Do you know furoshiki? a Japanese traditional wrapping technique. We introducing several way of furoshiki wrapping skills with Furoshiki master Isao Yokoyama. He is young talented furoshiki evangelist. We are happy to introduce how to use furoshiki on our web magazine. Furoshiki “A multi use wrapping cloth” Furoshiki is a type of Japanese traditional wrapping […]
Category: Life
You will discover Japanese life, lifestyle, and life of Japan. We will introduce Japanese artists, life in Japan or show you tips for how to live in or behave when you are in Japan.
Overview of 2014 Life – Cool Japan!
This year we decided to create a new section which we entitled ‘Life,’ we saw this as an opportunity to go a little outside of Japanese crafts and culture and introduce exciting talent in many different creative fields. This experiment seems to have been a success, we have met lots of interesting people, and quite […]
Christmas Eve in Japan, Just for Couples?
By Mike Sullivan It has been recently trending in the news and social media about a sign put up in a Japanese restaurant saying that couples aren’t welcome on Christmas Eve. It was started by a restaurant called PiaPia in Hachioji in Tokyo which put up a handwritten notice which ended up getting a lot […]
Amazake – The Traditional Japanese Healthy Drink Rich in Enzymes.
By Saneyuki Owada Have you ever tried Amazake (甘酒)? Maybe it is time for you to try! Amazake is a traditional Japanese healthy drink. Amazake literally means “SWEET SAKE,” however it does not contain any alcohol or sweeteners. It is a natural beverage. Amazake is made from “Rice Koji (Malted Rice)” and it is high in […]
The Kingdom Of Dreams and Madness – A Documentary About Studio Ghibli
By Mike Sullivan The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness (夢と狂気の王国) is currently being shown around the world, including in London, UK, at the ICA between 7th and 20th of November. In terms of documentaries, especially Japanese ones, it is quite rare to be able to see one outside of Japan. So, why is this particular […]
Okiagari Koboshi-ten – Supporting Fukushima Prefecture
Text and photos by Mike Sullivan A beautiful stall at Hyper Japan London in July featured many Okiagari-koboshi or Okiagari-kobōshi (起き上がり小法師 getting-up little priest). These are traditional Japanese dolls, they are made from papier mâché and are designed in a way that makes its own weight keep it upright even if it is pushed back, […]
Hyper Japan London Part Two – Performers of the show and Interviews
Text and photos by Mike Sullivan Hyper Japan has come back to London for the 6th year in a role and this year it was bigger than ever with many exhibitors, workshops, events and performers. Hyper Japan is best described exactly as its organisers have stated: A dynamic blend of traditional and modern Japanese culture, […]
Interview with Akira Nagai – CM and Film Director
By Mike Sullivan. Translation by Saneyuki Owada We interviewed film director Akira Nagai, who recently made his first film ‘Judge!’, at the Terracotta Far East Film Festival 2014 in London. He normally directs advertisements, known in Japan as CMs and his work has included ‘TOYOTOWN,’ ‘GREEN DAKARA’ and more in Japan. The movie ‘Judge!’ is […]
Interview with Sachika Taniyama – Pianist based in London
Interview and photos by Mike Sullivan Please introduce yourself and your background. My name is Sachika Taniyama and I am a pianist based in London. I was born in Toyota city in Aichi prefecture and I moved to Birmingham, England, when I was 7 years old due to my father’s job. We eventually went back […]
Joshibi University of Art and Design – Exhibiting at Hyper Japan London
Text by Mike Sullivan, photos by Ramata Cisse A very popular, and big, stall at Hyper Japan represented the Joshibi University of Art and Design, located in Suginami and Sagamihara in Japan. It was the first art institution in Japan for female students and is also the oldest private art school. This university has many […]
Interview with Anna Yano – Japanese Singer and Model
Text and photos by Mike Sullivan Hyper Japan came back to London for the sixth time and on this occasion the visitors could see a performance by Anna Yano. She first came to the public’s attention in 2010 when she modeled for magazines such as Used Mix and SEDA, and due to her appearances in […]
My Dear Ice Cream Lover, 15.0% Ice Cream Spoon Softens the Hardest Häagen-Dazs
Boon to ice cream lovers! To all ice cream lovers, there is nothing worse than not being able to dig into extra-frozen impossibly hard ice cream. When we had ice cream we always think about put in microwave? No, It’s a risky gamble, waiting for it to soften at room temperature? It makes me…argh!! […]
Clover Lee Interview Part 2 – Hyper Japan Special
Text and photos by Mike Sullivan In December we had the pleasure of interviewing Clover Lee, she works on Japanese style pottery and manga. At that time she had this to say about Japanese culture and crafts: I grew up in southern china, in a small region that happened to be in the same TV […]
Interview with Yun*Chi – Jpop Singer and Model
Text and photos by Mike Sullivan Yun*chi is a pop singer and model, she has become well known for her voice through her work with compilation covers of anime songs. In November 2012 she made her major debut with the mini-album Yun*chi, this was followed by two more mini-albums and in February of this year […]