"Fashion's Night Out" is turning out to be quite a fete with 12 cities across the globe in participation and over 100 stores already signed on. ..
French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld spoke with The Guardian about her tenure at the magazine and her sex appeal.
Los Angeles based retailer Ron Herman will open its first international store in Tokyo this August.
The Cannes Film Festival is bringing out fashion's own stars, among them, Natasha Poly, Georgina Chapman and Roberto Cavalli.
Japanese artist Tokujin Yoshioka, who spent years working with Shiro Kuramata and Issey Miyake, and has collaborated with Hermes, Toyota, BMW, and Swarvoski, among others, created this natural crystal chair, titled "Venus." 
The extraordinary art piece was crystallized over time by submerging a polyester elastomer chair skeleton in an aquarium. Although the chair looks far from comfortable, it's certainly a wonderful example of sustainable design, born out of the laws of nature, not a forest in the Amazon. I'd love to see this technique used to make other products where comfort is less of an issue, such as a lamp base or a coat tree. Yoshioka has curated an exhibit called "Second Nature," which features the chair, at 21_21 Design Sight in Roppongi, Tokyo. The exhibit runs through Jan. 18, 2009, and features the work of a number of other artists, including the Campana brothers. To see more photos of Venus, and how it was made, read more
Tokyo Stabbing Spree Leaves 7 Dead
A man who police said "was tired of life" drove into a crowd of pedestrians Sunday and then went on a stabbing rampage in Tokyo's top electronics and video game district, killing seven people and wounding 10, authorities said. The attacker grunted and roared as he slashed and stabbed at his victims on a street crowded with Sunday shoppers.
Japan's homeless population dropped to 16,000 down 2,500 from the previous year. Japan continues its downward trend, and the Welfare Ministry thanks better employment prospects in the cities and local governmental policies.
The homeless are overwhelmingly male, with 14,707 men, 531 women, and 780 gender unknown. Osaka claims the largest population, with 4,333, and Tokyo comes in second with 3,796.
The success Japan has had in addressing homelessness is more apparent when you compare its numbers to other places. For example, San Francisco's homeless population is estimated at 6,248 out of a population of 750,000. Tokyo has half the amount of homeless, even though the city has 12.7 million residents! New York City fares a bit better. A recent count found 3,306 people living on the street, out of a population of 8 million. Tokyo has 4 million more people, and the same amount of homeless.
Are you surprised by these comparisons? Is your quality of life impacted by a homeless crisis? Should curbing homelessness, by creating affordable housing and a social safety net, be a government priority?
While we played guess that breed with another Irish pup, there are still several other breeds deserving a shout out yesterday. From the Glen of Imaal Terriers to the Irish Water Spaniels, among the pretty pups coming from this country are my mom's fave – the lovely Irish Setters.
And clearly she's not the only one. Check out members of Tokyo's Irish Setter Club donning green and orange – and similarly adorned pups – for their own St. Patrick's Day Parade. Some 2,000 people took part in the festivities to commemorate the Irish patron saint, so see some photos when you read more
In addition to the fashion show I shared yesterday, Tokyo's New Year Dog Party also included something for the sportier crowd. Now I've done Ruff Yoga in NYC, but let's just say North (and nearly all of the other pooches in that class) didn't exactly have getting fit with their owners as first on their agendas – most of my workout was trying to convince him that he recalled words like sit, down, and please don't try to eat that minpin's ears. See these behavior superstars for yourself, though, when you read more
Although I'll have to ask my pal Bella what's going on with this lady's makeup, I can definitely spot a stylish pooch when I see one! This photo is from the New Year Dog Party Fashion Show extravaganza that took place last weekend in Tokyo. The event offers an introduction to the latest trends in doggie fashion and lifestyle . . . and to some well-behaved pup models as well. I couldn't resist including the runway shots in a gallery — some of them are pretty out there! — so check them out when you read more
Many cat lovers in Japan go to Cat Cafe Calico to get their kitty fix. It has 14 furry residents that visitors can come play with for just $7 an hour or under $20 for three! This café is one of many to recently pop up in Japan where nonpet owners, or just animal lovers, can come for pet QT — around 70 people show up each weekday and 150 on Saturdays and Sundays to do just that. Owning kitties in Japan is very difficult because of tight spaces and strict housing regulations – in fact, the abandoned pet situation in the country is so dire that about 240,000 unadopted cats and 160,000 dogs are killed in Japan each year.
In the US, many humane societies and privately-owned animal shelters welcome visitors to come in and pet the cats or walk the dogs for free! I like stopping by San Francisco's Pets Unlimited to give some extra attention to the poochies and kitties up for adoption there . . . it's a great way to brighten up both our days!
Imagine you're driving along the expressway with your pooch, and you decide to stop for a snack at a service area. If you happen to be in Japan, you can now get a bento box for yourself... and your pup. "Dora Bento Pochi" are gourmet boxed meals for dogs available at eight different service stops in the Tokyo area.
The East Nippon Expressway Co. has produced bento boxes in the past, but this is the first time they have created anything expressly for dogs and, by my account, the first, fresh canine cuisine to be sold at rest stops anywhere.
So, what's in the box? With no preservatives or additives, you'll find prime chicken breast, unpolished-rice based bread, vegetable soups, seasoning, and a rice cracker for dessert. Better yet, the lid can be turned over to serve as a water dish.
What do you think?
Kenzo Parfums has a new spicy fragrance for guys called Tokyo by Kenzo. The inspiration behind it was the colorful neon lights in the hyperactive metropolis of Tokyo.
The ingredients in the fragrance are meant to resemble the colors in the night skies. For example, the black buildings are reflective of nutmeg, clove, gaiac wood and cedar, the red lights are bitter orange and pink pepper, the trees are green tea, mate and shiso and the yellow lamps are lemon, grapefruit and ginger.
The collection consists of two Eau de Toilette sprays; 3.4 oz ($65), and 1.7 oz ($50) as well as a deodorant ($18).
To see the 45 second Tokyo by Kenzo commercial, read more
