Having friends over

How the time flies! It's already almost two weeks since my friends left, and tomorrow I'm leaving to Taipei. I rememer booking the flights and waiting for my friends to come like it was yesterday!

So it is time to post some photos from Tokyo before new adventures arrives. My friends Krisse and Noora came to Japan for short 10 days trip. First we spent few days in Kyoto visiting Fushimi inari and just walking around, but then we took the night bus to Tokyo.

First day we just walked around.

And learnd how to use the metro maps ect.

While waiting to be able to check in to our hostell we strolled around Akihabara.

In the promised land of games and machines.

In the evening we headed to Asakusa to see the shrines.

And after deciding not to go to the Sky Tree, we naturalle ended up there.

Waiting for the elevator to take us up in the air.

The vibe was just like from scifi movie or a space ship.

The night view over Tokyo.

Inside the tree.

Tokyo Tower where I went last time looked quite small from this angle.

The next day Yooka joined us and with her we went to see an interesting exhibition.

While we enjoyed the exhibition Noora and Krisse were shopping in Shibuya.

After that we had a dinner and wandered around the city.

And went home with these sleepy tired people.

The next day was shopping shopping shopping. And great looking places.

The lime green stairs were cool.

In the evening we went to Odaiba, the city of future.

Behind the Diver City there is a big robot with smoke machines and light show. Only in Japan.

Last picture of us before a long night at a very nice club. We danced till morning and had time to sleep for two hours before checking out from the hostel.

And because some bus ticket accident we ended up taking a shinkansen back to Kyoto.

And saw. mt Fuji on the way.

Back in Kyoto we went to Kiyomizudera on a very sunny nice day.

And after a bit more shopping it was time for my friends to head back to Finland :(

It was so nice to have them here and break the every day routines. It felt wierd to speak so much finnish :)

But the next adventure will take place in Taiwan. And soon my parents will come here too, so I have a lot of fun ahead! 

Photoshoot with Shiho

Few weeks ago I had a photoshoot for my "tatami stool" I posted earlier about. My friend Shiho was modeling with the stool in a very beutiful and traditional tea house here in Kyoto. After those photos we continued with only her in the same tea house and also in the studio. She was wearing a calm, beautiful kimono that runs in the family from mother to daughter. One of my dreams was to be able to shoot a Japanese girl with a real kimono and here we go :)

photos, style and concept : Esa Naukkarinen 

Model : Shiho

Tatami stool - school work

It is the last weeks of this semester so naturally it is filled with schoolwork. Last week I had a presentation about my restaurant project, and this week I have been workig with some reports and these presentation pictures of a stool I designed and made. The pictures were taken in studio and in a really beautiful restaurant here in Kyoto, or actually in two different tea rooms of the restaurant.

畳こしかけ (tatami stool)

tatami stool is a mixture of traditional Japanese elements and modern, minimalistic form. It consists of two parts: a wooden frame structure and a changeable tatami cushion.

The key words for the design were simple, minimalistic shape, ecological approach and a possibility to variate/customise the product. The inspiration was found in Japanese  harmonious, traditional lifestyle and materials.

The wooden structure is very simple. The silhouette comes from Japanese “torii” gates.The four legs are implanted staight to the main board that works as a base for the whole stool. The wooden frame around the seat hides an air space between the main board and tatami cushion. By using the stiff flexibility of tatami, the cushion will give in and create a curved surface when it’s seated on. Tatami’s pleasant surface doesn’t only feel good but also creates the main pattern of the product. By using different colours and patterns in the heri framing the cushion, the stool can be customised to match the interiors it is lockated in.

The cushions are made of recycled materials. Both the inner tatami board and the mushiro on top are leftovers from the tatami manufacturing and usually these pieces ends up being thrown away. The smaller pieces that doesn’t fill the standard sizes of tatami mats can still be used for different kind of products.

Tatami stool is a simple supporting furniture that can be customised to fit many kind of  spaces and purposes. It celebrates the Japanese minimalism and sense of pure shapes and traditional materials.