07.20.09
Posted in F-Design, Finnish, Friends, Japanese at 16:06 by krause
Some time ago I blogged some Japanese traditional garments (kimono and obi) made of Finnish design printed cotton (Marimekko’s Unikko). Now I spotted the same design on the cover of a booklet about Finnish fabric(s): Finland Fabric 2.
After all, it is not surprising that there are books about Finnish design in Japanese – one can search for more Finnish related stuff in Japanese just by typing (or copying) フィンランド into the search engine. It was actually entertaining to look at what for example Google finds on that search string. Somehow it tells us how the Japanese see Finland. Who would have guessed Santa, Lapland, Aarikka, Iittala, Arabia, Marimekko, Moomin, the cathedrals and churches of Helsinki, big ferries to Sweden, old Russian coins, snow, salmiakki, wooden artifacts, kahvila Suomi are well documented? Haha.
I would have liked to find more of viili, acidofilus / lactobacillus products, piimä, xylitol – just to name a few. No Eliel Saarinen, not much Alvar Aalto. But true, this was only Google. I found some funny ones, though.
Pikku Finland day21.6 was a surprise. First of all the place for the festival is Kanazawa, the city where I happened to live. The caption is about sausage being served, Iittala and Artek…
I also found a calling card I received in Japan: Café Kiitos (Thank you in Finnish).
So we have Kamome Shokudou (Kahvila Suomi) and the Japanese have カフェ＆レストラン ã‚ートス that is Kafe & Resutoran Kiitosu! Here’s anohter blog entry on kafe Kiitosu.
What’s more, there is a bakery by the same name:
(Blogged in Yuki-san’s blog Another Time).
And if I do kumihimo, there is Finnish himmeli straw craft in Japanese: 
From the category Finnish horror stories, メンミ = mämmi, the black stuff fermented from
blogged by “Malion” form Japan: If you can’t understand the Japanese description of this traumatic event, look at the numerous smilies 
.
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08.09.08
Posted in F-Design, J-Design tagged Dome house, Futuro at 13:56 by krause
We have Matti Suuronen’s Futuro, designed 1968. Now the Japanese strike back with the styrofoam home Dome.
Futuro village:
Dome village:
There are interesting dome houses, spherical, round and even revolving houses around the globe (pun intended), not to mention all sorts of traditional habitats like huts (Africa, Celtic etc.), teepees, Sami fur kota teepees, yurts, and of course, igloos. This dome house in Hakui, Nooto hantoo (Nooto peninsula, Japan) was photographed by me in 2006.
Recently, the Futuro sold at Christie’s for €140,000 (¥23,200,000 or $210,600). The production has been discontinued, so the only way to acquire one is to buy a second hand Futuro.
A brand new Dome will sell at 3 million yen (under $30,000 or €18,100), but there are more expensive extended homes / public building solutions.
Futuro will arrive at your door step fully assembled. Only “legs” or supports and plumming, electricity etc. will need to be completed after transportation.
The Dome modules are assembled in a fraction of the time required to build a traditional house. The modules can be lifted by two or three people, and once the modules are snapped into place, the house is covered with plaster, painted, and customized.
Karaoke place in Suijin no mori.
Futuro will blend into the Finnish lake side landscape perfectly (?):
Interior of Futuro:
The interior is more versatile than in Futuro, which is always the same size, and not very spacious: The Dome can be used as a sauna, shop, bar, office, hotel etc. in addition to just being a home.
Some videos of Dome.
The Finnish Futuro and Japanese Dome are not the only round, dome etc. shaped or spherical houses. There are lots of ufos around. As this is not a blog dealing with architecture, here are links to non-Japanese and non-Finnish round houses.
Dymaxion
Sunspace Homes
Bulle“ à 6 coques
Kugelhaus
And a blog with unusual living solutions:
Flatrock
And you can always search for “dome home” or “dome house” “round house” “rotating house” “spinning house” or “revolving house” – lots of interesting images there.
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05.21.08
Posted in F-Design, Wafuku (kimono) tagged design, F-Design, Finland in Japan, Marimekko, wafuku at 20:18 by krause
Some time ago already I bought some fabric to make an obi for my purple tsumugi awase. I found striped blue/purple viscose/cotton fabric so stiff it almost doesn’t need stiffener. I was browsing some of my favorite obi links and found…
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that a Japanese woman had thought Marimekko was perfect for sewing an obi. |
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And what’s funny, obi means also stripe, not only belt or sash. So the bag (or fabric) is named OBI in Japanese. (Click on image to surf to seller.) |
Well, we the round eyed, we like the Oriental stuff. But hey, Marimekko looks great as an obi, and evidently the cotton material is ok, too. Works well with a more modern kimono like this:
Wafuku (Japanese traditional clothing, e.g. kimono / yukata / obi) are not the only traditionally Japanese goods manufactured in Marimekko motifs. I need one of these Marimekko kotatsu covers:
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If you don’t believe kotatsu covers are a big thing, visit the site by clicking on the image. |
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