When I got wind that there were free rice balls to be had at Felissimo last night, I promptly scooted over there. As a packed crowd of editors, buyers and other interested parties milled around under the giant collaged ball of Japanese innovation (worth a visit in its own right), highfalutin conversation about product design flowed as freely as the delicious appetizers.

Before my design ignorance was exposed, however, we were ushered upstairs for a talk about the thoughtful genesis of Japanese design. Too often products are viewed as just something shiny and pretty to be consumed, said journalist Julie Taraska and hauteGREEN co-producer/Design Within Reach PR manager Kimberly Oliver—the event’s organizers. The lack of discussion regarding the inspirations, intent, and design process was quickly amended as the five designers (Masmichi Udagawa, a co-founder of Antenna Design and 2008 National Design Award winner; Eric Chan, principal of ECCO Design; furniture designer Jeff Miller; textile artists Atsuyo et Akiko; and multidisciplinary designer Hideaki Matsui.) took the stage.

Our professors—the five designers who were either Japanese themselves or had worked extensively with Japanese companies—all spoke eloquently about the intellectual rigor it takes to come up with a product that is functional, useful and in some cases, benevolent.

Masmichi Udagawa, designer of the omnipresent MTA ticket kiosks, began by walking the audience through his thought process. He spoke of a desire to incorporate the realities of human behavior into his work and not just “guide people to do what we want them to do.” To illustrate his point he took the enthusiastic audience through a list of past examples he tried to model his design around: an ATM machine (scratched when he found out only 50 percent of New Yorkers have bank accounts); a soda machine (tossed because of the universal worry that no soda will appear after inserting your last dollar); a store (the winner because the experience allows you to survey the merchandise, check the price and then make a purchase.)

Engaging talks followed and culminated when the last speaker, Hideaki Matsui, showed the audience that design could do some good while still looking good. His interest and concern in the continued existence of landmines littering the landscapes of countries around the world prompted collaboration with the UN to create a bar of soap called Cleanup. Fashioned in the shape of a landmine, Matsui’s product creates a constant and powerful reminder about an important issue and made me really think for the first time about the power of design.

On my home, I paused by a table of portable ashtrays that are featured in Japan C’s exhibit. Before the evening’s talk, I merely snickered at the accompanying brochure that asked, “Smokers! Are you Carring your “Manner”?” But after my design education, I realized that these products, like everything featured in the Japan C exhibit, are the result of a thoughtful effort to help people solve everyday problems. The Japanese have so much to offer New Yorkers, I thought to myself.

And that’s not just the rice balls talking.

For photos of the Product Placement event, click here.

Tatami, 畳

Traditional Japanese flooring made of woven straw and trimmed with cloth.

You know what tatami is. Made popular as sandal soles and coasters in the last 5 years, this ubiquitous Japanese material actually has a long history.

Once only used by Japanese elite, by the end of the 17th century tatami covered the floors of most Japanese houses. In fact, tatami is so essential in a Japanese home that rooms are measured, not in inches or centimeters but in mats (called jō). The shape of tatami mats is strictly regulated though regional differences exist—mats from the west of Japan are slightly larger from eastern varieties. But before you go slapping down mats over your linoleum floor, familiarize yourself with the strict rules governing the placement of tatami. Three corners can never touch and laying a grid pattern is worse than breaking a mirror. But if you want a taste before you invest, there is nothing in the rulebook about having a little tatami inside your shoes.

Central heating is a luxury most people don’t have in Japan. The first time I visited Tokyo, it was bitterly cold. After a long day of sightseeing, I would return to our rented apartment, plop myself in front of the gas heater, and crank it up all the way. A few seconds later, I would blissfully thaw out, and a few seconds after that, I would singe all my arm hair. A less traumatic way of warming up are room heaters (the opposite of air conditioners), which pump hot, dry air to warm up the room. The downside is that all this hot, dry air makes your skin and lips shrivel up like dried apricots, and your hair frizzes out into a brittle, staticky mess. Between all this frizzy hair and burnt hair, winter is a very unattractive season for me.

Now from Sengoku Works, Ltd., comes high-tech electric heaters that have sensors to prevent singed-hair accidents and non-polluting humidifier panel heaters to warm up the air without drying it out. It’s a heater that puts new emphasis on environmental friendliness and safety, which is a more modern, less flammable way of warming up.

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

I have no pity for New Yorkers who complain about their cramped, woodshed-sized apartments, because I moved here from Tokyo. I’ve been in bathtubs the size of washing machines, so small that you sit down with your knees against your chest. I’ve used bathrooms the size of linen closets, where you have to stand right next to the toilet in order to close the door. In these bathrooms, there’s no room for anything else but the toilet, so built right into the top is a small sink where you can wash your hands. Additionally, built into many toilets are bidets and air-dryers for your bottom, in case having a roll of toilet paper also exceeds your space limitations.

Thankfully, the Japanese are brilliant at finding space-efficient solutions for everything. Witness the Recycle Station from Like-It Co., Ltd. A pioneer in innovative, space-saving storage products, this company adheres to the motto, “Simple is Best”. The Recycle Station temporarily stores recyclable garbage, which encourages consumers to be more environmentally active. It’s also stylishly simple, with stainless steel swing panels and sturdy plastic construction. You still may not have the space for a roll of toilet paper, but at least your recyclables have a happy little home.

Heavy metal took on a whole new meaning Wednesday at Felissimo’s Accesorize your Passion for Fashion party when designer TK Nezca, inventor of the iridescent metal cord that shares his name, dropped by to demonstrate his innovative trimmings to a rapt audience. Nezca explained how he used traditional Japanese braiding techniques to embed thousands of Swarovski crystals into a piece of ordinary cord, catapulting it to brilliance. The resulting material (also called nezca) reflects light in all directions and is extremely flexible, both qualities that have made it prized by top designers. A dress from Yumi Katsura’s fall line TK was exhibited as an example of the bejeweled strands in practice. Though various accessories demonstrated nezca’s versatility, it was Ms. Katura’s short, gauzy black dress that stole the show.

Looking like body armor for the fashionably forward, I couldn’t help but wonder how long one could wear the dress before the gorgeous but weighty network of cords looping down the front was ripped away by gravity. Mr. Nezca, however, swiftly put my worries to rest. He explained that the nezca portion of the dress actually hangs from the neck—like a tangle of beads a giant might don for Mardi Gras. But no matter. Even if this dress creates a slight pain in your neck, the luminous response you’ll receive is well worth it. Check out all the other ways nezca is used through October at the Japan ^C exhibit.

Visit our Flickr page for more pictures from the Private Fashion Event

In college, I studied the art of Japanese Tea Ceremony. “Studied” being a glorified word for “clumsily attempted”, but it was still a wonderful experience. In tea ceremony, the meaning behind every movement is as important as the purpose of the movement itself, therefore the symbolic act of “purifying” the tea scoop involves wiping the bamboo implement with a silk napkin in slow, choreographed movement, which probably doesn’t purify it much but looks really pretty. While serving tea, guests sit in a tatami mat room, decorated with an ornamental scroll and perhaps a simple flower arrangement reflecting the season. It creates a wonderful haven of serenity…that is, until guests try my tea, otherwise known as “green mud”.

Like the subtle artwork in tea rooms, the artwork from Sincol Co., Ltd. gives a sense of peace and serenity with its subtle colors and patterns. A textiles manufacturer, they mount top-quality upholstery fabric to create artwork. The texture of the fabric panel gives a sense of warmth and comfort. The company also creates a wall panel which features an inkjet print photograph, but captured on a textile canvas that lends a diffused, calming effect. These unique artworks can give any room a sense of serenity…minus the gluey beverages.

I read that in Japan, every day there are dozens of earthquakes, some so minor they’re undetectable, some strong enough to pop you out of bed. They say that when there’s a big earthquake you should open your front door as an escape route, then dive underneath the dining room table with a pot over your head. Both the table and pot are supposed to protect you from falling debris, although the time it takes to grab a pot before diving under the table might make such precautions useless. There are also earthquake survival packs, a prepackaged bag you keep by the door in the event of a big one, complete with first-aid kit, radio, nonperishable food and water, etc. Being ever so thrifty and clever, I made my own survival pack, which included such survival essentials as face cleanser, dental floss, and tweezers (in case I need to pluck my eyebrows at the evacuation shelter).

Short of leaving a soup pot under your table as a precaution, you could use the waste-paper baskets by Hachiman-Kasei Co., Ltd. It is a line of environmentally friendly plastic goods, which includes baskets made with resin mixed with wood powder and resin mixed with recycled paper. They’re attractive enough to display in the dining room, with subtle colors and an organic texture that looks more like pottery than plastic. The best part is that it’s phenomenally strong, even under intense pressure or magnitude 5.5 earthquakes. Just grab this as you’re diving under the table, stick it over your head, and pray your cosmetics will survive the damage.

Word of the week: ズボン

Zu-Bo-N; pants or trousers

Learning Japanese is hard. Three alphabets, verbs at the end of sentences, and English words stretched like taffy. McDonald’s becomes ma-ku-do-na-ru-do’s; a ballerina becomes a ba-ra-ri-na. And pants become zu-bo-n. Zubon? That doesn’t sound anything like pants.

It shouldn’t, for the Japanese love of appropriating words does not stop with English. Instead, they turned to the French word for underskirt or briefs—jupon—altering both the pronunciation and the function.

There is nothing like living in a confined space to inspire creativity. While the incarcerated fashion shivs out of toothbrush handles, the Japanese take their lack of space and turn it into a legacy of practical design—one that makes the most out of every nook, cranny and level. A host of these ingenious products are on display this week at Felissimo’s At Home in Japan week where storage—a particularly resonate topic for New Yorkers—is masterfully conquered.

Marvel how easy recycling becomes with the help of Like-It’s Recycle Station, a waste container designed to store recyclable garbage. That means the stained, old box you keep newspapers in can now be added to the recycling, instead of housing it. Take a deep breathe and enjoy the extra space in your closet of an apartment when the Nest table from Santo Sangyo, allows you to finally uncross your legs with its Russian doll inspired tables. Take trash to a new level with the hanging waste basket from Hachiman-Kasei which forgoes tradition plastic for eco-friendly materials like resin mixed with wood powder and recycled paper. So before you finish honing that toothbrush to teach your roommate a lesson about her dirty laundry, stop by Felissimo to check out these products and more from the masters of living comfortably in cramped spaces. For New Yorkers, there is no way these products will get lost in translation.

Soon the leaves will turn, the air will chill and fall will once again descend on New York. For some, autumn is synonymous with bobbing for apples, haystacks and pumpkin pie. For me, it is the season I throw open the door to my bulging closet and sullenly note that I have nothing to wear. But instead of fortifying my wardrobe with items for which I feel fleeting affection, this season I’m going to accessorize with Milk.

And I don’t mean bringing back the mustache.

I mean the laser-cut products from the ingenious Japanese jewelry maker’s original collection, Chaluette. Simultaneously simple and intricate, the jewelry’s unique way of casting shadows on the body lends an added dimension to the stale clothes cluttering your room. The distinctive necklaces, earrings and bracelets currently highlighted during Felissimo’s accessory week mean that the muumuu in the back of your closet—the one you got a stoop sale 15 years ago, have taken on every vacation and refuse to throw away despite the fact that you have never worn it—can finally be debuted. Because not only does Milk’s jewelry allow you to add silhouetted intrigue without a tattoo that will trigger your mother’s disapproval, this jewelry will make a burlap sack look sexy. Perfect for both those who approach shopping with calculation and rationality and for people with a swollen closet and collection of muumuus like me. Only one question remains this season. Got milk?

My Japanese in-laws live in an apartment in Tokyo, and the only gardening they do is to prune the potted eggplant on the balcony. So, imagine my surprise when one day my father-in-law pulls out the biggest pair of branch cutters I’ve ever seen. Those must be some eggplants, I thought. Then he opens the kitchen window and matter-of-factly hacks a branch off the neighbor’s fruit-laden kumquat tree, growing right outside. Like the orangutans who poke sticks into termite nests to fish out a tasty snack, a healthy dose of opportunism, combined with the right tools, can make for interesting primate behavior.

Perhaps my father-in-law would appreciate a pair of gardening scissors from Otake Sangyo, Co., Ltd. They are made with premium quality steel, manufactured using traditional Japanese iron-making technology. Their blades have the reputation for being as sharp as samurai swords, making them ideal for bonsai pruning, flower arranging, and, perhaps, opportunistic kumquat harvesting.

Bubble wrap has come a long way. From New Jersey, where an unsuccessful attempt at plastic wallpaper created it 50 years ago, to Japan, home of the world's first and only bubble wrap think tank, the ubiquitous packing staple has long been the antidote for idle hands and anxiety-ridden office workers.

Now, with the October debut of Mugen Pop Pop, popping bubble wrap becomes a boundless diversion no longer tied to the UPS man's delivery schedule. Bandai, the Japanese purveyors of cool and quirk who introduced us to Tamagotchi and the Power Rangers, return to the handheld game scene with this pocket-sized, battery-operated square of bubble wrap. Mugen Pop Pop slips easily onto a key chain and features simple games, in addition to straight popping pleasure. The playful stress-buster is already a hit in Japan where the bubble wrap market is saturated with scented varieties, various shapes, and even a high-pressure version—not for packing family heirlooms, but for creating an extra loud pop, of course. Poppity Pop Culture Laboratory, the aforementioned think tank, even decreed August 8 as National Bubble Wrap Day (the lucky day was chosen because the date-hatchi hatchi-sounds strikingly like the onomatopoeic Japanese name—puchi puchi.)

And while we lack a think tank devoted to the stuff, Americans are just as crazy about the cathartic popping paper. Numerous websites and even the iPhone already feature simulated popping for those who find themselves without packing materials or in the library confronted with icy glares.

If you can't wait until October, stop by Fellisimo's Japan-centric exhibit to play with the display models. In fact, head over there anyways to check out the bright green plastic edamame pod, another ingenious Bandai product, which exploits the simple pleasure of popping beans from their husk. What will they think of next? My money is on one of two things: either a set of portable knuckles or everyone’s nightmare—an eternal blemish.

Ironically, living in a city where designers big and small compose whole neighborhoods does not make it any easier to cultivate a distinct look. In fact, it presents added challenges. Invariably, a subway ride or a trip to the grocery store incites indignation when two women, a man and a savvy 5-year-old all wearing the skirt you just blew your paycheck on file by. Instead of being flattered when people compliment you on the street, you regard them with skepticism and develop amnesia when they ask where you found such a beautiful jacket. This week, however, all that changes with Felissimo’s showcase of gorgeous Japanese accessories. Awe-inducing products like Teishin’s modern pearl jewelry and Hishiya’s traditionally inspired footwear will help you regain your memory and your benevolence. And equally seductive is the opportunity to field questions about your unique pieces with a fashionably nonchalant shrug. “Oh this little thing—it’s Japanese.”

Last week the designers from Boford came by to check out the Japan C exhibit.

Here's a picture of them in front of the Japan C sphere.

Last week, the Japan Society brought 30 local teachers to the Japan C exhibit as part of their professional development course From Anime to Pokemon: Using Pop Culture to Teach about Japan.

Check out some pictures from the event.

Teachers that are interested in learning about visiting opportunities can contact Tara Hohenberger at 212-956-4438 ex. 111.

Sugoi (SU-GOY)

The singularly most useful word in Japanese, it means “Wow!”, “That’s terrific!”, or “That’s terrible!”, thereby describing any situation. Even if you don’t speak a lick of Japanese, sugoi is an acceptable response to 99% of situations. For example:

Situation #1: You’re served the most delicious looking sushi.
Response: Sugoi!
Meaning: That looks great!

Situation #2: It’s the most delicious sushi you’ve ever tried.
Response: Sugoi!
Meaning: This is fabulous!

Situation #3: The check comes up to $500.
Response: Sugoi!
Meaning: Grab your bag and let’s make a run for it!

Green Capsule is a portable plant cultivation kit and part of a line of "lohas" products from Boford. Lohas means "sustainable lifestyle". Choose from cabbage, basil, green pepper and cherry tomato seeds. It comes with a cell phone strap so you can watch your sprouts grow anytime, anywhere, or it can be worn on a chain as a pendant. Once your plant grows too big for the capsule, you can replant it.

asobi – A-SO-BEE – play. A testament to the inherent playfulness of Japanese culture, unlike in English, this word is used to describe fun socializing activities for children and adults alike.

Design at Play items will be on display at the Felissimo Design House through Saturday.

Today begins a new feature here at Japan C: Japanese Word of the Day. Be sure to check back every day for new words!

youkoso (YŌ-KO-SO – usually followed by an exclamation mark)

This greeting means 'welcome' and conveys the sentiment of it's nice to see you. Drop by Japan C for a warm youkoso from our staff.