Complex Blog » Japan

Model Monday: Tao Okamoto

intern — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:34:51 +0000

Tao Okamoto for Uniqlo, 2009

Although Japan Fashion Week ended yesterday, it seems like one of the country’s gorgeous exports is just getting started. Japan’s own hauntingly beautiful model, Tao Okamoto, is the current cover girl for the November 2009 issue of Vogue Nippon, as well as the new face of Uniqlo. Tao has already been in campaigns for fashion heavyweights like Marc Jacobs, Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren, and H&M. Keep reading to get familiar with some photos from throughout her career…

NAME: Tao Okamoto
DOB: 5/22/87
NATIONALITY: Japanese
WORKED FOR: Miu Miu, Cynthia Steffe, Vogue, Dolce & Gabbana, Uniqlo, Moschino, H&M, Marc Jacobs, Paola Frani, Emanuel Ungaro, Ralph Lauren, Harper’s Bazaar, Dazed & Confused, i-D, Yves St. Laurent, Roksanda Ilincic

VOGUE NIPPON, 2009

CLICK NEXT TO SEE MORE PHOTOS OF TAO!

The Complex 7: DJ Muro

intern — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:09:08 +0000

DJ Muro is a walking hip-hop renaissance man. Among crate diggers and sample DJs, Muro is internationally known for his soul- and funk-inspired mixtapes, which have earned him the title “King of Diggin’.” To Japanese hip-hop fans, he’s forever known as the godfather of Tokyo’s hip-hop scene. And to streetwear enthusiasts, Muro is renowned as a tastemaker who has worked with Stüssy, UNDFTD, and Staple. He has produced chart-topping hits in Japan, but still receives pounds of respect from the purists. Overall, he’s more than just your average DJ.

Despite the cultural impact he wields in Japan, DJ Muro is still relatively unknown Stateside. Well, time to get familiar! If you’re in NYC, you can check out the legend on the one’s and two’s tonight with DJ Neil Armstrong. If that’s too last-minute, you can also check him out tomorrow night with Q-Tip at Santo’s Party House, or Saturday night with DJ Chairman Mao at APT. In the meanwhile, read our Complex 7 with the Japanese honcho, and check out some of his best productions…

Interview by Jaeki Cho

“The Roosevelt” feat. Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, Trife Da God

“Lyrical Tyrants” feat. O.C.

Sky High! ~Mizell Bros. Works~ Sampler

#1: WHAT’S YOUR NUMBER ONE DEAL-BREAKER FOR A GIRLFRIEND?

DJ Muro says: Lies. Big lies. I had a girlfriend who wasn’t a normal girl. But since I’m not regular myself, I guess I can’t find a regular girl.

#2: WHAT’S THE WORST WAY YOU’VE BROKEN UP WITH SOMEONE?

DJ Muro says: When I used to live in New York back in the early ’90s, my ex-girlfriend was cheating. I found out when I was going through the closet, and I found a bunch of letters that my girlfriend was writing to another guy—who was actually a House DJ.

#3: WHAT HAS TO BE IN YOUR FRIDGE AT ALL TIMES?

DJ Muro says: Maybe water? And every time I come to New York, I drink a lot of apple juice. Japanese apple juice is whiter in color. The apple juice out here is more yellow, and I think it tastes better.

#4: WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SNEAKER OF ALL TIME?

DJ Muro says: There’s a record called Return of the Funky Man by Lord Finesse. On the record cover he’s wearing a pair of all white high-top Air Force 1s. When I first saw those it was shocking. I could confidently say that I was the first person who brought the high-top Air Force 1s to Japan. It was really dope. Lord Finesse rocked the straps on the Air Force 1s without putting them around his ankles, and nobody in Japan was rocking it like that.

#5: WHAT’S THE MOST EMBARRASSING PIECE OF CLOTHING YOU’VE EVER WORN?

DJ Muro says: When I started out hip-hop in the ’80s, hip-hop wasn’t established in Japan. A lot of rap artists and b-boys were booked together with clowns. I had to perform in department stores with small-time comedians, and one time I had to dress up as a clown.

#6: IF YOU HAD A WEEK HOLIDAY, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

DJ Muro says: Actually, these two weeks that I’m in New York are the days that I’m off. If I get a week holiday, I’ll probably go back to Jerry’s Records in Pittsburgh and dig. I’ve never seen a record store like that. I was there when the store opened until the store closed.

#7: WHEN’S THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

DJ Muro says: I didn’t actually cry, but when I finally went to Jerry’s Records in Pittsburgh during my last trip, I got a little emotional. Oh, and I knew Haze for more than ten years. So when I went to visit him, and seeing him doing all right with the new studio in New York, it got me a little emotional.

BONUS QUESTIONS:

Complex: How did your relationship with D.I.T.C. initially spark?

DJ Muro: I used to come to New York City to buy things such as sneakers and other things to resell them in my store Savage. I used to go to record conventions, and that’s where I met Lord Finesse and D.I.T.C. members. I passed my demo to them.

Complex: Are you planning to work with any New York rappers anytime soon?

DJ Muro: There’s a Marvel comic called Big Joe Crash, which KRS-One did the original soundtrack. The animator for that pitched the idea of doing an animation called Bronx Story in a Marvel comic way. They wanted me to work on the soundtrack, and KRS-One already sent me the acapella.

Complex: How do collaborations with Futura, Staple, Dice & Dice, UNDFTD, and Timberlands come about?

DJ Muro: A lot of collaborations happen when a lot of people from those companies come and chill at the parties I spin. A lot of requests happen when they ask me to do a product accompanied by a mixtape.

Complex: Why do you think that although hip-hop and sneaker culture started in New York, it has elevated aesthetically in Japan?

DJ Muro: In the ’90s, the possibility of hip-hop culture’s growth seemed limitless, and I wanted to bring that exciting vibe of New York into the Japanese scene. And I think it’s because a lot of people like me are out in Japan. We never shifted to another side; we always loved New York street culture, continued loving it, and it just grew.

Wake N’ Watch: Marvel Anime “Iron Man” Trailer

bfred — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:00:32 +0000

It’s hard to say which we’re looking forward to more: Iron Man 2, which hits theaters in May 2010, or this new Iron Man TV show that hits Japan’s Animax channel in 2010 (and presumably the internet, with subtitles, soon thereafter). It’s the first in a four series collaboration between Marvel and Japanese animation studio Madhouse, the iconic company behind a long string of critical and commercial anime smashes, including Ninja Scroll, Perfect Blue, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, Metropolis, Paprika, Millennium Actress, and Tokyo Godfathers (to name a few). They’ve also released the trailer for the new Wolverine series, which looks pretty cornball compared to the badass Tony Stark teaser, but we’ve posted it below for you to check out anyway…

Tune in to Complex.com every morning at 8 AM for your daily “Wake N’ Watch” video.

[Hypebeast via Fanboy]

YouTubin’ With The Stars: Utada

donniek — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:09:08 +0000

To a certain demographic—Japan-lovers, video game otakus and general Asia-philes—the singer Hikaru Utada is a goddess of cool. In fact, Utada is the only woman to be name-dropped in two separate issues of Complex as a reader’s “dream date” on our Street Detail page. With her ever-changing style, sexy bilingualism and Tetris fetish, Utada is clearly our type of gal.

In 2004, after years of doing Beyoncé numbers in Japan, Utada released her first U.S. album, Exodus on Def Jam. Though it had some good songs, it ultimately failed to make her an American star. Five years later, Utada is back with the follow-up This is the One, out now on iTunes and dropping officially on May 12. Whereas Exodus was what Utada now calls an “uncomfortable, bold and experimental” project, This is the One is more of a focused, concerted effort at breaking the U.S. charts with production from Stargate (”So Sick,” Ne-Yo; “Irreplaceable,” Beyoncé) and Tricky Stewart (”Rockin’ That Shit,” The-Dream, “Umbrella,” Rihanna). It seems to be working: The new LP debuted at #2 on the iTunes Pop Album chart. In anticipation of its official release, we sat with Utada and got her commentary on 7 YouTube clips related to her career…

CLIP #1: “EASY BREEZY” MUSIC VIDEO FROM EXODUS (2004)

Utada says: This was the first video for the last album. I came across too sexy in it, and they focused on that, but that’s not my character really. So that was really weird, especially as a first impression. Like you wouldn’t imagine that I was the singer/songwriter of the song when you saw this. So mission unaccomplished [laughs]. I remember running through this artificial rain so many times and it was freaking freezing.

CLIP #2: “SORRY I LOVE YOU,” FANMADE KOREAN DRAMA CLIP

Utada says: Oh, that’s cute! Of course it’s illegal [laughs], but this is really nice. I ain’t going to say shit if you’re not going to say shit! [Laughs.] But no, I’m very flattered. I can’t stand cheesy dramas though. I really can’t stand it.

#3: “SACNTUARY” FOR KINGDOM HEARTS VIDEO GAME

Utada says: I guess most of the people in America know me from this song, probably. [Also] “Simple and Clean,” you know. One of Kingdom Hearts’ main creative directors, [Tetsuya] Nomura, is a big fan of mine, so he offered me to do this theme song. This is actually the remix version. [Sings along.] See a lot of my songs were written from a guy’s perspective. I love you, don’t get me wrong, but does that mean I have to meet your father?

CLIP #4: UTADA FAN SINGS “DEEP RIVER”

Utada says: I think I heard about this. This is so sweet. Oh, she’s so cute. Look how shy she’s feeling. Awwww, how cute. Right through me, look at my heart. It’s pretty amazing. I have some friends check the fan websites and stuff, or my fans actually e-mail these things to me. It’s so cute, this person singing. She’s feeling it! [Laughs.]

CLIP #5: NINTENDO DS COMMERCIAL

Utada says: I was the first spokesperson for DS, I guess. My hands are tiny, too, so that’s the problem. I don’t remember how this came along, but the way I decide whether to accept an offer or not for these sort of commercials is whether I really use it or not. Even if it’s really good money, if the product has nothing to do with me, I’m not going to promote it as if I’m in love with it. That’s why I did the Sony commercial in Japan for MB player discs and batteries, because I used them so much back then. And Nintendo, I’m in love with this stuff.

CLIP #6: UTADA’S TETRIS CHALLENGE

Utada says: This was so hard because it was the first time I used wi-fi and I was just so mad at how difficult the situation was and how bad I was. So then I started to go on wi-fi, and I’ve been playing against people all over the world. My level is in the highest..the way that Tetris otakus are categorized, I’m a master.

CLIP #7: KEIKO FUJI (UTADA’S MOM) SINGING ENKA

Utada says: I look up my mom’s stuff on YouTube all the time. So amazing, so cool, love her so much. That was what was good about TV stuff back then. Now, especially in Japan, everyone has a bunch of takes, everyone has like three or five cameras, running around you. Cut, switch, zoom in, zoom out. It’s like, yo, unnecessary.

BONUS VIDEO: “COME BACK TO ME,” UTADA’S NEW SINGLE

Utada Hikaru_Come Back To Me
by bee443

Worldwide Wednesday: The 9 Hottest Japanese Women

donniek — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 21:36:27 +0000

Welcome to the Land of the Rising ~~Sun~~ Twos…

Japan’s triumph in the World Baseball Classic was mostly ignored (not us!), but there is one way it’s paying dividends for you readers. We finally have a rock-solid (ayo!) reason to do a countdown of the baddest Japanese women in the world.

You Japan-o-philes already know, but the country is sick with the chick game—its booming gravure/A.V./bikini-idol industry churns out big-breasted, sweet-faced girls like the U.S. does delusional rappers. To keep it fair, we only selected a few of these models, ’cause otherwise we’d have to go 900-click-throughs on you. Without further ado, we present the 9 hottest women of Japan…

#9. AI OTSUKA
CLAIM TO FAME: We were in Japan over Xmas break and couldn’t escape this song—at the airport, in shopping strips, on TV, at Starbucks, wherever. Yeah, it’s annoying as fuck, but the singer is kinda cute, in that artistic way.

CLICK NEXT TO SEE MORE SEXY JAPANESE WOMEN!

Korea Vs. Japan: A History Of Beef

donniek — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 23:14:29 +0000

Our hopes have been answered: The U.S. is out of the World Baseball Classic, leaving us with tonight’s all-East-Asia final pitting Korea and Japan. That may not sound exciting, until you appreciate the shared history of the neighboring rivals. Think of Korea vs. Japan as sort of like the Red Sox vs. the Yankees, if New York brutally raped and pillaged Boston over a hundred times throughout history, terrorized generations of Bostonians over multiple decades and forced them to change their names, lose their cultural identity and speak only with a New York accent. Yeah, something like that.

To paraphrase J.M. Coetzee paraphrasing Rene Girard: The fewer the differences between two parties, the more bitter their mutual hatred. Korea and Japan are right next to each other and share similar bloodlines, cultures and economies, yet an extremely bitter tension still exists between the two countries. Why? Check out our breakdown of the Korea-Japan beef through history below…

1592-1598: Toyotomi Hideyoshi led one of the first recorded Japanese invasions of Korea as part of the Seven Year War. The Japanese decimated the peninsula and kidnapped thousands of Korean artisans and brought them home'along with the ears and noses of troublemakers. The Mimizuka monument, which translates to “Ear Mound,” still stands today in Kyoto. That shit just don’t sound right!

1910-1945: Japan’s 35-year annexation of Korea included the familiar imperialist atrocities, but perhaps none worse than the “comfort women” forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military. Actual numbers vary, depending on where you’re from (Korea says 200,000+; Japan says 20,000), but there’s no disputing that the majority of comfort women were Korean. The debate continues today, with a recent uproar over Japanese historical textbooks denying the existence of comfort women, which is about as believable as Rawse’s denials about being a C.O.

2001-2006: Former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi created a stir with his annual visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors soldiers'and convicted war criminals'who died fighting for Imperial Japan. These public visits angered Japan’s neighbors, adding to widespread anti-Japan sentiment. Imagine the Chancellor of Germany paying homage to old Nazi leaders and you might get a sense of the outrage in East Asia.

2005-Present: South Korea currently occupies Dokdo, a group of islets between Korea and Japan that Japan claims is part of its territory. The two countries have long bickered over the area, with tensions rising in recent years with multiple protests and diplomatic sneak disses by each country. Should the two nations rap battle for it?

2009: The Japanese were none too pleased when Korea planted a flag in the pitcher’s mound after beating them last week. Who will get the last laugh? That’s why we’ll be watching tonight.

Buy It Now: Twelve Bar Japanese Selvedge Herringbone

donniek — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:29:12 +0000

On general principle, we tend to avoid company web sites that automatically play music. This is 2009, thuns! Save the tunes for MySpace. But we’ll make an exception for Twelve Bar, for a few reasons: 1) The London-Tokyo-NYC-L.A. brand draws its name from and is directly inspired by music; 2) its online store is one of the better ones we’ve seen from a clothing brand; 3) the line has evolved from hip-hop-themed T-shirts into a full, fresh, diverse collection; and 4) the music ain’t all that bad, neither.

Today’s Buy It Now is the Japanese Selvedge Herringbone from Twelve Bar, a great denim shirt that’s a can’t-miss for spring. For detail pics and Buy It Now info, see below…

TWELVE BAR JAPANESE SELVEDGE HERRINGBONE
Click Here To Buy It Now At TwelveBar.com, $90

Web site: Twelve Bar Co.

Buy It Now: WTaps Hellweek Hoody

donniek — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:16:49 +0000

Did you wake up this morning thinking: Damn, I really need a pink hoodie? You did, didn’t you? Well, you are in luck, my friend(s). Because today we’ve got the awesomest pink hoodie you’ve ever seen. Seriously, though, this pink hoodie will add a nice little color accent to an outfit, as long as the rest of your gear is in dark colors, or'preferably'all-black. Going pastel-on-pastel is not the move.

The Hellweek Hoody is made by WTaps, the highly-sought-after Japanese brand created by streetwear O.G. Tetsu “Tet” Nishiyama. The brand is renowned for its military-inspired clothes and fresh collabos (Timberland, Vans, et. al.). This hoodie has an inner thermal lining (step up your photo game, Union!) so it’s a good piece to transition into spring. For detail pics and Buy It Now info, see below…

WTaps Hellweek Hoody
Click Here To Buy It Now At Union L.A., $186

Web site: WTaps

Buy It Now: My Fashion Men Jackets

donniek — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:30:54 +0000

(Left) Two-Tone Hooded Raglan Jacket; (Right) Asymmetric Zip Hooded Jacket

If you’re snowed in on the East Coast today, you should have ample time for some serious online shopping. Really, what else are you gonna do? Watch The Bold and the Beautiful? Go sledding? Shovel your sidewalk? C’mon, spend some money, friends. It’ll make you feel better.

We suggest looking into one of these fresh Japanese outerwear pieces from trusted Asian streetwear site YesStyle.com. The Two-Tone Hooded Raglan Jacket is a 100% nylon windbreaker that’s kind of like a Windrunner with some added intricate detailing (those crafty Japanese!). For more conservative types, the Asymmetric Zip Hooded Jacket is a nylon/cotton blend in a classic anorak style; blue and yellow is a can’t miss for spring. For detail pics, additional colorways and Buy It Now info, see below…

MY FASHION MEN TWO-TONE HOODED RAGLAN JACKET – BLUE/GRAY
Click Here To Buy It Now At YesStyle.com, $128

MY FASHION MEN ASYMMETRIC ZIP HOODED JACKET – BLUE
Click Here To Buy It Now At YesStyle.com, $128

MY FASHION MEN TWO-TONE HOODED RAGLAN JACKET – PURPLE /PINK
Click Here To Buy It Now At YesStyle.com, $128

MY FASHION MEN ASYMMETRIC ZIP HOODED JACKET – RED
Click Here To Buy It Now At YesStyle.com, $128

Buy It Now: Head Porter Dot Black Beauty Bag

donniek — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 17:34:50 +0000

If we told you ten years ago that hip-hop kids would be rocking skinny jeans and toting manbags, you’d probably say: “Yeah, right…and I’m sure rappers will be singing emo electro-pop, too. FOH!” Uh, yeah. Things done changed. But it’s like they say: Trends come and go, but true style is forever. Which is why we love Head Porter, the collabo brand of Tokyo-based bag experts Yoshida & Co. and streetwear guru Hiroshi Fujiwara. These guys were producing high-quality, stylish bags back when you thought wearing a non-Jansport backpack was a style risk.

Today’s Buy It Now is the popular Boston duffel from Head Porter’s Dot Black Beauty series'the perfect carryall to stash in the overhead for your next weekend getaway. You can try to find it at Head Porter’s Soho NYC store, but for a closer look at the bag and Buy It Now info, see below…

HEAD PORTER DOT BLACK BEAUTY BAG
Click Here To Buy It Now At Head-Porter.org, $213

Space Invaders Comes Alive In Anniversary Anime

treats — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:31:13 +0000

When N.E.R.D. paid tribute to Space Invaders in the “Everyone Nose” Remix video earlier this year, it seemed like another compelling way to re-introduce the public to the iconic ’80s arcade game. Subsequently, a prominent street artist, appropriately named Invader, revealed special messages emebdded in his alien-inspired pieces. Well, it’s no surprise that the space critters are making a comeback'this year marks the 30th anniversary of the trailblazing video game created by Japanese developer Taito. Yay!

So how is Taito celebrating? For starters, they doled out a shitload of money to re-emerge the brand by creating Space Invaders gum with the LOTTE candy company, special branded home pages for Yahoo Japan, and a worldwide multiplayer tournament. But recently the Taito Corporation bested all of their previous efforts by bringing the little critters to life in an anime, currently screening at arcades in Japan. Set to an electronica soundtrack, the clip follows a girl who discovers the Space Invaders for the first time (like many kids are doing today). Check out the short video below…

[Space Invaders Via Technabob]

Nunchuck Baseball Is A Hit In Japan

treats — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:29:47 +0000

Even if Michelangelo was your favorite Ninja Turtle, you probably never thought that nunchucks would be used for anything other than ass-whoopin’. But after Nintendo introduced the Wii'which uses a controller attachment called the nunchuck'this ancient Chinese weapon has made a big comeback, being used for everything from boxing to Zelda.

Recently, a Japanese nunchaku master took things one step further by showing some real-world applications of his beloved fighting sticks. Down at his local batting cage, he took a crack at knocking baseballs out of the park, substituting his nunchucks for a bat. To celebrate his success, he also used the weapon to pop open a bottle of champagne. Watch the whole thing below…

[Wikipedia Via Japan Probe]

LED Sleep Mask Flashes Your Subway Stop

treats — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 17:29:13 +0000

If you’ve ever spent a late night riding public transportation, then you’ve probably seen it: an exhausted passenger who falls out and ends up sleeping through their stop, all because no one wants to wake them from their slumber. Well now Pyocotan, the Japanese author behind the manga Akai Ahojiru (Red Stupid Soup), has created “Noriko-san,” an electronic mask that lets everyone know when you’re supposed to get off.

The red, scrolling LED marquee that displays the name of your stop is hard to miss, but it still isn’t fool-proof. When the inventor hit Tokyo’s Yamanote train line to test it out, people still let him sleep through his stop. Damn. Watch the test video below to see if it was worth the 20,000 yen ($200) he spent making it…

[InterNews via Pink Tentacle]

Japanese Restaurant Hires Monkey Waiters

treats — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:50:28 +0000

If Sarah Palin needs more proof of evolution, the monkeys recently employed as waiters at the Kayabukiya tavern in Tokyo should do it. So what our primate ancestors can’t communicate through words'big deal! It’s easy enough for the animals to obey simple commands like serving beer and delivering hot towels to patrons'no different from the daily tasks of their human counterparts.

The species of monkeys at the bar/eatery are called macaque, which are widespread from Africa to Japan. But what’s scary is that some are known to carry the simian foamy virus, which causes AIDS. No need to worry though, Kayabukiya’s wide-eyed waiters Yat-chan and Fuku-chan seem harmless, especially since they only work two hours a day, and are paid in soy beans. Meet the staff in a video report below…

[ITN Via TokyoMango]

Japanese Pekoppa Plant Is A Good Listener

treats — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:49:14 +0000

In addition to the standard water, soil and sunlight, horticulturists have long claimed that talking to your plants is key to promoting healthy growth. Scientists are still arguing about whether or not it actually works, so for now Sega Toys has created a plant that nods like it’s interested when you speak.

The plastic plant, known as Pekoppa, is Japan’s latest experiment with artificial intelligence'the technology detects patterns and rhythms in human speech and bends the stem to a nod or bow. The green companion hit stores this week, at an affordable price of $15.65 on Amazon Japan. But before you cancel your next therapy session, watch the demo clip below to see how well Pekoppa listens…

[Japan Trend Shop via Random Good Stuff]

Kenchikukagu Folds Whole Rooms Into Rolling Boxes

treats — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:05:55 +0000

In today’s market of over-priced real estate, the average apartment is basically a man-sized shoebox. Now you can make the most out of the space thanks to Japanese company Atelier OPA and designer Toshihiko Suzuki, who have introduced a series of folding “rooms” called Kenchikukagu.

The innovative line features a kitchen, bedroom and office that all fold up into compact cabinets that can be wheeled away for easy storage. For about $7,500 each, you can buy one now on Amazon Japan. See how it all unfolds in the video below…

[Kenchikukagu via Luxurylaunches]

Japanese Airbag Jacket Will Break Your Fall

treats — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:24:22 +0000

Crying out “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” is pretty pointless if no one’s around to hear it. But now clumsy old folks (and drunk young people) have a little extra protection when they take the inevitable spill'at this year’s International Home Care and Rehabilitation Exhibition, Tokyo-based company Prop unveiled a jacket equipped with multiple airbags.

When the user begins a backwards descent, the $1,400 strap-on product will inflate a bag behind the head and hips in an impressive 0.1 seconds, cushioning the fall. But be warned: if you collapse face-first, you’re fucked. Watch a demo video of he jacket in action below…

[BBC via One Inch Punch]

Brand Profile: Neighborhood

donniek — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:05:24 +0000

We’ve already hipped you to its flagship store and some if its sneaker collabos'now it’s time to give Japanese line Neighborhood the full brand profile treatment.

Launched by Shinsuke Takizawa in Harajuku in 1994, Neighborhood embodies its creator’s passion for biker culture and style. The line is renowned for its distressed denim and leather motorcycle jackets, as well as other subtly-detailed pieces that follow the biker/military/outdoors motif. Neighborhood’s recent collabos with the likes of Stussy and A Bathing Ape have put it on the U.S. streetwear radar, but it’s still hard to find'it’s sold at five U.S. boutiques (including Union NY, Union LA and Relic in Boston) and online at its own shop and other retailers.

Neighborhood’s autumn/winter collection is titled “Dirty Harry”, but the steez is more biker badass than renegade cop, with mechanic-inspired shirts, flannels, paint-splattered denim, and slick bubble jackets. See a sampling below…

[Click on an image to view full-size picture.]

Neighborhood Flagship Store
4-32-7 Jingumae Shibuya-Ku
Tokyo, Japan
81-3-3401-1201

HomeStar Spa Turns Your Tub Into A Planetarium

treats — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:57:20 +0000

Since the dawn of the 1970s, stoners have flocked to their local planetarium for a mind-blowing look at the starry night sky. Now you can bring the experience home without cutting a hole in your roof thanks to Sega Toys, who just dropped the HomeStar Spa.

The Japanese innovation is a small globe designed to float around while you take a bath. When turned on in a dark room, it projects stars all over the walls and ceiling. It also comes with two other settings, DeepBlue and RoseBath (your mom would probably prefer the latter). The little battery-powered dome costs $99 bucks and is available here. Check out a video demo below…

[Japan Trend Shop]

Nintoaster Reheats Original NES Console

treats — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:16:35 +0000

The Wii might be all the rage these days, but the O.G 8-bit Nintendo system that debuted back in 1985 is still being re-invented. Nintoaster, the latest D.I.Y rendition of the machine that had us all blowing our brains out, was constructed using a simple pop-up toaster.

An industrious engineer named Richard DaLuz (who previously created an all-in-one system with Atari 2600, NES, SNES and Genesis) recently gutted a toaster, inserted an old Nintendo’s parts (controllers, AC adaptor), orange LED lights (for the cooking effect) and made it into a fully functional system. Watch a video of him recreating the process below.

[Stupidfingers via dsgnwok]