Tokyo #2 - inspiration trip Tokyo Design Week

My second time in Tokyo. This time was it a company trip - inspiration. This week there was Tokyo Design Week which we visited. We also went around in shops to look at techniques, materials, trends, take sneak photos etc. It was great to been here before, so now I knew how to manage the subway system.

In Tokyo everything is good looking compared to Beijing. This is a wall covering a construction site. Great illustrations! Cute!
It feels strange but also a bit 'yeah, yeah, I know' to take a taxi ad find a Nudie catalogue there. You see Nudie, Acne, Cheap Monday in many stores and on many people. Sweden and Japan is like siblings.

100% Design... What can I say - not so interesting. The students’ works where really crap... The main exhibition was very small and they only showed for me old things. But we got some small inspirations moments. The thing is that we have heard a lot about it so we expected more. It is Tokyo! One of the biggest cities in the world! Why didn't Sony, Toyota or other huge companies take the opportunity to show something?The water lamp was nice...

In the evening we found some mingle... Konow said he forgot we where going back to Beijing in a few days - it felt so like home here... Hehe
Am I an extra in Tron or what? Only one word... Cool! But if I would see it in Sweden I would probably think it was pathetic? Hmmm, strange...A clothing shop only for your pets. And it was not regular pet clothes but more like costumes!

The view southwards from Tokyo Metropolitan Governmental building. It never ends... Even the electricity booths are nice looking in their own way. And there is no graffiti!
Shopping street in Shibuya. But are not so many people here now as, let's say, Sunday afternoon! Then it was crowded...
Konow found a great brand called Porter (not so difficult, you can find it in the super store 'Tokyu Hands'. They have everything! ) . A Japanese brand making nice bags. According to Yoko they last for ever! Something to sell in Sweden!
We had one night with some beers and Swedish students... Roger and David. Later on Yoko joined us and we went to a Nitty Gritty release party (yes, the Sthlm store). The probably think Tokyo is the shit and arranging it here also makes the a company trip!

In Yoyogi Park on Sundays there are a lot of people doing what ever to show off. Some have been there forever and some are new. These rockabilly guys probably forever. I heard about them for more then ten years I think, watching a TV program about Tokyo in Sweden. They looked like they were between 20 and 50 years as well.
On the promenade around the park indie band are playing and selling their music. Cool! They just bring their stuff and start to play. These guys hade animal costumes and a fan club of maybe 15 schoolgirls, singing to their lyrics.
To my joy there were also a bicycle meeting. A lot of fixed gear bikers hanged around and just did some tricks and played cool. I think it was sort of organised, they probably had a race later. But there were a lot of great looking bikes! Mmmm, me like...

Of course we bumped into people we know. This is students from Umeå from the same period as Konow studied there. The guy to the left works fro Toyota and he two others are just visiting him. We also bumped in to other Swedish designers who exhibited at Design Week.More people showing off at Yoyogi Park, these are standing on the bridge just outside the Harajuku station - the teenager mecca in Tokyo. Santi expeained to me that they dress up like animated characters or pop bands. It was strange o see them standing there and just act like sightseeing objects - posing with tourists.

Shopping interiors here are sometimes great looking. Here is a store where they, among other things, sell t-shirts in Pantone colours. Nice... But they didn't have that many colours to choose from. I was boring and safe - bought black and off white...
Konow found a really nice pair of Clark's. The store put all the shoes in their own boxes and made them interior details. Looked nice.
Santi brought us to traditional Kyoto restaurant. Yummy!
A&A posing...

I just had to take Konow to Tsukiji - the fish market. A must for the Tokyo visitor.
Look it's the sea! Both Konow and I just had to see the sea. I miss the sea!!! We didn't see the horizon but it was good enough to know it is the sea...
Many construction workers have special trousers. Some of them also have two toe shoes. Santi told me it is to climb the bamboo constructions outside the buildings. Not so common nowadays in Tokyo...
It only takes a few days and then you act like any Tokyo citizen. Sleeping on the subway... Soo nice! People say we Swedes have something about standing in line, but just look at the Japanese! They are queuing for about 30 minutes or more for doughnuts! Cheesus...