Akira kurosawa. 100 years old.
legendary film maker, who passed away in 1998, would have been 100 years old this march 23.
Resources:
very short list – thanks for belated alert
visit turner classic movies
wikipedia
Max experience on toilet.
a max coffee experience on the pottie.
when you feel the need on the slopes in japan this is what you have to look forward to.
[creamglobal] and much more via creative potties.
Kawasaki 2010 zx-14.
the most powerful and fastest production motorcycle in world.
The 178 bhp Kawasaki ZX12 has had the most horsepower of any production motorcycle, though it has played second fiddle to the 175 bhp Suzuki GSX1300 Hayabusa (named after the Japanese Peregrine falcon, one of the few animals on the planet which can travel at 186 mph which it does during a dive) because the Hayabusa has a higher top speed due to Suzuki’s aerodynamics. The Hayabusa’s top speed as measured by the Guiness Book of Records is 197 mph. But Kawasaki has announced the ZX14 (1400cc) with slipperier wind tunnel designed aerodynamics and the most horsepower and highest top speed of any production motorcycle ever.
Vitals:
configuration: 1352cc fuel-injected inline-four
horsepower: 200bhp
top speed: 200+ mph
Resources:
2010 vitals
2009 vitals
pnw riders
Paco micro home.
Just how much space one person needs. 6,000 square feet? 600? Well, try 30 square feet.
The Paco home has a hammock, a Japanese-style recessed desk, a sink, toilet and shower, all in a crate that’s a 3-meter-cube. Not intended to replace where you live now, but rather to supplement it. It could be a beach house, a portable office – anything, really, as long as you find a way to lug it into place and hook up the water. Getting inside? A hatch-like roof to get in.
Designer: Jo Nagasaka
Producer: sschemata
Greenback.
During WWII, with fears that Japan would overrun Hawaii, the US decided to issue the $1, $5, $10 and $20 Emergency Federal Reserve Notes. via hi + low [PR]
Tree, er, tea house.
Takasugi-an ( too-high tea house), a tea house in Chino, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Architect: Terunobu Fujimori
Designer: Terunobu Fujimori
More robots!
More robots! Robotic systems continue to evolve, slowly penetrating many areas of our lives, from manufacturing, medicine and remote exploration to entertainment, security and personal assistance.
Developers in Japan are currently building robots to assist the elderly, while NASA develops the next generation of space explorers, and artists are exploring new avenues of entertainment.
above: robbie the robot. shoe salesman. robbie debuted in forbidden planet, 1956.
I really can’t wait for my robotic personal assistant.
via: boston.com 28 more images!
Taker.
Taker is a wheelbarrow that doubles as a shovel to make work on construction sites less labor intensive.
More sand is used at construction sites than we might realise. It is often transferred from one location to another in order to flatten the ground or to make cement. This requires the construction worker to shovel the sand and transfer it in a wheelbarrow, which is labour intensive. Taker is an advanced wheelbarrow that is suitable for use in all kinds of construction work. It combines the functions of a shovel and a wheelbarrow. With this piece of equipment, the user will be able to move sand more efficiently.
Designer: Kim Jong Hwan and Kim Ji Youn
via red dot
Lexus l- finesse- crystallised wind.
This year at Milan Design Week 2009, a Lexus exhibition will be called ‘lexus l- finesse- crystallised wind’ and designed by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto. Here is a preview of the exhibit.
‘Lexus l- finesse- crystallised wind’ will re-interpret the ambivalence of the Lexus design philosophy ‘L-finesse’ through a dynamic installation that combines unity in space, sound and lighting.
“Crystallised wind is the result of a conceptual interpretation of the underlying principles of L finesse design”, explains Sou Fujimoto. “The term wind addresses not only the flow of wind, but also symbolizes a flow or current in a greater sense. It is a new horizon where the natural and the artificial coexist in space. I wanted to find a way to give form to that which is formless: to take the flow of air and the passing of time and to represent them in such a way as to explain the essence of the duality of L-finesse. the result is an art form that represents movement yet stillness, and the flow of time in a timeless environment.’
The Lexus space will display an acrylic art piece based on the full-size concept car model, the Lexus super sports concept car, the LF-A as well as a specially designed piece of furniture constructed from acrylic.
The exhibition will take place in Milan’s museo della permanente art gallery, from april 22nd to 26th.
Designer: Sou Fujimoto
mcdonald’s cooks up minimal. no logo.
mcdonalds recently opened two of their latest tokyo outlets. to say that it surgically has removed their corporate voice — well its really closer to a lobotomy. wow.
above/below> they have done away with the golden arches, ronald mcdonald, hamburglar, happy meals, and mcmuffins in this mcdonalds. they have even done away with a (the) logo. the only thing they retained is the color red.
above/below> the only products served are the qp (quarter pounder) and the qpc (quarter pounder with cheese) simply in red, white, and black packaging. the fries come with the burger as a menu set, no option here.
above/below> the interior is very lounge-like. one can imagine what the background music is — country & western ?
above/below> quarter pounder may look low key, but there is the viral online marketing to the hired hands handing out flyers to passersby. the “quarter pounder big secret” campaign.
we see the “no logo” look for bars and clubs and fewer restaurants. the “mystique” of a somewhere making all of its patrons feel a bit exclusive and in-the-know. if it looks like a club and sounds like a club. its a club. the stores are next to h&m, etc.
what it will do for the qpc? more than a singular design theme to one product. mcd´s is attempting to make an iconic product out of the qpc by wagering an entire restaurant investment on it. feedback and crowds say good.
this is case study material for the brand police. let’s keep an eye on how it does. could you put up one of these in your town?
editor’s notes via links below > in november of 2008 quarter pounder was mcdonald’s no-brand experiment introducing a larger ‘american style’ burger not found in japan at the time and tested on adventuresome and easily bored tokyoites.
via watashi to tokyo — meta tame