Japanese Sneaker Culture

Not much into sneakers these days, but I do remember stopping by Skit in Osaka back in 2010 and having my mind blown.

Japanese Video Game Music - Documentary

Diggin' In The Carts is an amazing documentary series about Japanese video game music. The first episode is up top. The next five can be found here.

Single Brush Stroke Dragon Paintings

These Dragons with one stroke paintings are known as 'Hitofude Ryuu', and originate from a small studio called Kousyuuya in Nikko, Japan. The studio has seen four generations of master painters who have been creating these stylized dragons for decades. The process involves carefully painting an ornate dragon head with various flourishes, and then finishing the piece using a giant sumi brush in a carefully orchestrated stroke. The process has much in common with both ink wash painting and calligraphy, and similar to letterforms, the images are often repeated. Ha-mazing.

Pinched from TIC

Face Mapping

This short little video features real-time projection mapping on a Japanese models face. Holy.
Shot Alex

Piiiiics Innnnnnnn Spaaaccceeeee

Japanese botanic artist Makoto Azuma sent plants and a camera into space with the help of some helium balloons. The result is part of his latest exhibition he's titled Exbiotanica. Dope!

Japan Is Working On Its Core Strength

Japanese advertising > every other countries advertising

Check Out These Ninja Turtle Covers

Photographer S. Morita has traveled the length of Japan to document Japan's beautifully stylized manhole covers.

The original purpose to put designs on the covers was to raise awareness for the costly sewage project. That was back in 1985. Since then the Japan Society of Manhole Covers (yes, that’s a thing) says that there are almost 6000, one-off, artistic manhole covers throughout the nation.

Shot Japan, and shot for the heads up thisiscolosal.

Fake Pool

This is the swimming pool art installation in 21st Century Museum of Art, at Kanazawa Japan by artist Leandro Erlich. The top surface is filled with 4 to 5 inches of water that looks like a realistic pool. The people underneath the swimming pool can actually look above with realistic water effect on top of it. A layer of water only some 10 centimeters deep is suspended over transparent glass. Below the glass is an empty space with aquamarine walls that viewers can enter. Very well fucking done.

 

PSY's Mum Spits Some Flames

Japan, Korea. Whatevs.

Sorry About This Erotic Japanese Pop Art Thing

Keiichi Tanaami, born in 1936 in Tokyo, is one of the leading pop artists of postwar Japan, and has been active as multi-genre artist since the 1960s as a graphic designer, illustrator, video artist and fine artist.

Beer Made From Elephant Shit. Mmmmm.

America made a coffee out of cat poo a couple of years ago. Today Japan is making beer out of elephant droppings, and charging a shit-load for it. Here's what one happy reviewer said:

"Usually people talk about aftertaste when drinking beer but with Un, Kono Kuro the word afterglow is much more appropriate.
 “After downing the last drop, slowly rising from my throat and mouth was that afterglow. The combination of bitter and sweet stayed fresh and lingered in my head. It was a familiar aroma that accompanied me through the entire beer."

LINK: Elephant Dung Beer Sells Out In Minutes

PREVIOUS: New York's Shittiest Cup of Coffee Is Also Its Most Expensive

Japanese Hadouken Pics Are Fucking Great

Everyone stop doing stuff, this is the best meme.
Shot Scott

What You Know About Tambourines?

Gonzo (that's his name), is a tambourine master from Japan.

Shot Owen

Of Course The Best iPhone Invention Comes From Japan

これまでで最高の

Interview With A Cannibal

Issei Sagawa murdered an innocent French woman back in the day then spent three days eating her flesh. Issei is now a free man who's more than happy to talk about his flesh eating fetish which started as a youngster back in Japan. 結構

Japan's Tunnel of Lights

'Winter Illuminations 2012-2013' is now on at Nabana no Sato - a botanical garden turned light theme park on the island of Nagashima in Kuwana.

Millions of sparkling LED lights placed all over the vast grounds including on the water and in the gardens creates the amazing sences, which includes a beautiful sunrise inspired by Mt. Fuji at dawn, a rainbow across the sky, and even an aurora. The stars of the show are the famous walk-through tunnels of light that completely envelop the viewer, making it seem as if they're walking through bright, magical portals. As Joanna Tocher of Wide Island View said, "if you can shut out the noise of the hundreds of people around you it really does feel like you’re stepping into another world." Below are some photos taken in year's past of the gorgeous light tunnels as well as on the grounds.

Japan's Got Talent

From the 2012 Japanese Juggling Festival 2012.

A Visit To The Treasury

A glimpse into Bathing Ape/Human Made founder and pop culture icon Nigo's personal collection space.
Shot Jake

Photograph The Wreckage of Fukushima

Photographer Donald Weber, traveled to the Fukushima buffer zone, to capture this haunting little mini-documentary. The results of the trip are about what you'd think, except about twice as haunting. There are post-apocalyptic scenes of empty streets, eeriely abandonded houses, and even a corpse. Given the recent admission that the whole thing was avoidable, it's interesting —and depressing— to take a look at what the aftermath looks like.

Sushi Conveyor View

Japanese people are so dope. Any other country would have pinched that camera...having said that, most Japanese people probably have the 2014 model and are just pointing and laughing at how wack this one is.