Hasta La Gadget!

If you hate having to make awkward small talk when you meet new people in a bar or party, Logbar might just be your next destination. Logbar is a new concept that attempts to make the bar experience more social and open by allowing customers to interact with each other through creating, promoting and selling their own original cocktails. Open on Monday evenings in their Shibuya location, Logbar is an experiment that re-imagines how we meet and interact with strangers on a night out.

Upon entering, customers are each presented with an iPad mini that they keep for the duration of the night. First-time customers create their own profiles, which store personalised information like their favourite foods, current mood and hobbies, as well as their drink preferences. Then of course, there is the obligatory profile photo. The staff will even supply a desk light to ensure a well lit photo.

A number of different bases, modifiers and flavourings including whisky, green tea liquor and even flower petals among others are available to create custom drinks. For that extra something, collagen powder, vitamin C, and dietary fibre are also on offer.

Once a drink has been created, customers can choose their own catchy name, description and photo to accompany the mix. The drink is then posted to a public timeline where other patrons can order your special concoction. On the particular night we went, creations such as ‘The Eiffel Tower’, ‘Caffeine Explosion’ and ‘Anti-Aging MalibuOR’ were on offer. If a custom drink looks and sounds appealing enough, other customers might buy the drink, and the creator receives a 50 yen commission.

Perhaps the most interesting feature of this system is that it is all supported by a platform that utilises features of social networking services to encourage interaction in a uniquely “digital” way. Custom drinks can be ordered by, commented on, and even “liked” by other people in the bar.

Customers can also suggests topics to talk about with everyone on the main timeline, and send chocolates as virtual gifts to each other. Each customer starts off with 5 complimentary chocolates, which can then be traded or converted into the real deal.

Although we were initially a little skeptical of how interesting using the Logbar system would be, it was quite surprising how much fun we had just playing around with our own creations, and being constantly updated on what the people around us were doing.

While the system does make social interaction smoother initially, having an iPad in front of you the whole time does mean that you are going to be engrossed in using it. There were a few times where it seemed like the entire bar fell into silence because everyone was engrossed in fiddling with their iPads. There is definitely a question concerning the kind of interaction systems like Longbar enhance, and this mirrors broader discussions on the types of relationships fostered by social networking services (SNS).

Logbar seems well suited to situations where there is a lot of casual interaction, as it simplifies the task of approaching someone you don’t know. Although it is a good way to meet new people, for a small group of friends on a night out, for example, it might not be the best way to catch up.

It would be interesting to see how this kind of system could be applied to a different range of contexts. For example, it is easy to imagine how Logbar could be used to enhance dating services like speed dating, where the system’s easy communication style and gift-giving features could really add a fun element that enlivens the atmosphere.

Foreign tourists visiting Japan are often frustrated at the lack of free Wi-Fi spots available in the country. Not only does this prevent them from accessing maps, information and recommendations about Japan whilst they are travelling but they are also unable to ‘share’ their experiences with friends and family on SNS. This is annoying to visitors, but also a major loss for promotion of Japan in general. After all, imagine how many millions in free advertising have been thwarted by the inability to say “I am in Shibuya!” to everyone back home via Instagram.

Finally having recognised this frustration major Japanese telecoms supplier NTT East has accounced the implementation of FREE Wi-Fi spots available for foreign tourists to access during their stay.

How does it work? 

It’s actually quite simple, which surprised us given the number of really complicated wifi spots in Tokyo that never seem to work anyway. Keep in mind, this is purely for visitors to Japan.

1- Pick up a free Wi-Fi-card from one of the official distribution points by showing your passport and tourist visa at Narita Airport, Akihabara in Tokyo or at major cities in Eastern Japan.

2- The Wifi ID and log-in password are printed on the card so just enter this information when accessing an NTT East Wifi-signal (0000FLETS-PORTAL). There are already more than 17,000 NTT East Wi-Fi spots around Japan (as of January 2013) supported by a network of fiber optic cables, guaranteeing fast and stable access (according to them of course).

3- Once logged in you can make use of the free Wi-fi spots for 14 days. Ideal for your short stay in Japan!

According to JNTO the process is perfect for first-time visitors to Japan as there are no application forms, you don’t need to send any emails to begin- all you need is your Wi-Fi supporting device.

Where can I access the free Wi-Fi? 

The number of NTT East’s free Wi-Fi access points are increasing and for the moment you can find them at major sightseeing accross in Tokyo including Akihabara, Asakusa, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza, Ueno and Roppongi.

So far they the free Wi-Fi spots are limited to specific shops and restaurants in those areas (as pictured above), but I think it’s safe to say that this will be taken up rather quickly around the country.

Increasing Visitor Numbers to Japan? 

Information and instructions about this free Wi-Fi service is provided in English, Korean and Chinese highlighting the importance NTT East places on reaching out to Asian tourists who form the majority of visitors to Japan.

Asian Tourists in Japan. Image  via AFP/Kazuhiro Nogi/Getty Images.

A greater number of free Wi-Fi spots and more variety of Wi-Fi services catered specifically to tourists in Japan is certainly overdue, and is in direct response to one of the biggest annoyances to people who make the trip here. That, and it’s kind of embarrassing that the country perceived to be the most high-tech doesn’t even have wi-fi available in most places.

Editors Note:
What we’re really curious about is the business model of this approach. Who is paying for all of this? The government? Are the shops involved paying for the hardware? Short term it gets people connected, but how sustainable is this? We’d love to see business owners really understanding the necessity of catering to these kinds of needs for tourists because it will open their eyes to the laundry list of tasks ahead. Great to see this progress though.

Design Festa is a two-day biannual international art event held in Tokyo which showcases an enormous array of original artwork with over 10,000 artists exhibiting, buying and selling works created in multiple mediums. The 37th Design Festa will be held this year on May 18th and 19th (Sat-Sun). You can check out the highlights from last year’s events in the video bellow.

With the thousands of designers that will exhibit, attend and participate in the event we wanted to know what happens to them as a result of showcasing their designs and products. So we asked the organisers of Design Festa to share with us some success stories of past exhibitors.

TaroShooten are a pair of toy designers who first exhibited at Design Festa back in 1999 from which they launched into commercial success with their popular “Korejanai Robo” (Not This Robot, Robot) series which spoofs the fact that kids don’t always receive the right gift from their parents, elaborately constructed suicide buttons and other humorous products. Korejanai Robo has even entered into the pop culture sphere spawning its own merchandise such as USB sticks, costumes and cameras featuring character designs. The designers even created a funny backstory and orignal theme music for the series as well.

Shikano Takashi is another Japanese designer who enjoyed more recent success as a result of demonstrating his product at Design Festa in 2012. His “Shirt-ties” which are made of colourful felt can be fixed onto any shirt button are designed to be easily worn and fashionable and currently on sale at Tokyo iine.

Korean illustrator, artist and picture book author Seo Miji has boosted her career expontentially after showcasing her unique illustrations at Design Festa back in 2006. Having been interviewed and featured by mass media outlets including NHK and CNBC she is now invited to give regular talks and presentations at schools and colleges. Most of her artwork and stories are aimed at and about young children. You can check out her most recent artwork and contributions on her website.  The video bellow shows a live paint demo by Seo Miji at a the 33rd Design Festa.

Canadian

The artists above have shown that attending events such as Design Festa can significantly enhance exposure to one’s artwork and products, raise media attention and contribute to increasing commercial prospects.

To find out more about the next Design Festa event check out their homepage, facebook and twitter pages.

Ever reached into your bag to grab a packet of chewing gum to find that it had been squashed? Ever bought a lollypop and wanted to eat it later but couldn’t find any where to put it? Ever wanted to eat that packet of chocolate balls but have been too embarrassed to let people know what you are eating?

With wooden product-specific candy cases from Sweet D Life you’ll be able to keep your snacks intact and eat them in style.

Pocky Case

Designed for classic candy brands like Mentos, Mintia mints, and more the cases protect your sweets and gum from damage and present them as more than just something quick to eat, though that may be more of a Japan-specific need since the whole packet isn’t being consumed at once.

Fits Chewing Gum Wallet Case

Made from African Mahogany using traditional Japanese wood craft techniques Sweet D Life offers a range of cases for smartphones, business cards, coins, wallets and candy.

Chuppa Chup Carry Case

Each wooden candy case has been specially designed to hold the packaging size of specific confectionary brand, and is also designed to work beyond just packaging and accomodate graphics as well.

Case for Morinaga Chocolate Balls

Meiji Choco Baby Case

By working with classic brands that don’t change packaging often, this works with the popularity of a handful of confectionary brands in Japan and assumes a high level of brand loyalty among the buyers of these cases.

Mintia Case

With prices ranging from 3000 to 8000 Yen (US$32 to US$87) for one case they aren’t cheap, but for devotees of a particular product it’s not unreasonable either.

Meiji Chocolate Case

Smarties Case

In a way Sweet D Life are endorsing frequent confectionary consumption and loyalty to a specific brand of sweets, but also the lifestyle of having the products and showing them off. It goes beyond the quick eat and dispose mentality.

Tube Case

Offering such elegant and stylish wooden cases for confectionary that usually costs less than 2oo Yen (US$2.5) is an interesting concept, but perhaps that’s exactly what makes the cases a bit cray to begin with. Protecting your cheap sweets with a $40 case is something you only do for style.

February seemed to be the month of Art and Design exhibitions in Tokyo, after checking out the Japan Media Arts Festival last week we strolled over to the “Design Ah!” Exhibition in 21_21 Design Sight next to Tokyo Midtown Garden in Roppongi.

Based on the NHK Educational TV program with the same name, “Design Ah!” takes the show one step further with this interactive exhibition aimed at encouraging both young people and adults to think about design in their everyday life.

The curators hope to stimulate a ‘design orientated mind’ by showcasing works that reflect Japanese culture and encouraging visitors to experience design through audio and visual stimulus.

We came across some cool exhibits at Design Ah and wanted to share a few of the most interesting:

“Ah! in motion” by tha ltd encourages visitors to dance in front of the ‘ah’ phonetic symbol projected on the wall and watch as the ‘ah’ changes shape to match their movements.

“Furoshiki” or the art of folding cloth was demonstrated using simple instructional videos (produced by Taku Satoh Design and Etsuko Yamada from Musubi) where the visitor can learn and practice folding cloth to carry different items.

“Sushi Break Up!” by Tomohiro Okazaki deconstructs sushi into its various elements; separating each grain of rice, piece of fish and roll of seaweed.

“The many faces of sushi” by the Taku Satoh Design Office presents the diversity of food and objects associated  with Japan’s most famous dish.

Just Right also by Tako Satoh Design Office comments on what portion size is appropriate for sushi.

“Pouring Soy Sauce” is another work by Tako Satoh Design Office showing the mechanics of how soy sauce flows in the perfect way.

“School Break Up!” examines the objects and elements that are connected with the 6th Grade of Akasaka Elementary school in Tokyo and breaks it down into many items such as books, back backs, whiteboards and students.

“Dessin Ah!” also by tha ltd is an interactive design experience where children and adults are invited to finger draw the penguin statue in the middle of the circle on an i-pad. Artists can then see their drawing on the projector and can also understand the process they took to draw the penguin (or anything else they want as pictured above) as it is shown to them.

“Penguin Story” by Taku Satoh Design Office uses projection mapping to demonstrate moving images on the surface of three dimensional packaging as with this example of a packet of chewing gum. Visitors are expected to think about the future prospects of animated packaging designs.

Design Ah! runs from February 8th until June 2nd, 2013. General Admission costs 1000 Yen and 800 Yen for students.

We recommend that you check it out if you are in Tokyo.