Tokyo Designers Week (TDW), organized by NPO Design Association (Japan) will travel to more than 60 “Design Week(s)”  elsewhere around the world, starting from this year’s exhibition in Milan.

The event was initiated in part by Japan’s Seibu department store

Under the theme of “TOKYO IMAGINE”, this exhibition from Japan, comprises of various events expressing Tokyo, a place where both the contemporary city and Edo culture co-exist.

.

Sushi Power Party

The TOKYO IMAGINE opening ceremony started with a special sushi party.

This Japanese traditional style food culture is now recognized as UNESCO Intangible cultural heritage.

Guests were welcomed with sushi, a dish that represents Japanese culture, and dashi, which is the essential base for Japanese cuisine.

The sushi prepared by 3 Japanese top sushi chefs, Hachiro Mizutani (a three start Michelin restaurant sushi chef), Tsuyoshi Hamada and Taichi Ishikawa was served to design concerned parties and influential media.

Hachiro Mizutani, operates Sushi Mizutani in Tokyo, considered among the top 50 restaurants in the world.

Patricia Urquiola’s sake cups

Mizutani and his team presented patrons with fresh maguro, ebi and salmon, and poured sake into ceramic cups specially designed for the event by Milan-based designer Patricia Urquiola.

At the end of the meal, patrons could wrap up their cups and put them in a custom box to take home as a souvenir.

.

A furoshiki is a square of fabric used to wrap lacquered bento boxes ­– or even Tupperware if it contains a lunch or snack.

Framed and hug=ng, new versions were created by such top designers as Jamie Hayon, Marcel Wanders of Moooi, Piero Lissoni, Karim Rashid and Japan’s own Akihiro Nishino and Kashiwa Sato.

It’s a very old tradition that has managed to continue into the present day, and as part of Tokyo Imagine, the Tokyo Designers Week event on view in Milan, designer furoshiki were on full display along the walls of a pop-up sushi bar.

Left, by Kashiwa Sato; Right by Kazuhiko Okusita

Left, by Airside Nippon; Right, by Karim Rashid

Left, by Kita Furoshiki; Right, by Marcel Wanders

.

TOKYO Merry Go Round

Everyone loves a merry-go-round, a beautiful childhood memory of all.

At this year’s Milano Salone, TDW presents a whole new type of merry-go-round designed by Asami Kiyokawa and other Japanese creators under the theme of Tokyo, suggesting a new style of “aa” (Japanese culture).

Together with the shiny, speedy movie projected on the merry-go-round, sense the new taste of “wa” in this fancy merry- go-round

.

TOKYO Creative and Creators

Exhibition by designers who make up Japan’s current creative industry.

From interior design (including chairs, lighting), product design, fashion design, 3D art work using the latest technology, robots…etc

From spatial installations to collaboration products, collaboration with top creators by companies representing Japan’s high-tech skills and brilliant products will be showcased.

Aluminum air case for laptops by Hikaru Yamaguchi Designlab

Shoes by the Tokyo fashion brand Matohu, founded by Hiroyuki Horihata and Makiko Sekiguchi in 2005

Media Arts

Cutting edge technological presentation by TeamLab and Rhizomatiks, 2 Japanese leading media art units

The essence of creativity is to step forward. The theme of this year’s ASIA AWARDS is TOKYO AVANT-GARDE.

Like Beatles, Rolling Stones and Lady Gaga, we are looking for new creation which changes the society.

This year, the awards will be held under 4 categories: design, art, music and fashion.

We present young Japanese designers’ works as forerunners of the fashion category. On top of it, we have the works by last year’s winners

.

Things For Japanese Food

It is a selection of products chosen by Toshiyuki Kita, a maestro product designer who is still very active in designer, not only in Japan but also in the rest of the world, marking, a more than 40 year career, new tools for everyday use, and collaborating with manufacturers from the artisanal tradition.

“Things for Japanese food” , illustrates the backstage of the exceptional Japanese culture for food.

.

PADIGLIONE VISCONTI –  VIA TORTONA 58,

8th-13th APRIL 2014