curious pig

While searching for one of my photo yesterday, I found this hhstyle.com/casa photo, reminding me of Tadao Ando. In the next 2 months, 21_21 sight will open!
Looking forwards to seeing the Ando show of this building from sketch to complete
and also, the first exhibition “chocolate” directed by Naoto Fukasawa.

The other day I saw my sister had a hard time on pulling a seal from custard cup. Though she put almost of her strength, it still can not be opened. Then it tore off, she had to use a knife but it was hardly cut. Have you ever faced the problem that can not pull a liner from a bottle/can or cut off during removing it?
It reminds me of Maunola bottle I had last week. Its innerseal called lift ‘n’ peel. It is the innerseal with semicircular tab consists of a twin construction, which was so easy to pull and leave a neat&clean bottle opening. No left over, no cut to bother your mind. It was total different experience. Admire and thank the inventors of these tiny issues in the world.

*lift ‘n’ peel is the product of Unipac from Canada

Uniqlo Soho is another work from Wonderwall. The t-shirt wall is quite an impact and impressive vmd. However, the maintenance will be a tough job to always keep them
neat and clean. I am curious to know how they climb up and how often they do!

photo: Kozo Takayama

One of Wonderwall latest works, Bape Kids made me smile on the tiny window deliberately placed at the side wall in the height of toddler to sneak and peek the wonder world inside. I think most of people who walk by can’t help sneaking a look at the inside and then smile when seeing the soft banana pool in the middle. It is such a wonderwall!

Gucci has opened the first ever flagship store in its own building at Ginza, Tokyo last November after almost of luxurious brands lined up opening fabulous buildings in Tokyo — Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Prada, Chanel, etc.

Frida Giannini, creative director has created this new building amazingly elegant, classic but modern. I love the color and lighting of the building very much. Silver and Gold, the color theme were in the perfect shade with the right play of natural light that makes it so soft and warm.

The beautiful shade of gold makes it looks so elegant. It is a matter of choosing the right shade, amount and usage like the wall at the cafe of Gucci Ginza 4th floor as if its hue makes we feel the warmth from the ray of the sun reflecting the building concept, the box of light.

The 8 story Gucci Ginza framed by the custom made Gucci glass with special texture sandwiched by clear glass, optical fiber and then silver mesh. The sunlight through these glass will express different feeling depending on time, angles and space. Using sunlight creates the beauty of the building,
this is the real gold in both color and idea.

There is the Thai old saying of “When you learn to knot, you have to learn to loose.
I think if we learn to tie a knot well and correctly, we can loose it easily and in fact we knot in order to loose.

Last month I found NHK Marutoku magazine for educational programs featuring how to tie a rope at Kinokuniya bookstore. I rapidly bought it back home as I am interested in the Japanese knot art. But this book is about how to tie a rope for daily life from how to tie a pile of newpaper, parcel/baggage, fence, etc. Each style differs to objectives and functions. Some also contain hidden meaning such as gift wrapping with a tortoise shell knot also implies the good meaning.

The instructor himself is so interesting person. Tarzan movies inspired Mr.Kogure Mikio when he was a little boy to be interested and found rope knotting so fun, leading him to study in the boy scout way and practiced his skill continuously. Then the master of knotting set up the research institute of knotting in 2000.

I really admire the serious way of mastering something like this. It is no need to be great in the big issue, just be the great in what you really love it even it might be a tiny matter!

After long rumors, finally Central department store is the one who signed licensing contract and opened the first muji shop at Chidlom branch last November 2006 and Zen last month. It made me so glad to see the old friend since 1980’s be nearby. Though almost of the lines are amazingly available, I do not know what to buy. Just feel happy to have Muji here.
Looking forward to see Muji food and electrics soon.

I did not like tofu that much when I was young. Until I studied in Japan, I had experienced the various delicious tofu. Good tofu is so sweet, soft and none of beany smell. Especially freshly made tofu will be the most delicious. So I becomes one of tofu lover.

Speaking of tofu reminds me of one of big hit in Japan last year. Shingo Ito, the second genaration of Sanwa toyu, the tofu maker succeeded in using the unusual names strategy like “kaze ni fukarete tofuya Johnny” (Johnny the tofu maker, blowing in the wind) and “otokomae tofu” (handsome tofu).
When I first heard these names, What? Why tofu has English name? It sounds so funky, giving me a picture of a youngster with blonde dyed hair who love surfing on weekend.

Attract the attention, create curiousity then became buzz in web and to the town. Beyond their name, its rich&strong flavor amazed people and have to admit its quality that they are not unusual both name and taste.

From the tofu maker selling 100 yen tofu to the exclusive tofu maker with 3 times price of 300 yen per piece and created the incredible sales. The new company named Otokomae tofu was established with promising sales while other tofu companies are fading away as the result of price-cutting war by the supermarket.

Otokomae tofu stepped further in unusual way, put their great effort on the company website in strengthening the image with funky characters and music including selling promotional merchandise. Certainly new lines are continuously starring.

Cool tofu!