A central aesthetic principle in Japan is simplicity, but it is different from simplicity in the West. Let me explain the difference by comparing cooking knives. The knives made by the German company, Henckel, for example, are well crafted and easy to use because they are highly ergonomic. The thumb automatically finds its place when you grab the knife.
Japanese cooks who have special skills prefer knives without any ergonomic shape. A flat handle is not seen as raw or poorly crafted. On the contrary, its perfect plainness is meant to say, “You can use me whichever way suits your skills.” The Japanese knife adapts to the cook’s skill (not to the cook’s thumb).
hee, hee, hee. Robot head toilet paper dispenser. $39.99 from Gizmine.
I just filled the office with squeaks and “Oh my god!”s. Behold a miniature robot making a miniature cup of coffee. [via Culture Now]
Perhaps my new favorite thing:
I found it at an organic-ish market in Brooklyn.
YUZU - (Yoo’zoo’), or Japanese Citrus, grows throughout Japan. It looks much like a cross between grapefruit, an orange and a lime and can be either yellow or green.
Its flavor is similar to our grapefruit but has definite overtones of Mandarin orange. It is very fresh and tangy-tasting and is considered one of the most fragrant of Japanese fruits.
It’s actually not strongly citrusy, but the most accurate representation of what the word “clean” smells like to me. I am in love.
[find some near you]
Anacardo and I were watching Japanese commercials last night, and this one made us laugh until our tummies hurt. Ignored?
I want to be his friend. Kunio Kato was my favorite part of the whole weekend.
