, it looks like track-style riding is here to stay as the sleekest way to get around town. Much akin to skateboarding and BMX riding, the sport has quickly become the next big thing in extreme sports. As Japanese presence continues to grow on the international scene, riders such as Teppei “Nasty” Iwabuchi And Yuhei “Marco” Hirose (see YouTube video below) are representing their own unique trick variation style on the world stage.

Living in Japan, the Prius, and its close-but-no-cigar cousin the Honda Insight are a more common sight than convenient stores. Although these frequent sightings may have dulled the initial interest from their first launch, they have largely made alternative energy fuels mainstream and effectively paved the way for next generation vehicles. That being said, the Leaf is the first vehicle of its kind in the last seven years to make a significant, global impact on the applicable technologies in use with automobiles.

A few days ago I had the chance to sit in on a test drive with the new Nissan Leaf, a moment that I had been looking forward to for months before hand. As the car finally rolled up the one way street, it was clear that the experience that would follow would be one to remember.

From the very first point of contact with the Leaf, everything felt surprisingly…like a car. If anything, from the weight of the door, down to the comfortable positioning in the cabin felt nothing short of high-end compact vehicle. Now of course, there was no leather trim or wooden panels in sight (in my opinion a plus), but every touch point in the vehicle was completely appropriate down to its plastic finishes on the dash and console. Having both ridden in and driven a variety of eco-cars, there is always the preconception that something has to be sacrificed in the driving experience. Low-priced, compact vehicles have always lacked in the areas of comfort and performance, while modern hybrid vehicles reek of “tried-and-true but tired-and-through” design language. However, the next few moments in the Nissan Leaf would change my opinion on the future of electric vehicles indefinitely.

Doing my homework before hand, I found the Lithium-ion batteries placed in the floorboard where completely discreet. No odd bumps or creative enclosures compromised the cabin space in anyway leading me to wonder if there really was a stockpile of power underneath. Giving the batteries a good stretch, the 100% torque from 0rpm was an overwhelming experience that seemed to surprise everyone but the car. No clicks, shifts or bucks. Just 100% motor to the front wheels and smiles all around. After a few laps around the city that proved the car’s ability to perform, attention was turned to the interface and interior.

Directly behind the steering wheel lies a traditional information panel, with a not so traditional interface. Naturally, the Leaf’s unique driving experience comes with an equally cutting-edge, interactive display. Behind the steering wheel, the symmetrical graphic interface gives you a clear reading of the car’s status from battery percentage to range. Although the system is still far from a precise calculation, it does its best to predict how the driving style and external conditions will impact the vehicle’s performance and range of about 160km (100mi). Moving laterally to the navigation system, the vehicle is base equipped with a GPS system that includes service to Nissan’s CARWINGS Data Center to utilize its mapping system for quick charge and service areas in proximity. Also Equipped with an onboard cellular phone and Bluetooth services, the driver is never but a call away from the technical support center or emergency services. However, one of the most interesting functions included in the system is the ability to access and customize the vehicle’s charging system when docked to set custom charging times, alerts, and even precondition the vehicle’s climate control from any Internet accessible device.

At the end of the day it was clear that the Nissan Leaf is a first attempt done right. As it stands with all early adopted technology, there is always an opportunity for improvement and growth. However as the completely electric, san-tailpipe, wonder machine begins paving its own path, Nissan will continue to reap the benefits of its latest and greatest project.

Muji’s most recent campaign focuses a new series of its product line under the theme “いつももしも” or “Always Just in Case.” Utilizing a mix of both previously stocked and newly released items, “Itsumo Moshimo” aims to help its users for those just-in-case situations where being prepared is the difference between a smooth day and one that catches you off guard. The new series hopes to promote safety and hygiene products sold in complementary sets including those aimed towards natural disasters such as the recent earthquake. The company even went as far as to partner up with NPO’s to help promote disaster prevention and first aid tips.

The illustrated character that accompanies this new campaign outlines the variety of issues Muji has addressed from helping you stay fit to making sure you are never out of reach of life’s little necessities. Riding on the company’s market strength in storage solution products, the company has used the new line to launch new basins and unit systems to help its customers get some organization back into their lives.

Mr. Kawaoka Norihiko’s resume is not one to be taken lightly. One glance over a few of his accomplishments is all it takes to recognize that he has a well-honed global view of the automotive market and its affects on economic and ecologic scales. Trained as an product designer, he walked the audience through years of history and development in his career as a designer for Mazda throughout the late 1960′s, to working with General Motors through the 1970′s. Leading up to his current status as a designer and university professor, his work with multiple companies including Suzuki helped to firmly establish product ideation on the cutting-edge of automotive design.

Good design speaks as many languages as it needs to in order for it to be enjoyed from the start of its lifecycle until its end. Although every discipline has its own take on what defines the language they communicate with, there is always a common playing field that speaks to the idea of universal design. The idea of universal design is its ability to be enjoyed and accessible to its users. When cost and distribution limit this characteristic, a well designed product gives users the choice to access a part of the experience on multiple levels.

In relation to a two-way conversation, a product should give just enough information about its function for the user to enjoy the art of discovery on their own. It is the gratification of finding that “hidden pocket” in a new bag only to discover a forgotten twenty dollar bill inside.

The Flat-pack case was designed to address the needs of bicycle messengers whose space is always at a premium while working. Through both traditional and hands-on user testing, the project evolved around the storage needs for quick-access nutritional product storage. The challenge was in the demographic’s unique need for customization and independent discovery that encouraged the product to tell its own story without a set of instructions. After numerous prototypes and field testing was conducted, the final concept iteration was produced off-site through sponsorship with the LEED bag company.

In the Japanese language “eye-catching” refers to a marketing strategy of placing a product in its naturally existing environment as a means of generating interest in a new or conceptual product line. Usually executed in the fashion industry with new product launches, models are often selected to embody a brand’s aesthetic and promote the ideals in the potential market. In the case of a recent marketing campaign with Tommy Hilfiger, the “Meet the Hilfigers” campaign was promoted through such means. As part of the marketing strategy, my role as a model was to create an engaging environment using the unique experience of my multicultural background to package the brand through an approachable interaction with the Japanese market.

Throughout the three-day trial beginning with Tommy Hilfiger’s first flagship store launched in Nagoya, Japan, the project proved successful as its anticipated goals were exceeded within the first day. Customer and client reactions were also positive as well-executed market strategies were put into action through a solid launch sales staff and various incentives and giveaways. This first hand experience in approaching an advertising campaign through direct contact with consumers wholly enriched my attitude towards marketing and service design. An understanding of a new market and the unique needs of potential customers is what closes the gap between a trail run and a product launch.