A lecture organized by Organization for Asian Studies & Waseda Center for North Pacific Rim Studies, Waseda University

By Dr. Kenneth J. Ruoff, Author of Imperial Japan at its Zenith

Professor, Portland State University; Director, Center for Japanese Studies, Portland State University (Oregon, USA)

Date: Friday, January 21, 2011 Time: 16:30 – 18:00 (Open from 16:00)

Place: Room B-101 at the 14th Building, Waseda University campus

Admission: Free

Language: Japanese　(Questions are available in English)

Dr. Ruoff is widely regarded as the foremost authority on the contemporary Japanese monarchy. Having earned a Ph.D. in Japanese history from Columbia University, he was a member of the Faculty of Law at Hokkaido University from 1994 to 1996, where he taught a seminar on Japan’s modern history. His major publications include The People’s Emperor: Democracy and the Japanese Monarchy, 1945-1995 (Harvard University Press, 2001) and, Imperial Japan at Its Zenith: The Wartime Celebration of the Empire’s 2,600th Anniversary (Cornell University Press, 2010). Dr. Ruoff will be signing copies of his new book, which is available at www.amazon.com It will not be available for purchase on site.

In a rare and intimate one-night event, apparel/book/font designer, publisher, and manufacturer of design objects, Andy Cruz of House Industries will speak about his work and House’s most recent collaboration with the estate of Charles and Ray Eames.

As a partner in the cutting edge design phenomenon House Industries, Andy has helped steer the course of visual culture over the past fifteen years, creating design work with toes dipped liberally in fine art, Modern design, vernacular commercial art, and brand-oriented graphic design. See the past and the future collide and how the aesthetic of tomorrow will emerge!

Friday, September 17 2010
Doors Open: 19:00
Presentation / Q&A: 19:30 – 20:00
Dinner: 20:00

Oakwood Premier Tokyo Midtown
Address: Akasaka Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052
Map: Click here.
Telephone: 03-5412-3131
Fee: ¥3,500 (Advance) ¥4,500 (Door)
Includes presentation, light buffet dinner, drink, limited edition publication and limited edition print.
Language: English with Japanese Interpretation

RSVP NECESSARY
Email info@nonaca.net before Friday, Sept 10. 6pm.
Advance payment can be made here:

More: nonaca.net

Do you remember me? Culture-bound syndrome Ⅴ

Yamazaki Ryoichi
Nakaochiai Gallery

Sat, May 15 – Sat, June 5
Gallery hours: Thursday / Friday 12:00 – 6:00 pm – Saturday 12:00 – 5:00 pm

Ryoichi Yamazaki’s sculptures, worked in plaster, glass and paint, explore the theme of a cultural phenomenon specific to Japan – hikikomori or “withdrawal syndrome”, a relatively modern psychological disorder. Affecting mostly adolescent males, it manifests itself as withdrawal from family and society, often to the point of complete isolation. Though Yamazaki’s sculptures, with uniform white hooded tops and remote look, suggest a sense of disengagement, they unnervingly also appear kawaii or cute, like popular Japanese characters.

This solo exhibition of new works of sculpture and drawing from Yamazaki, is an installation site specific to the Nakaochiai Gallery and a continuation of the hikikomori series. For the first time since it opened in 2004, the gallery — situated in a wooden house on what was once a traditional Tokyo shotengai or “shopping street” — is being used in it’s entirety, with works being shown throughout the building.

The designer/editor and editor of Art Space Tokyo have bought back the rights to the book and are seeking to re-print via Kickstarter.

A worthwhile cause, and some rad options should you choose to back the project.

I’ll be debuting and giving away installment #3 of my Poster Initiative offset-printed poster series at Super Deluxe this Wednesday during my Pecha Kucha Night presentation. The posters are produced in editions of 1,000 and distributed around Tokyo. Not advertising- just free design for the people.

I’ll be doing a glib presentation on the “The Year in Review”- a look back over highlight projects for my design studio in 2009.

at SuperDeluxe
1000yen /1 drink
B1F 3-1-25 Nishi Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0031
+81 (0)3-5412-0515
http://www.super-deluxe.com

Scion Space Presents:
Installation 5 | Scion Art Tour: Self Portrait

September 12th – September 30th, 2009

Featuring 44 Self-Portraits by:
 AJ Fosik, Alex Hornest, Andrew Schoultz, Angela Boatwright, Asylm,
Blek le Rat, Christina M. Felice, Codak, David Choe, Edwin Ushiro, el
Yem, Eriberto Oriol, Eye One, Francesco LoCastro, French, Ian Lynam,
J. Shea, Jamel Shabazz, Jeff Soto, Kelsey Brookes, Kofie, Lisa Alisa,
Logan Hicks, Mark Mothersbaugh, Nicholas Harper, Patrick Martinez,
Peter Beste, Peter Glover, RETNA, Rick Rodney, Rob Abeyta Jr., Ron
English, Saber, Sage Vaughn, Skypage, Something in the Universe,
Souther Salazar, Stormie Mills, Tessar Lo, Todd Tourso, Too Tall
Jahmal, Usugrow, Will Barras, Yoskay Yamamoto

Opening Event: Saturday, September 12th, 2009 | 7-10pm
Artists in Attendance | Free Valet Parking | Open bar for guests 21+

All art will be sold in an online charity auction at
www.artnet.com/scion.html  Auction runs Sept 12 – Sept 30
Visit site to see artwork and get more details
All sales will go to Creative Capital

@ Scion Installation L.A.
3521 Helms Ave. (at National)
Culver City, CA 90232
Gallery Phone: 310.815.8840

Hours: Wednesday – Saturday | 11am – 6pm and by appointment | Free

VISIT SCION INSTALLATION LA >>
www.scion.com/space/upcoming_events.html

Follow our profiles on these sites:
Facebook – www.facebook.com/scioninstallation
Twitter – www.twitter.com/scionart
Vimeo – www.vimeo.com/scionart

 

I was hanging out in Mejiro tonight and was walking by the local hospital, so I thought I’d stop in and see how the facilities were for the next time I break my arm. (Last time I broke my arm skateboarding, a common occurrence, I was shuttled to three different hospitals before seeing a doctor who could “set” my arm sans painkillers of any sort in the x-ray room so no one could hear me yell at the top of my lungs. And now my left wrist makes a weird clicking sound ALWAYS. Yay Japanese medicine….)
So without further adieux, Mejiro Hosital Scene Report:
Accommodations: Shabby. The usual combo of dirty beige walls, Betadine-stained entrance way from some Gumi member “bleeding out” in the genkan onto the non-sealed cheapo faux Linoleum.
Floor: Dirty as fuck
Staff: Nice security guard. Gross doctors.
Bathroom: No soap. What? Why? This is a fucking hospital. A doctor came in and took a shit while I was in there, then casually rinsed his hands before walking out.
Rating: Five fucking stars. Never take me there.

A whole passel of designey news from Neoland.

First:

Ever the modest gentleman, our guy Matt Treyvaud’s awesome wife Chie Yoshimura has opened a lovely new cafe in Yokohama. Go visit. Eat something. Admire the logo.

Second:

Dentsu Canada shot over samples of the Sapporo beer coasters using the Pattern Pattern series of pattern designs from Néojaponisme this week. They look great! Thanks guys!

Third:

Thanks so much to everyone who came out to the Tokyo debut of Meeting Modernity. As a little fun giveaway, I designed and made a bunch of sets of Néojaponisme buttons for opening attendees. If you are interested in procuring a set, feel free to get in touch.

Unearthed outside of the city of Sano in Tochigi-ken, this portrait photography series documents Japan as it engaged with modernization and commercial photography in the Meiji and Taishō Periods.

This post marks the Tokyo opening of the Meeting Modernity Exhibition.
Details:

MEETING MODERNITY
OPENING: A Night of Néojaponisme
A night of presentations, discourse, music, and booze.
DATE: 31st of July 2009
OPEN: 1800 START: 1900
FEE: open charge (Nagesen)
PLACE: hybrid so+ba gallery
5-29-20 KYODO SETAGAYA-KU
TOKYO 156-0052
WWW.SO-BA.CC

Come on down to the infamous Hybrid SO+BA Gallery in Kyodo (Odakyu Line) for a night of revelry with the staff of Néojaponisme. A smattering of presentations by the editors of and contributors to the site will be accompanied by Funkmaster DJ Jean Snow on the wheels of steel.

I just started a new series of two-color posters called “Poster Initiative” that will be distributed for free around Tokyo. The first batch were dropped off at Nagi Shokudo last night and another went to Cafe Pause today. Poster Initiative 001 was printed in a series of 1,000.

What happens when you give two graphic designers and three programmers turntables, then team them up with a duo of professional sound artists?
THE ASS-SHAKING, MIND-BLOWING, BUDONKADONK-CLAPPING, EYE-REDDENING DANCE PARTY OF THE YEAR!!
If you are in Tokyo, you are obligated to make your way to Lesson Three of Exercise, the official unofficial dance party of IMG SRC/Non-Grid, Tokyo’s top web design and interactive agency.

Friday June 19th
@ Rubyroom Shibuya
11pm – 5am
¥1,500 including one FREE drink

Get out from behind that monitor and get your sallow, pasty ass on the dance floor, motherfucker!!!

Tuesdays 19 May – 21 July
19:10-21:00

I will be teaching a ten-week intensive introductory typography seminar at Temple University Japan

All About Typography teaches the connotations of type & typography: the visual reading of language.

The class is an in-depth look at typography (designing with fonts) for both beginners and experienced practitioners. The class is a working examination of Western typography including lectures on type history, type classification, and contemporary practice. Practical exercises, as well as in-class critiques will help broaden students’ understanding of typography practically and critically.

All About Typography’s syllabus is based on a handful of proven typographic education projects developed by design faculty from the best graphic design departments in the world: Yale, CalArts, London College of Printing, and Cranbrook.

The class will conduct projects to explore typographic expression, learn correct typesetting practices, and increase design acumen: how to say things clearly with graphic design.

The class will host guest lectures by some of Japan’s top graphic designers.

The class is Mac-based, but will apply equally to PC-based environments.

Course reading:
Thinking with Type, Ellen Lupton
Assorted handouts

More information:
www.tuj.ac.jp/cont-ed

Weekly Shonen Sunday 週刊少年サンデー and Weekly Shonen Magazine 週刊少年マガジン are celebrating their Golden Jubilee together on the 17th of March this year. (Both published their inaugural issues on the same day, a truce reached only after racing to be the first weekly manga magazine shaved two months off Sunday’s initially planned lead time.) More here, including a cover gallery.

Speaking of which, the cover of this week’s Sunday pays tribute to the very first Sunday cover, with Matsuzaka Daisuke in the role of Nagashima Shigeo.

You can’t see it at this resolution, but under the banner to the right, where the original said “Sports, manga, science, TV”, the new edition says “Sports, manga, video games, anime.” Kind of sad that the focus of the magazine has narrowed so much that “TV” has the ring of broad-mindedness by comparison.

Interview here.

Néojaponisme’s exhibition Meeting Modernity will be in Portland from January 8 through February 1st in the new year at downtown small press emporium Reading Frenzy. The opening will be on January 8 from 6–9PM. I’ll be in attendance (as will Ma and Pa Lynam!), so come on down.

Recently discovered outside of the city of Sano in Tochigi-ken, the Meeting Modernity collection of found photos documents Japan as it engaged with modernization and commercial photography in the Meiji and Taishō Periods. The series is comprised of portrait photography in particular.