Spent last week in Tokyo for a workshop. A good opportunity to wander around and run across objects that I found typically from there. A short list, it's definitely a selection, can't be exhaustive.

My favorite, it's pervasive and fascinating. A plastic weight with an handle used to stabilize different things here and there in the City.

Most of the people I've seen used this model of umbrella. They sometimes leaves it in different places.

Umbrellas a pervasive but hats are important too. This one's in a university office, just in case an earthquake appears.

Towels need to be warmed, don't they?

I'm not entirely sure about it but it feels like it's meant to protect the brand new metro ticket you buy at the counter. Lovely design.

The conspicuous vending machines and their touch/SUICA-enabled interface.

This category deserves a whole blogpost/book/encyclopedia. Ah, game controllers.

The frog-like bins are intriguing too.

Why do I blog this? Material culture is fascinating to observe. The design of all these objects is interesting and highlight the way mundane activities are conducted. Such artefacts reflect needs and correspond to expectations or situations... and can act as potential stimuli in workshop/research to show alternative to how things are done/made elsewhere.