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Anyone looking for the Robot Restaurant in Kabukicho won’t be able to miss it. Even amongst the brash neon signs of Sakura-dori, it stands out with its blindingly sparkly signs proclaiming ROBOT RESTAURANT. Or you could just look for the dinosaur in front of the restaurant.

Contrary to its name, the Robot Restaurant is not a place where robots serve you food. It’s actually more like a theatre, where you watch performances of girls and robots (but mostly girls) while having a meal. The robots are quite cool, but really quite incidental.

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Architect vs Fashion in Tokyo talk interaction
Toyo Ito (Architect)　ｘ　Naoki Takizawa (Fashion Designer)

A discussion between two designers from different fields
The meaning and the future of DESIGN

When capturing the concept of design from different angles,
Will there be a shared awareness?
Will a new form of design emerge?
The two most successful designers
Interact for a golden moment
To discuss the meaning and the future of design

Toyo Ito, the winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, which could be considered as the Nobel Prize for architecture, is an all-round architect whose works include Minna No Ie (home for all) built in the Tōhoku region devastated by the tsunami.
Naoki Takizawa established a solid reputation as the design director of Uniqlo after his role as the designer of Issey Miyake.
At this epoch-making event, the two geniuses will look into the meaning and future of design

Profile

Toyo Ito
One of the representing architects of Japan. Born in 1941.
His most famous works include the Sendai Meiatheque, Tama Art University Library, and the Toyo Ito Museum of Architecture, Imabari.
Winner of the Architectural Institute of Japan Award, Biennale di Venezia golden lion award, Royal Gold Medal of the Royal Institute of British Architecture (RIBA), and many others.
After the great East Japan earthquake, Ito has been actively engaged in the reconstruction of the affected areas, building Minna No Ie (home for all) to provide a place of relief for the locals living in temporary housings.

Naoki Takizawa
Japanese fashion designer. Born on 1960.
After entering the Miyake Design Studio, he took position as the creative director of the Issey Miyake men’s line from 1993, and the women’s line from 1999. He left Issey Miyake after his final 2007 S/S collection. In 2011, he became the design director of Uniqlo.
Winning awards include the 16th annual Mainichi Fashion Grand Prix in 1998, The New York Dance and Performance Award in 1999, and the title of Chevalier dans L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

Schedule

Date:　　 Monday July 8,2013
Time:　　 7PM – 9:30PM (open 6:30PM)
Location:　　 TOD’s Omoteando 6F
Admission:　　　 3000 yen
Capacity:　　　　150 (reservation required)
Reservations:　　Council of Fashion Designers, Tokyo
　　　　　　　　 e-mail: cfdtokyo@cfd.or.jp　　TEL: 03-5413-3188
　　　　　　　　 (Reservations will not be accepted once full)
Sponsor: 　　　　Council of Fashion Designers, Tokyo
Co-sponsors: 　　Nippon Menard Cosmetics Co. Ltd., Creek & River Co. Ltd., Heineken
Cooperation: 　　 TOD’s Japan, Art & Architect Festa (AAF)

Located in the woodlands overlooking Toyama Bay and the Tateyama Mountains is the “SAYSFARM” winery. Did you know that the city of Himi, famous for being one of Japan’s best fishing areas, produces wine as well? – I want to grow grapes for Himi wine, in Himi! – It was this thought that started the SAYSFARM winery.

Workers needed to clear the fallow land, which had lain untouched for more than 20 years, of weeds that had grown taller than themselves. The land also needed to be improved to allow better water drainage. Wine is produced in small amounts using only the grapes harvested on this 10 hectare farm.

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The Shiroganeya ryokan, or Japanese inn, established in 1624, is renowned for its hospitality and traditional architecture. It is the oldest of the most traditional, well-established inns. As the oldest ryokan in Japan that still houses guests, Shiroganeya has been designated as a tangible cultural property. The Shiroganeya reopened its doors in 2005 in affiliation with the Hoshino Resort, located on the grounds of a famous hot spring.

Just behind the noren, or door curtain, is the reception area.

Guests can enjoy some wagashi sweets and green tea while they check in. Time flows by unhurriedly here.

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Next, I headed to Kounosu Flower Center, one of Japan’s top class producers of flowers, with many horticultural famers scattered across the Center.

Here at the Flower Center, flowers gathered from not only within the city but also from all over Japan for wholesale. There are spaces for tours, allowing visitors to see what kind of place the inside of a flower markets.

Inside the flower market is as above. Some of the flowers traveled long distance to the market, some even from Hokkaido and Okinawa. You will be able to see a lively sight if you come early in the morning.

On the left is a picture of Seri Ichi where the shipped flowers are sold. Many people come from remote places to purchase flowers here.

Next the flower center is a farmer’s market called the Pansy House that sells local produce.

The Center is surrounded by many flower farms selling flowers that have been grown there.

Besides the flowers are fresh picked vegetables and rice which are equally popular.

Some distance away, there is a place called the Hanahisa no Sato that collaborates flowers and Japanese tradition.

The exterior of the architecture represents an old style Japanese home.

The sight of the blooming flowers with traditional Japanese buildings and gardens gives visitors a relaxing time.

The place where locally picked flowers are sold is gets crowded with people.

Leaving Kounosu, the city of dolls and flowers, we now move on to Gyoda, where footprints of the ancient times remain. Ever since the remains that proved the existence of ancient civilization was discovered here about a hundred years ago, Gyoda became known as the ancient town.

Lets take a look at the Sakitama Kofun Koen, or Sakitama mound park, which is also the symbol of Gyoda city.

Within the park are remains of tombs of the ancient people called mounds, as you can see in the right picture above. The fact that such an old structure still remains is impressive.

You can get a great view of the entire town from the mounds.

There are replicas of ancient pottery on the mounds giving us an ancient feel.

There is an exhibition of artifacts such as swords and potteries were excavated along with the mounds.

Putting aside the remains, you can also enjoy historical architectures within the park such as this house that has been restored from one hundred years ago.

A short distance away from the Sakitama Kofun Kouen is a park callked Kodai-basu no Sato, meaning the village of the ancient lotus.

The name of the park comes from the ancient lotus seeds that were found buried here, from which flowers bloomed.

They bloom during the summer, attracting visitors on a summer retreat.

The lotus flowers in the park are the most beautiful in the morning when they open up.

I then traveled a bit further to Yoshimi Hyakuana (one hundred holes) in Yoshimi-cho, located in a city next to Kounosu.

Like Gyoda, Yoshimi is also famous for its historical locations. Yoshimi Hyakuana is a designated national historical site, and you can also find a rare species of moss called the Hikarigoke (luminous moss) in the caves. The Hikarigoke with a distinct emerald color that appears to be glowing is designated as a national natural species.

You can the entrance fee to take a look inside.

We finally move on to the ending of this trip. The last place that I visited was the Kou Shrine, a shrine in Kounosu city.

The name Kounosu (stork nest) originated from this shrine, where it is told that there once dwelled a stork in a big tree that drove away misfortunes. The place then became known as the stork nest, or Kounosu in Japanese.

A tree that is several thousands years old that can be found within the grounds is said to have been the tree where the stork of fortune nested, and there are also egg shaped good luck charms placed in the shrine.
This historical shrine passes on the tale till this day.

Kounosu, the town of traditional dolls and flowers, and Yoshimi, famous for its ancient mounds and remains, are both definitely worth a visit for experiencing traditional Japanese culture.

Welcome to Sakaisuji Avenue! Better known colloquially as “Den-Den Town” (short for “Denki no machi”), this long street is Osaka’s answer to Tokyo’s Akihabara. Lined with stores like Animate selling toys, Kamen Rider figurines and various kinds of anime goods, it’s a Kansai otaku’s wet dream. It’s here that the annual Nipponbashi Street Festa takes place – a ten-block-long congregation of cosplayers, a veritable celebration of anime, creativity, and… more than a little kookiness.

This year, more than 22,000 people showed up for the parade, either to see or be seen. The overall quality of cosplay was pretty high, and according to a regular attendee it keeps getting better every year. Obviously, it’s fun just to gawk at all the pretty (or weird, sexy, amazing, stunning) costumes, but if you’re into anime at all, a cosplay festival like this turns into a Name-That-Anime game. Very, very fun.

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