Ahead of a Tokyo exhibition to celebrate the 360th year of the Ohi ware school of ceramics, the 11th head of the acclaimed family of artisans describes how continuing his legacy means adapting to a new generation. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2026/05/12/style-design/ceramics-ohi-chozaemon-xi-japanese-crafts-360th-anniversary/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #life #styledesign #japanesecrafts #pottery #exhibitions #japaneseart #ohiware #ohichozaemonxi
Ohi Chozaemon XI: ‘We cannot make tradition the absolute rule’

The 11th head of the Ohi ware school of ceramics believes his craft can only survive if history is a set of guidelines, not laws.

The Japan Times
From European fashion houses to content creators, everyone is talking about "sashiko" — traditional Japanese needlework. But a new book from a third-generation artisan asks the world to remember the craft's https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2026/05/02/style-design/sashiko-needlework-new-book-traditional-craft/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #life #styledesign #sashiko #japanesecrafts #books
‘Sashiko’ needlework artisan says craft is about 'the stories behind the stitching'

In a new book, a third-generation craftsman explores how the origins of his art are at risk of being lost in an upswell of popularity.

The Japan Times
A Cabinet Office–backed showcase of Japanese craft, design, art and fashion is designed to feel effortless. But what happens to art when elegance is also policy? https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2026/03/28/style-design/sui-collection-kyoto-paris-cabinet-office-japanese-crafts/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #life #styledesign #japanesecrafts #japaneseart #japanesefashion
What happens when Japan curates its aesthetic for the world?

The Sui Collection of traditional artistry demonstrates how Japan wants to be seen — both domestically and abroad.

The Japan Times
For its 60th anniversary, Yamaha is expected to pull in ¥48.6 billion ($309 million) by the end of this financial year from its guitar business (16% of the company’s overall musical instrument section). https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2026/03/14/style-design/yamaha-guitars-60th-anniversary-hamamatsu-factories/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #life #styledesign #yamaha #guitar #music
After 60 years, Yamaha guitars still striking the right chord

This year marks six decades since the company put out its first acoustic folk guitar, the FG180.

The Japan Times
From subtle designs that emphasize natural beauty to miniature sculptures of sushi and omelets, Japanese nail art is governed by only one rule: choose what you love. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2026/02/07/style-design/nail-art-tokyo-salons-feminism/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #life #styledesign #japanesefashion #nails #salons #feminism
‘In Japan, people pack everything they love on their nails’

Tokyo’s nail artists say their customers view their chosen designs as reflections of their inner selves.

The Japan Times
Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani, creator of the iconic “Valentino red” and a titan of haute couture, has died in Rome at 93. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2026/01/20/style-design/fashion-designer-valentino-dies/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #life #styledesign #fashion #obituary #valentino
Valentino, Italian haute couture 'emperor' who painted fashion red, dies at 93

From Hollywood glamour to Paris haute couture, Valentino built an empire on elegance, devotion to beauty and one unforgettable shade of red.

The Japan Times
Two years after the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake and tsunami, local potters have banded together in the few rebuilt kilns to keep their craft alive. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2026/01/01/style-design/suzuyaki-noto/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #life #styledesign #noto #earthquake #traditionalcraft #exhibition
Noto's Suzu ware reemerges from the earthquake rubble

Two years after the 2024 earthquake and tsunami, Noto potters find purpose in carrying on their craft.

The Japan Times
From Dec. 18 to 21, some of Japan’s top design talent will offer their creations directly to the public from the Forest Hill West complex in Tokyo’s Aoyama neighborhood. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2025/12/20/style-design/designtide-tokyo-2025-crafts-art/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #life #styledesign #japanesecrafts #sculpture #exhibitions
Designtide Tokyo 2025 closes this weekend with a creator-led marketplace

After returning in 2025 following a 12-year break, the event finished with a chance for designers and buyers to meet face to face.

The Japan Times
Japan’s internet can look a bit weird to outsiders — dense pages, information overload, text burned into images. But, like most things in Japan, there’s a cultural logic behind it. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2025/12/15/style-design/japan-internet-web-design/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #life #styledesign #design #internet #webdesign #graphicdesign #commercials #marketing #typography #font
Why Japan’s internet looks weird — unless you live here

A closer look at Japan’s maximalist web design shows how cultural values and practical needs create an online world richer than it appears.

The Japan Times
Frank Gehry, who died Dec. 5 at 96, long rejected the tidy ideals of modernist design and aimed instead to capture the messiness and democratic spirit of daily life. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2025/12/06/style-design/frank-gehry-obituary/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #life #styledesign #frankgehry #architecture #obituaries
Frank O. Gehry, titan of architecture, is dead at 96

Visionary architect of Bilbao’s Guggenheim and a host of landmark works, Gehry closes a career that reshaped cities with sculptural boldness.

The Japan Times