Visual Culture Tokyo

Paul rands written preface for Yusaku Kamekuras book ” Trademarks of the World”

abhaysalve — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 09:07:02 +0000

Like many westerners, my admiration for Japanese art and architecture has led me to study the subject with enthusiasm. The influence of Japanese art on western art is a fact western designers and artists readily admit. That such great artists as Lautrec, Van Gogh and Gauguin were vitally affected by the Japanese print is common knowledge. In the case of Lautrec this influence is manifested not only in the simplicity, space concept and general composition of his work, but the artist’s very signature, in the form of a blazon, is evidence of his love for Japanese design. In my own case Japanese painting, design and marks have perhaps had more influence on my work than any other single art form. And my study of Japanese art has not merely given me some understanding of oriental art but it has increased my understanding of modern western painting and design. This may appear a strange remark, but I recall my days in grammar school when it was impossible for me to understand English grammar until I had studied a foreign language. To many it would seem strange that the Japanese commercial artist should now be influenced by the west, the Bauhaus, western typography and western trademarks. Yet, on closer examination it is not at all strange. The Japanese artist has merely rediscovered something familiar, something he has always known, something having perhaps a slightly different physiognomy, but nevertheless an old friend. This is the Japanese way of thinking a simple, concentrated and direct language. Because of this the Japanese artist is particularly well equipped to design trademarks. The trademark, being both form and substance, both idea as well as picture, is one of the most challenging problems for a designer—its solution must be of the utmost simplicity. The Japanese alphabet (ideographs) and Japanese family blazons are perfect models for trademarks as we know them today. In commerce the trademark is a language understood by all. It can traverse national boundaries and is as intelligjble to an American as it is to a Japanese. In its small way, the trademark demonstrates the possibilities not only of a universal language but, more important, of universal understanding.

Ryota Iizuka Interview

abhaysalve — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 07:51:00 +0000

Recently, I received interview from tallented Ryota Iizuka Japanese graphic design student currently studying in United states, California art center. His work on representing japanese cinema to LA based auidence impressed me a lot. Interview contains topics like Ryota sans typeface, Infographics, Anime manga culture as Japanese culture.

Even Ryota explained his work and views on Japanes graphic design. Kenya haras Matsuya Ginza rebranding project have inspired both of us till now. Ryota’s advance infographics work have given examples of meticulous Japanese design craftsmanship

Visuals

abhaysalve — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 05:16:45 +0000

Visual culture of any nation is visible through its Notes, coins, stamps and other things which are involved in day today business, trade, communication. If we see notes of any place we will see unique imagery featured on it. There are images people, architecture, business, farming and ther things which are related to particular place. Their existence on that material and treatment of featuring them gives essence of particular place.

Example : Images of important peoples on the notes. Forms related to nations architecture and art incorporated on notes as a imagery which represents the nation.

Milese Newlyn

abhaysalve — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 08:56:15 +0000

Newlyn,Established in 1991, Newlyn has maintained leadership of creative thinking within corporate and brand identity design. This position has been demonstrated with work for some of the worlds largest organisations across every continent.

Whilst focused on creation of image and its role in shaping culture, Miles Newlyn also speaks to audiences on branding and breaking the paradigm to build better markets.

his interview in publication will give lots of inputs towards topic Identity and its existence in Visual culture. It will feature under section foreign designers who have worked for japanese firm.

100 Topics about tokyo.

abhaysalve — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 12:31:15 +0000

list of things, which kept me involved for long time..

1. Tokyo, Metropolis city, Capital, Crest of tokyo, Geography, Ethimology, Corporate city, Narita, Haneda Airports, Jal ANA Airlines, Train stations, Train services, Train signages, signages in city, wayfindings, Roppongi, shinjiku shibuya, Khojimachi, yurokucho, ueno, Akihabara, Ueno museum, Past of tokyo city, Manga Animation, Gaming, Tokyo entertainment, Pacingo, Bay blades, Tokyo Idntities, Asakus, Tokyo olympic, Kamekura, Nihonga, Nippon design center, Landor tokyo, Interbrand Tokyo, Brand union Tokyo, Tokyo designers, Design applications, Fashion trends, Temples, Graffitti, art center, design museum, traditional design, trains, houses, brand buildings, packagings, stamps, notes, currencies, embelm, government, scripts, tokyo publication design, newspapers, manga comics, night life tokyo, vertical signboards, umbrellas, fans, exhibitions,pictograms, flag of tokyo, symbol of tokyo, photographs, design applications, past designers, tokyo drinks, food packagings, mobiles, kawaii, electronic city, new wave art, sumo wrestling, karate, saki, maps, tv tokyo, tokyo tower, public baths, displays, electronic displays, Ikons, wabi sabi, music group,drama, installations, t shirts clothes, jwellery. anime charecters, art exhibtions.

Roppongi

abhaysalve — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 05:58:17 +0000

Roppongi hills one of the crowded and fast moving area in Tokyo city. Roppong is quite famous for its culture Its area for art and design where roppongi crossing is always been converted into a installation by sone artist every week. Roppongi Identity was a outcome of Design competition held by international forum. Winner was a british designer Jonathon Barbrook.

Roppongi is famous for cross cultural events. Its place where you ll see japanese environment with different outlook than areas like khojimachi, tokyo where they look more corporate.

the largest city redevelopment in japan,called ‘roppongi hills’ opened recently, spring 2003, at the center of tokyo. the sprawling development with luxury housing and designer shops intent on surviving the
growing threat of an office-space glut and eager to keep japan competitive as a destination for foreign visitors and investment. this new landmark complex area will also give tokyo a much needed cultural center, combining culture, education, business, residence and commerce.

fourteen years in the planning and three
years in construction, roppongi hills occupies
11.6 hectares. the 280 billion yen ($2.3 billion)
project, offers a spaciousness with foliage that
is rare in congested tokyo.
roppongi hills features japan’s biggest
270-meter-tall, 53- floor office tower with an
observatory providing a panoramic view of tokyo
at the top and hosts about 200 shops and
restaurants.
everything is new. everything is perfect…

UK Japan Identity

abhaysalve — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 08:31:35 +0000

Click to view slideshow.Uk Japan Identity designed by Johnsonbanks.co.uk . Michael johnsons london based firm have created many distinctive identities till now. This one attracts me most for its uniqueness, witty solution for showing union of two nations. Kanji letters stands for land of rising sun and letters inside them stands for uk. It creates friendlier environment for both language audience.

Uniqlo

abhaysalve — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 04:01:00 +0000

Uniqlo is name of a major japanese clothing chain. There around 600 uniqlo shops alone in Japan. They are expanding their business across the sea they are availbale in 6 countries.
Uniqlo clothing range is not expensive and its affordable for middleclass people as well as I saw many students preferring uniqlo for its prize, wide range and style.
Uniqlos promotional material, design applications looks very well resolved . Their Idntity is flexible and open for any script adaption.
Promotional material and telivision advertisements are focusing on the international quality measurments. International material and in affordable prize holds a good image of uniqlo. No wonder if they achieve market
in more countries. While other international brands are increasing their price uniqlo is very good international brand option for the people who prefer quality clothing .

About Identity, Its designed by WOLFF OLINS, flexible and inclusive identity. Strong use of red colour and square. Typography in mark looks well derived tall english type is very much suited for international look. Identity is designed for multiple scripts such as hiragana in japanese. english and other european languages.

Japanese scripts

abhaysalve — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 03:22:31 +0000

Japanese script is imported from China, There are 3 major scripts Kanji, Hiragana, Katakana. They are visible all over, while workin in Tokyo graphic design consultancy I realized use of these scripts for making design applications and brandmarks is vital.

From Wikipedia
Kanji are ideograms they are basically from chinese charecters, Hiragana is used for native japanese words, katakana is used for foreign borrowings.
Kanji are used to write the following:

nouns, including Japanese names
stems of adjectives and verbs.
Hiragana are used to write the following:

okurigana—inflectional endings for adjectives and verbs
joshi—grammatical particles
words that lack a kanji, where the kanji is obscure, difficult to typeset, is considered too difficult (as in children’s books)
furigana—phonetic renderings of kanji. Furigana may aid children or nonnative speakers or clarify nonstandard, rare, or ambiguous readings.

Katakana are used to write the following:
foreign words and names
commonly used animals, plants or objects whose kanji are rare, such as tokage (lizard), bara (rose) and rōsoku (candle)
onomatopoeia
emphasis, much like italicisation in European languages
technical and scientific terms, such as plant, animal, and mineral names.

Japanese mainly use hiragana or kanji, while katakana is used to transliterate a foreign word to Japanese characters. The choice of which type of writing to use depends on a number of factors, including standard conventions, readability, and stylistic choices.

Some Japanese words are written with different kanji depending on the specific usage of the word—for instance, the word naosu (to fix, or to cure) is written 治す when it refers to curing a person, and when it refers to fixing an object.

Script usage also reflects grammaticalisation. Japanese has many compound verbs, as in “go and ask” (, ittekiku?), and, as indicated above, in Japanese orthography lexical items are generally written with kanji (here and ), while grammatical items are written with hiragana (as in the connecting ). Compound verbs are thus generally written with a kanji for each constituent verb, but some suffixes have become grammaticalized, and are written in hiragana, such as “try out, see” from “see” as in “try eating.

Writing Reading
Traditionally, Japanese is written in a format called tategaki . In this format, the characters are written in columns going from top to bottom, with columns ordered from right to left. After reaching the bottom of each column, the reader continues at the top of the column to the left of the current one. This copies the column order of Chinese.

Graffitti Tokyo

abhaysalve — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 06:31:47 +0000

Graffitti in tokyo, well its a quite interesting topic for young japanese artist and new wave art expression. When you travel in part of Akihabara, Ikkebukro you will notice graffiti works on the walls of shops, underground, bridge walls covered with tagging done by the graffiti artist.
Interesting stuff, ordinary person cant identify about author but in graffitti world of tokyo, artist can identify the tags. They can see the tag and identifies the person whose done it. Graffitti haves unique individual expression. Its broken, random, to fast and illegal. If we imagin the artworks done in illegal ways what things they must be going through. Fear of getting caught, fights with other graffitti groups make these tags very much a statement done in very difficult circumstances. At night when noone on the road thee artist go out do their stuff. Its interesting to see graffiti work examples on the cars, trains wall of the bridges and shops in tokyo city.
I will try to feature some of graffitti artist interviews in book. They are hard to get, they prefer to stay underground, low profile to avoid many nuances of graffitti world.
Now days many shops, rsteraunts, commercial complex are coming forward and hiring graffitti artist. They are giving them projects which are legal. I think this is new trend in Japn but when you speak to very fundamentalist graffitti arrtist who enjoys the freedom of painting nywhere whenever he feels like doin it thinks commercial graffitti is not real graffitti. Graffitti is free wild and its a very much self expression.