japan– tag –

【Real estate bubble in Niseko】 Ginza is the area in Tokyo well known as a luxury area. The above image (the thumbnail image) is Ginza 4th block's intersection. The area holds the highest land price record in Japan: about 500,000 USD/sq...

The movement of tilting back chairs just like students do in a classroom is most severe structurally for chairs, and it is highly likely to give heavy damage to chairs. This is the reason why the same movement is adopted in the standard strength test of chairs as shown in the contained movie. Chairs are jerked in the backrest with the weight of 60 kg on the seat.

【The days of Kaizen activities are like the highlight of Apollo 13】 The spaceship was about to penetrate the atmosphere in the shortage of electric power. The crews and the ground staff of NASA knew enough about it. While running out o...

Do you know a photo-sharing app called Dispo? Humans basically dislike being kept waiting, but even such primitive human nature may be changing among the new generation people somehow.

Let me tell you the first rule of Hot-spring club: Bathe three times at least. Averagely, we Japanese people bathe three times for a stay of one night: Soon after check-in, before going to bed, and soon after getting up next morning. Accordingly, we can enjoy a sunset, night sky, and sunrise in an open-air bath.

Why is Kyoto so popular? It’s the ancient capital and the destination for nearly every Japanese school trip (a beautiful, chaotic spring ritual). But here’s the paradox: Japan’s legal durable life for wooden buildings is only 22 years. This is absurd, considering Hōryū-ji Temple was built 1,400 years ago! The secret lies in ancient wisdom: using nail-less flexibility to withstand earthquakes. This same principle—accommodating wood’s expansion and contraction—is incorporated into our IPPONGI table, making it a piece of history you can use daily.

The ball pit is a classic Japanese childhood memory, especially from the old rooftop department store playgrounds. We created an elevated version using high-quality hardwood waste from our furniture production. Here is the delightful irony: The balls are imperfectly round to cut costs, but this inefficiency created an unexpected secondary effect—the irregular shapes grant the pit significantly higher fluidity, resulting in a superior play experience. While we aim for 100% wood utilization (joining pieces longer than 150 mm), the smallest offcuts remain a challenge. We seek ambitious consumers who see a sophisticated future for our beautiful, durable wooden balls after the kids "leave the nest."

A deep, often humorous analysis of Japan's "floor life" culture. We examine the architectural wisdom of tatami, the ritual of removing shoes, and the political reasons why the most comfortable sofa still can't beat the floor. As a furniture maker, I discuss this cultural paradox and introduce the design philosophy behind our MOLA sofa—a personal hideout designed for true, unrestricted relaxation.

【Massive change UNIQLO made】 Most of you would have visited UNIQLO shops, I believe. At the moment, they have more than 800 shops only in Japan; about 1500 shops in more than 20 countries. I'm not UNIQLO-native. It is around after grad...

【Craftsmanship commonly seen in Japanese swords and rifles】 In 1543, Portuguese merchants introduced rifles to Japan. They expected firearms to be one of their hot exports to Japan in the future but soon found that their plan had faile...