The kids would love the Ghibli Museum at Mitaka, which is only 20 minutes away from Shinjuku. Apparently it's rather difficult to get a ticket (see below).

Official Japanese Website
How to buy tickets outside Japan

There is also an english website about Museum Ghibli by Aaron Kleinsteiber

Via NZZ am Sonntag

Character Expo

Jean Snow: Sort of like a condensed—and definitely more stylish—version of a visit to that mecca of cute that is Omotesando’s Kiddy Land, the annual event puts the spotlight on the biggest sellers of the year, showcasing entire collections, and also gives you a glimpse at some of the new characters that will probably occupy the mobile phone straps of most Japanese in 2006.

Via Jean Snow: Character Expo 2005

PS: Tokyo Art Beat QR Code for your mobile


PS2: More about QR Codes can be found at http://mobile.kaywa.com

PingMag: the Doraemon Shop

The Doraemon Shop (悪童処) in ShimoKitaZawa is one of those places, designers would die for to visit if they only knew it existed! [...] This is where the Doraemon Uncle lives and he opens his little magic shop every night: from 6PM until 3AM!

See also:
SYOWA's 悪童処
The Doraemon Shop Flickr Photoset
Shopping in Shimokitazawa (Warugakisaron is top left)


Via Simple

Kanso (簡素) or simplicity can be used for presentations too. I myself have indulged in Gates-like presentations in my formative years;).. Since about a year I try as much as possible to do completely without slides - which is not always possible though. In this cases, I try to offer a single image on paper which communicates what the presentation is about and I try to open up people for a discussion. All in all it's a much better experience than the slidy ones before. So the excerpt and the presentation blog do really talk to me.

Simplicity
A key tenet of the Zen aesthetic is kanso or simplicity. In the kanso concept beauty, grace, and visual elegance are achieved by elimination and omission. Says artist, designer and architect, Dr. Koichi Kawana, "Simplicity means the achievement of maximum effect with minimum means." When you examine your visuals, then, can you say that you are getting the maximum impact with a minimum of graphic elements, for example? When you take a look at Jobs' slides and Gates' slides, how do they compare for kanso?

From Gates, Jobs, & the Zen aesthetic

See also:
Presentation Tips
Sample Slides or how to make a better presentation
PowerPoint abuse in Japan: we can learn a lot from the Japanese bento

Link for me:
Manga Cafes: From Reading Spot to Relaxation Space

Manga cafes (manga kissa) got their start in Nagoya back in 1979 as a style of coffee shop offering a large collection of manga comics available for customers to read on the premises. [...] The manga cafes of today are bright and spacious--places where anyone can feel comfortable, even a young woman entering alone.

See also: Manga Kissa in Paris

Momoyo Kaijima ist Gastdozentin an der ETH mit Städtisches Einfamilienhaus (urban detached house).

Sie ist eine der Autoren von Made in Tokyo. Und hier noch die Karte.
Komme bald darauf zurück.

Siehe auch:
Atelier Bow Wow (Walker Art Center)

Leaders of a new generation of Tokyo architects, Tsukamoto and Kaijima are proponents of what they have named da-me, or no-good, architecture. Multilayered structures with varied uses (underpass + cinema + bar + barbershop + store, for example), these buildings epitomize a new creative, adaptive aesthetic that is the quintessence of Tokyo.

Weitere gute Links:
Atelier Bow-Wow
Yokohama Triennale of Contemporary Art 2005

Image: Ibaraki

List of JA Grocery Stores
Click on image to get the "big picture"

Koizumi seems to have achieved more than what he planned. In this regard it's interesting to hear what he said about his party:

"We destroyed the old LDP, and the LDP became like a new party".

Like Schröder he also went directly to people to test his acceptance in the population. Quite intelligently he tried to attract women voters by putting topics like the declining child rate on the agenda and by nominating several women for his new LDP. Update: For a critical regard on Koizumi, read Karel von Wolferen's With Koizumi at the Theatre (via Joi).

Now the question:
How long will it take till the swiss FDP will follow the "destroy and renew" programm?

Via LDP scores overwhelming victory

まっぷたん by MIKみかこ先生

In Japan they alreday created a (manga) character called mapputan (=map-tan). In Argentina they bring google maps into meat space.

See also:
Google Maps Mania - The Japan View

Buchbesprechung in der heutigen NZZ: Japans unbediente Kunden eröffnen ein weites Tätigkeitsfeld, Vernachlässigte Dienstleistungen als Investitionschance

Die Autoren - beide mit unternehmerischer Erfahrung in Japan - stellen ihrer Analyse das Faktum voraus, dass in Japans Gesellschaft dem Interesse des Produzenten seit je ungleich mehr Gewicht zukam als jenem der - zumeist domestizierten - Konsumenten. Mit diesem Primat der Produktion geht einher, dass auch Kunden oft wie Fahrgestelle an einer Fertigungsstrasse "bearbeitet" werden, zwar höflich, aber hochgradig standardisiert und ohne jedes Verständnis für Sonderwünsche. Veranschaulicht wird dieses "Montage-Denken" anhand des rigiden Prozederes, das Kunden bei Bankbesuchen erwartet.

Die Website zum Buch (en): Saying Yes to Japan. How Outsiders Are Reviving a Trillion Dollar Services Market

Tim Clarks' Website (en): Saying Yes to Japan. How Outsiders Are Reviving a Trillion Dollar Services Market

Tags: customer satisfaction, real customer relationships, japan, services