All posts tagged: Japanese

My-Lid Reusable Cup Lid by Nendo

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Many restaurants, cafes, and other food providers have done away with disposable plastic straws and plastic cups to help reduce the amount of waste that ends up in our waterways and landfills. With that in mind, the Japanese design firm Nendo designed the My-Lid reusable coffee cup lid for the convenience store chain Lawson.  The My-Lid coffee cup lid not only reduces waste for take-out drinks, but is designed to create a more enjoyable drinking experience. The main feature is the partially domed space on the opposite side of the lip. The drink’s aroma rises through ventilation holes and is briefly captured beneath the shell, to be enjoyed while drinking. Made of silicone rubber, a heat-resistant, and hygienic reusable material, the lid is double grooved on the inner side to grip and seal the rims of two sizes of cups sold by Lawson. A special washable lid carrying case made of Tyvek also serves as a sleeve for hot drinks. The project aims to reduce the disposal of approximately one billion plastic coffee lids, the …

Iittala X Issey Miyake

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A few weeks ago I attended a preview for the new Iittala X Issey Miyake Collection at the MoMA Design Store in New York City. The collection, which combines the Finnish craftsmanship of Iittala with the iconic style of fashion designer Issey Miyake, includes high quality ceramic plates, platters, cups, and a tealight candleholder; a glass vase; and textiles including a pleated totebag, a “table flower” in two sizes, napkins, place mats, and cushion covers. A color palette of white, pink, green, gray unites the modern, yet soft pieces. The MoMA Design Store will be exclusively sell the collection through May 2016. All images courtesy of Iittala, except where noted.

Chocolamixture by Nendo

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Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the Japanese design firm Nendo has announced their latest venture into chocolate. Following their recent experiments with chocolate made in different textures and in the form of a paint set, Nendo’s chocolamixture consists of little flask-shaped chocolates that come with five different flavors in miniature-sized test tubes: freeze-dried mango, freeze-dried raspberry, a popping candy that bursts in your mouth, three colored heart-shaped sugar candies, and chocolate puffs. Even the lids of the chocolate flask are made of white chocolate that has been smoked to develop a cork color. As with many of Nendo’s edible delights, these chocolates are unfortunately only available for purchase in Japan.   Photos by Akihiro Yoshida.

Triangle Roomshoes by Nendo

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Leave it to Nendo to come up with an entirely new look for the slipper. While this new cone-shaped footwear concept looks triangular from the side, a natural crease forms in its in-step portion. Only available in Japan, the gnomish shoes can stand on their own without taking too much space, and several can be stacked up in the foyer with no need for slipper racks — ideal for typically small Japanese residential spaces. Made of polyester and synthetic leather, the shoes come in two sizes and four colors. Photos by Akihiro Yoshida.  

The New Misoka Toothbrush Doesn’t Need Toothpaste

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Misoka might not look extraordinary, but it might just make you rethink your entire teeth cleaning routine. Planned to be launched to the European market during Milan Design Week next month, Misoka is a new concept by Japanese designer Kosho Ueshima, created in collaboration with the mineral nanotechnology company Yumeshokunin Co. Ltd. in Osaka, that uses a coating of nanosized mineral ions on the bristles to clean teeth. According to the manufacturer, the ions move in the water while brushing and pass from the bristles onto the teeth, removing stains, coating them, and keeping them clean and shiny all day. Unlike traditional bristles, Misoka has tapered bristles at both ends to better clean and massage the spaces between the teeth. Misoka means “last day of the month” which serves as a reminder that the toothbrush should be replaced every month, after which it deteriorates and loses its effectiveness. While Misoka has already been available in the Japanese and Asian markets since 2007 (with two million of the first generation sold), the PET (polyethylene terephthalate) brush been redesigned into a more fluid …

Stay-Brella by Nendo

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This clever “stay-brella”— created by the Japanese design firm Nendo exclusively for Seibu department stores in Japan — has a forked handle design that gives it a foot to stand on when not in use. This little feature also allows the umbrella to easily hang from tables and stay propped up on a wall when drying. The umbrella comes in eight different colors and has a strap to hang from the arm. A special surface coating reduces UV rays by 90%, a great feature in a country where folks use umbrellas for sun protection as much, if not more often, than rain protection. All photos by Akihiro Yoshida.