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Showing posts from June, 2015

AMAN TOKYO: THE EXPERIENCE

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Their hardware is great. But I think it might take them at least a few years to become a true Aman. ハードウェアは素晴らしい。でも、真のアマンになるには、最短でもあと数年はかかるだろう。

AMAN TOKYO: THE EVENING

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This is is a new way to enjoy Tokyo evening. 東京の夜の、新しい楽しみ方。

AMAN TOKYO: POOL DAY

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If you're lucky, you can have the 30-meter black pool in the Otemachi sky all to yourself. 運が良ければ、大手町の上空にある30メートルのブラックプールを独り占めできる。

AMAN TOKYO: THE ROOM

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They gave us a room on the top floor. Once in this city, looking down at the Imperial Palace was not allowed. Now you can take a bath doing it. 最上階の部屋を用意してくれた。かつてこの街では皇居を見下ろすことは許されなかったが、今では見下ろしながら風呂に入れる。

AMAN TOKYO: CHECK-IN

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Starting a vacation in my hometown. 今回のバケーションは、自分のホームタウンで。

TRITON PROJECT

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It's a revolution coming from the sea. Fisherman Japan , a collective of young independent fishermen in the Tohoku region, and Makigumi , Ishinomaki's new creative shop, teamed up and launched Triton Project . Starting from the Ishinomaki and Sanriku areas, this project creates bases for a new generation of fishermen to live and work together in various locations throughout Japan. These bases are expected to be the birthplace of stylish, innovative, and prosperous fishermen who will ultimately change the landscape of the fishing industry of this country. The team is now building three Triton Bases in Onagawa, Jyusanhama, and Utatsu, as the first round of the project. And all of them are planned to be inaugurated on July 20th –the Marine Day holiday. I joined the project supporting Makigumi and contributed the project naming—with nods to a globally known god of the sea—and copies. The visual identity was created by my longtime creative partner Gino Woo a.k.a.  Woog .  革命が海から始

BETTIE PAGE REVEALS ALL JAPAN PREMIERE

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I joined the Japan premiere of "Bettie Page Reveals All" , a documentary feature film about the life history and cultural influence of legendary American pin-up model Bettie Page, at  Institut français du Japon - Tokyo in my neighborhood. LA-based burlesque performer  Nikita Bitch Project , who used to be an interactive producer at my previous agency Wieden+Kennedy Tokyo , has been working hard with her mates to bring this movie to Japan and she also wrote Japanese subtitles. The movie featuring a voiceover track of Bettie Page herself which was recorded prior to her death in 2008 reveals the untold story of one of America's pop icons. And it's quite intriguing to see that her style and attitude keep inspiring the world of modern music, fashion, and entertainment. アメリカの伝説的なピンナップモデル、ベティ・ページの生涯と文化的な影響力を描いた長編ドキュメンタリー映画 「Bettie Page Reveals All」 のジャパンプレミアが、我が家の近所の アンスティチュ・フランセ東京 で行われたので観に行った。この映画を日本に持ってくるために仲間とがんばったのは、LAベースのバーレスクパフォーマー、 Nikita Bitch Project 。彼女は以前、

THE RUNWAY WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

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A short hop to Haneda. On a 767, again . 羽田への短いフライト。 またしても 、767。 Taking off in the opposite direction to Mount Aso on RWY 25. The first flight of my life started from this runway about 40 years ago. I can't quite remember which direction of the runway we used on that day, though. 阿蘇山とは反対の方向に向かってランウェイ25からテイクオフ。40年ほど前、僕の人生初フライトが始まったのは、このランウェイからだった。その時にランウェイのどちらの方位を使ったかは憶えていないが。 A quick dinner at cruising altitude. ANA B767-300 KMJ-HND. The 638th flight in my lifetime. 巡行高度でクイックなディナー。ANA B767-300 KMJ-HND。生涯638フライト目。

ASO KUMAMOTO AIRPORT

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I was wondering how they operate an airport named after a nearby volcano while the volcano keeps erupting. However, it was quite normal except some LCC. 近くにある火山の名前をつけた空港が、その火山が噴火している時にどんなオペレーションをしているか気になったが、一部のLCCを除き、いたって平常通りだった。 JAL's relatively new 767 "Suica Penguin Jet" is leaving the gate to let a penguin fly. JALの比較的新しい767、「Suicaのペンギンジェット」がゲートを離れる。そして、ペンギンが空を飛ぶ。 Fuji Dream Airlines is currently operating 9 Embraer E-Jets and each of them has a different body color. The 6th bird wearing purple is now departing for Nagoya Komaki. フジドリームエアラインズはそれぞれが違ったボディカラーを持つ9機のエンブラエルE-Jetを運航中。名古屋小牧に向けて出発するこのパープルは6号機。 "Thank you, Boeing 747." Sadly Jumbos for short domestic routes has become a thing of the past. 残念ながら、短距離国内線を飛ぶジャンボはもう昔話。

UMEKURA

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Lunch at Umekura, a Japanese restaurant in Aso City, who offers menus that take advantage of richness of local ingredients. Their front garden which looks like a part of surrounding fields is also nice. Finding a wonderful restaurant in unfamiliar place is always a joy. 今日のランチは、阿蘇市にある和食の店「梅くら」で。地元の食材の豊かさを活かしたメニューがそろっていて、周りの田園と一つになったような前庭もいい感じ。知らない場所で良い店と出会えると、実に嬉しいもの。

KUROKAWA ONSEN

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Walking around Kurokawa Onsen, a hot spring town in mountains near the prefecture border between Kumamoto and Oita. The scenery and greenery around this place give me a sense of nostalgia for good old Japanese summer vacations, even though it's not summer yet. 熊本と大分の県境に近い山の中にある黒川温泉の街を歩く。この風景と緑は、古き良き日本の夏休みへの郷愁のようなものを呼び覚ます。まだ夏ではないのだが。

SANSOU TAKEFUE: AFTERNOON

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Hammocking before hot spring bathing. This is the way vacation should be. 温泉に入る前にハンモック。バケーションとは、こうあるべき。