Like New Yorkers, people in Japan spend a good part of their lives commuting to and from work. You ride your bicycle to the train station, stuff yourself into an express train, transfer, stuff yourself into a local train, hop on a bus, then walk a mile to work. In an effort to make use of their commuting time, some Japanese perform their grooming rituals en route. I’ve seen girls get on the train still crusty-eyed, and half and hour later, get off in full hair and makeup. I’ve seen men on the train intently trimming their nose hair and women nonchalantly applying deodorant to their underarms. Granted, these are extreme examples, but as it becomes more socially acceptable to preen in public, pretty soon you’ll see toenail-clipping, zit-popping, bikini-waxing commuters sitting next to you on the way to work.

One grooming ritual that probably won’t make it to the subway is shaving with an old-fashioned shaving brush. There’s something so cool and sexy about men lathering up with an elegant shaving brush, swirling the creamy foam onto their stubbly cheeks, then languidly shaving their chiseled faces until it’s smooth and soft. The whole ritual surpasses mere grooming and elevates it to a few sublime minutes of pampering. If you want to throw away your dad’s old electric shaver and try something classy, the Sou Facial Soap Whipping Brush from Sato-Shoji Corp. is a sophisticated choice. Made with three types of hair, it creates a fine shaving foam while the bristles remain soft and elastic. The Sou brand was inspired by the elegant ritual of the tea ceremony, where the simple process of making tea is elevated to an artform. Likewise, the daily ritual of shaving, when using this superior shaving brush, can be a wonderfully relaxing experience…and you can save your old electric for when you’re running late on the subway.

I’m from Hawaii, arguably one of the most beautiful places in the world. Ironically, for such a pristine place, we’re not big on recycling. You throw away your trash without separating it, and although there are recycling programs, most people in Hawaii don’t bother. It ends up in a landfill, and that’s that.

When I moved to Tokyo, however, I had to learn to separate the burnable trash from the non-burnable from the kitchen scraps, the glass from the plastic from the metal, and the white papers from the colored papers from the newspapers. I spent more time organizing my garbage than organizing my home. My husband, Mr. Hybrid-cars/sustainable energy/protect the environment guy, even bought an $800 electric composter. You put in your kitchen scraps, press a button, and an hour or so later it’s reduced to dirt. To me, that’s a lot of money for homemade dirt.

A more affordable way to be eco-conscious is to use the products from Sanyo Electric Group’s Eneloop Universe line. The Eneloop Universe products consist of innovative products that promote an environmentally sustainable lifestyle. These products include a solar cell charger, rechargeable pocket warmer, and rechargeable batteries, complete with a cute dog-shaped battery checker (this is a Japanese company, after all). The company’s vision is to create a “clean energy society”, one in which the energy from the sun is recycled for repeated use. It’s a noble endeavor…and with all this sustainable energy being produced, you can get back to other pressing chores…like color-coding your garbage.

The Japanese, ever thoughtful, have trouble accepting anything without feeling obliged to give something back. When given money at a wedding or a funeral, you’re expected to reciprocate by sending a gift back, worth about half as much as the money received. Usually they’re useful household items like a set of bath towels, comforter sets, and even hot-water dispensers. In Japan, there are entire catalogs devoted to these “return-gifts”. On Valentine’s Day, it’s quizzically the guys who receive chocolates, and two weeks later, on White Day, they’re expected to send sweets back to the ladies. When Japanese go on vacation, they go crazy buying souvenirs, wanting to share their experience with others. The idea of accepting without reciprocating is distasteful to Japanese... which explains the runaway success of chocolate and souvenir companies in Japan.

If you’re ever unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of a gift in Japan, the impressive array of 30,000 gift items and doodads from Motobayashi Co., Ltd. could give you a few ideas for your “return gift”. The Shop Bag Clock is a clock in the shape of a shopping bag, and its convenient handle makes it easy to carry from room to room. For the considerate smoker, there are assorted smoking accessories, such as the portable ashtray... a foil-lined plastic pocket that conveniently stores cigarette ashes. The vision of Motobayashi is to create clever everyday items that are both useful and stylish... a no-brainer in the competitive sport of gift-giving in Japan.

One of my favorite restaurants in Tokyo is an unassuming hole-in-the-wall that specializes in (stay with me here) stewed turtle. It’s extraordinary—tender and succulent, it tastes kind of like little gray, webbed-footed oxtails. The remarkable thing is, the restaurant’s kitchen is the size of a camping stove (it literally is a hole-in-the-wall). The chef creates delicate clear soups, silky custards filled with tender bamboo shoots, perfectly grilled mountain trout, and a huge stone pot of simmered turtle, all while huddled in a space that would comfortably fit a coffee maker.

The chef’s pots and utensils are of the best quality and so well-worn, the wooden handle of his knife has taken on the shape of his hand from years of use. His utensils have become a part of him, and as such he is able to serve the most impeccable Japanese food from the smallest imaginable kitchen.

Although my own Manhattan kitchen probably rivals his in terms of hole-in-the-wall-ness, my shiny stainless steel kitchenware by Y-Yacht Co., Ltd. is brand spankin’ new. The new line of Komin kitchenware products are inspired by the shape of an ellipse, and have a sleek, modern design. Their sophisticated kitchenware and gift items are designed to bring a touch of elegance into everyday life. Also, the brand is dedicated to upholding its high standards of quality, as they oversee all aspects of the production process from manufacturing to retail. Like my favorite restaurant, quality is the backbone of delicious food. I may not be serving turtle to my kids anytime soon, but my chili’s not too shabby, thank you very much.

Serving tea in Japan is an elaborately choreographed ritual. In this abbreviated Cliffs Notes version, you purify the tea bowl, tea scoop and tea whisk, retrieve a ladleful of boiling water from a cauldron atop a smoldering charcoal pit, whisk a scoopful of powdered green tea into a frothy concoction, turn the bowl 3 times to show your respect to the guest and serve. The whole ceremony takes a good 30 minutes, the entire time performed sitting on top your folded legs on a stiff tatami mat. On average, it takes me about 5 minutes for my legs to go completely numb, 10 minutes for gangrene to set in, and after half an hour or so when I’m finally allowed to stand up, another 10 minutes for the excruciating pins and needles to go away before I can actually stand up. Somehow I don’t want to ruin the serene ambiance of tea ceremony by attempting to rise at the end and instead pitching headfirst into the charcoal pit.

Thankfully, you can also perform tea ceremony “Western style” seated on a chair in front of a lacquered table. Like this fusion of East and West, the handcrafted wood chairs from Maruni Wood Industry Inc. blends the shape of Western-style chairs with the simple, sleek Japanese aesthetic. This 80-year-old company uses a complex wood bending technique to create graceful curved chairs and dining table sets, ergonomically designed to be as comfortable as they are stylish. The chairs from Maruni are so elegant, they could fit seamlessly into the décor of a traditional Japanese teahouse…good news for me, great news for my blood circulation.

The Design Week Japan Launch Party was a huge success. If you couldn't make it, here's just a small tastes of what you missed. If you were there, this is your chance to see just how stunning you looked.

In attendance were staff from Felissimo headquarters in Kobe, and over 20 of the designers whose work are on display at Felissimo Design House now through November.

Click here to see the pictures.

Yesterday, Mr. Mizuta from Sanyo visited the Japan C exhibit to talk about his design concepts for the Sanyo Eneloop battery. Guided by their "Think Gaia" philosophy, Eneloop batteries are much more environmentally friendly than traditional batteries, or even traditional rechargeable batteries.

Mr. Mizuta discussed package design, marketing, and additional products, such as the audience favorites, the solar charger and the air freshener.

For pictures from the presentation, click here.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kitten; brown paper packages tied up with string—these are a few of my favorite things.

It’s hard to believe that Julie Andrews wasn’t talking about Japanese design when she sang those famous lines. From Hello Kitty’s adorably drawn whiskers to novel gift-wrapping solutions, Japanese designers are synonymous with inventing and reinventing products that are simple and beautiful, leaving legions of devotees clamoring for more.

This week at Felissimo, see what all the commotion is about as Japanese design is lauded in all its manifestations. From a clock disguised as a shopping bag to a humidifier fashioned as a large doughnut; from high-tech solar speakers to a straightforward collection of wooden chairs, (offered for the first time in this country exclusively at Japan C) each product offers New Yorkers a chance to enhance their life with the pervasive trio of style, ingenuity and elegance that defines Japanese design. Come over and check out what Japan has to offer—I promise you will leave with a new list of your favorite things.

Japan^C is proud to introduce the Japan^C paper toy monsters created for us by Shin Tanaka. In addition to T-BOY (pictured above), currently on display at the Felissimo Design House, Shin has created the Japan^C SPIKY BABY for you to download and enjoy.

Shin Tanaka is a Japanese artist, graffiti writer, paper toy creator, designer who has worked with some of the biggest names in street fashion and designer toys. Born in Fukuoka, Japan in 1980, Tanaka's claim to fame is a vast range of elaborate paper constructions ranging from adorably hip and colorful toy monsters, to spot on replicas of cutting edge footwear. His collaborations with Nike, Adidas, and Reebok have resulted in scores of gallery showcases throughout the world. Shin Tanaka's playful and fun designs are appealing for creative youngsters as much as they are for the most hardened and cynical hipster. His popular T-BOY model was created as a new surface for his graffiti pieces.

Send pictures of your completed Japan^C SPIKY BABY monsters to shintanakarocksmyworld@japan-c.com and we'll display the best ones on our website!

	Download the JapanC SPIKY BABY (pdf) JapanC
	Download each of these SPIKY BABY paper dolls individually (pdf) J a p a n C