Tokyo Skyline – view from hotel room

A scroll of Wang Duo

北方俚作詩軸 (局部) c.1605

I was able to sneaked into the National Museum in Ueno Park last minute before boarding on the final day. Visiting the museum is like buying capsule toys from a vendor machine. This time I was very happy to see this rare scroll of Wang Duo (王鐸). This is not one of his most famous pieces, but his works are always so spontaneous and look so easy, yet every position, size and weight of each character are perfectly designed. I have been fascinated by the works of this 15th century calligrapher, which always pull me back to the fundamentals. It is the process on the top of all.

Café de Helvetica

I was so lucky to find this event when I was just about to retreat from the tightly packed Harajuku streets on Sunday. The show was all about the font, with analysis and comparison with other typefaces, displays of real works of the whole timeline, plus a 80-minute video show of a number of notable designers (Lars Müller, David Carson, Neville Brody, Paula Scher, Stefan Sagmeister...) talking about the type. This show took place on the top floor museum of a casual young shopping place and asked for only 300 yen for entry, something for everybody.

Tokyo Phenomena: 2. Salarymen Blues

If shopping malls and restaurants are the holy land for housewives, trains and subways are definitely where their counterparts belong. Beginning early from 7 am, non-stop waves of homogeneously black-suited dull faced salarymen crash continuously into every single corner of the cars, until end of the day.

Heaven and earth are just a few stairs in between.

Tokyo Phenomena: 1. Empire C9

From the posh Roppongi Hills arcades and Midtown to the classic museum complex in Ueno park, to historic castles and temples, and to hot spring resorts in the outskirts... don't get shocked to find yourself circumscribed with flows of Japanese housewives, anytime and anywhere, 7 days a week.

I think the islands could not be less grateful to their lovely contribution which keeps most of the nation in jobs to bread the families for decades.