Isn’t it interesting how detailed the illustration is? And how clearly it communicated the message?

I am normally a fan of very simple and unfettered geometric forms for signage, but this has a unique charm that works.

It goes to show that you can use whimsical, decorative elements to create something beautiful that still fulfills the design intention.

One thing I noticed in my short time in Tokyo – the pavements are flawlessly even. This photo shows a perfectly level walking surface transitioning across three different materials: bitumen, flagstones and wood.

Excellence because someone gave a damn about what they do. Wow.

There’s beauty around us that we take for granted. When things work well, we stop noticing them. And then we go travelling…

It was markedly warmer today, with temperatures around 6°C. The sun was out and the sky was clear. Nice.

The two art galleries I went to were disappointing. The National Museum of Western Art (in a building designed by Le Corbusier no less) held a cross section of significant names like Monet, Picasso, Pollock; but the works did not grab me. The Tokyo Metropolitan Art …

The visual literacy level in Japan is very high. Everywhere I see great attention to detail – the placement of objects in spaces, the composition of visual material, the typography…

Everything gives the sense of being thought about, and considered. I am hard pressed to spot any “close enough, good enough” outcomes.

Tokyo is huge. Too big to hold in my head all at once…

In a village or small town, you have specialists/craftspeople, individual businesses that offer specific services like medicine, carpentry, bakery etc.

In a big city like Tokyo, these individual businesses cluster into streets or towns. Districts in the city become known for various specialisations such as the fabric street in Nippori, and the electrical/electronics …

When you become known to the world for one overwhelming thing, the world can stop seeing the other stuff you offer. A strong brand, a powerful unique value proposition, can be disadvantageous if you have other things to offer.

Hiroshima is way more than the site of the first atomic bomb used in war. It is actually a lovely, lively and living city.

There are vending machines everywhere in Tokyo. Many are installed outside, on public pavements. And they all appear to be well maintained, well stocked and operating flawlessly.

There are no signs of vandalism, burnt out lamps, scratched glass, or any other signs of people behaving badly towards these machines.

Is this a sign of civilisation? Where people have moved to other forms of expression beyond wanton damage?

Tokyo is proving …