Yesterday, the Japanese Design Today 100 exhibit of the Japan Foundation, Manila at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila had an Open House, so I decided to go check it out.
From classic designs to furniture, housewares, tableware, cookware, apparel, accessories, stationery, hobbies healthcare, disaster relief and transportation, the exhibit curated by design critic Prof. Hiroshi Kashiwagi of Musashino Art University, Masafumi Fukagawa, design director Shu Hagiwara and Journalist Noriko Kawakami.
I was also able to see a scene or two from Voices of a Distant Star (if only I had not been lost going there I would have seen the first scenes).
As this exhibit is a lot for the eyes to see, here are the ones I appreciate the most.
Japanese designers really love to use space the most — which is why I really appreciate the value of these two. Both are from the Issey Miyake studio: the first one is a dress, the second one is a lamp. Just look at how they got these things compressed (below).
Japan’s notable for their soy sauce containers (designed by Kikkoman), and so as the other utensils and stuff related to cooking
Wind chimes. While it’s not allowed to touch them, I tried blowing the chimes — and they sound great.
Japan’s also done designs related to office supplies. Most of you should’ve known that Japan calls their staplers “Hotchkiss.”
[From left to right] WASHI dECO SNOWFLAKE made out of paper, the miniature accesories that is assembled like Gunplas, and Block 15 degrees.
Great pieces of Japanese technology are on display as well.
Japanese designs related to transportation are also on display — see that illuminating bike rim?
There is also another exhibit that talks inherits Japanese design into Filipino commodities.
If you want to see more, go check the exhibit out at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)complex, Roxas Blvd., Pasay City. The exhibit is up until August 19th. This is done alongside the celebration of the 60th anniversary of Philippine-Japan Friendship.
For easy access: From the LRT1 Vito Cruz station, go walk until you reach the Philippine Sports commission (Rizal Memorial Sports Complex), ride a jeep there en route to CCP Complex and stop at the Legaspi Towers. Beside it is the BSP complex.
P.S. I was able to enter the exhibit free as it is their open house day, but prepare Php100 (Php80 for senior citizens) for the admission fee.