japanese design.

Japanese Exhibition Poster by Masaaki Hiromura, via gura fika.

i love all things japanese — from sushi to vintage kimonos, and especially graphic design and packaging. i used to spend hours at Kinokuniya bookstore in san francisco’s japantown (i just found out there’s an L.A. location, too!). and i can’t read a word of them — all written in japanese, but i love paumes design books, too. i find the japanese aesthetic to be both simple and elegant, but also somewhat whimsical at times. they seem to have a keen sense of humor, or what some might call kawaii — lovable and cute. there’s a certain contradiction between say, the seriousness of their decor — like japanese tatami beds, paper lanterns and shoji screens which are so spare and practical, and then their packaging design which can be really colorful, playful and fun. regardless, i love it all and would love to visit japan one day. in the meantime, i continue to be inspired by their wonderful culture.

japanese advertisement from the 1950’s, via gura fiku.

clockwise, l to r: Alvin Diec, via inspired mag; harriet lee-merrion illustration; paper festival poster, via tegamisha; vintage advertisement, via histories of things to come; Shinchon Suk Jin for muji campsite.

onuma honey, via the dieline.

vintage advertisement, via histories of things to come.

harriet lee-merrion print.

clockwise, l to r: Japanese Exhibition Poster: The Unseen Relationship via gura fiku; sakura blooming, via 8toyko; japanese matchbox labels via jane mcdevitt; Yuagarido cider, via tomomasu.

planting seeds, via cafe slow.