The Nextmaruni line of chairs -- a collection of 12 pieces from 12 designers -- introduced last year by Hiroshima-based furniture company Maruni Wood Industries has been gaining more and more attention, culminating with showing in Milano this year for their new 2006 collection. The theme from last year's series, "small chairs in dialogue with the Japanese aesthetics," continues, but they promise a refined update that makes each chair even more comfortable to sit on. With names that include the likes of Naoto Fukasawa, you know you're in for something good.

+ Nextmaruni

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As they state on their site, "ubushina means a birthplace in old Japanese terminology," and with that in mind, Ubushina is also a network where today's Japanese designers can be put in contact with craftsmen working in traditional Japanese techniques (from lacquerware to metal work to paper lanterns) to create contemporary items inspired by Japan's past. Their results are gaining some deserved attention (they get a mention in the latest issue of WALLPAPER*), and it's already looking like we can expect some great things from this new form of creative partnership.

+ Ubushina

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Why go hunting for hard-to-find (and more-than-likely expensive) sixties-era Japanese furniture and accessories when 60 Vision is around. A new brand launched by D&Department (itself an offshoot of the design company Drawing and Manual), its mission is to relaunch and repackage sixties Japanese designs. They've done it by getting in touch with the original makers and then asking them to start producing those classic works, sometimes as they were, other times in new colors. The manufacturers have also gotten into the spirit of things by branding their collection appropriately (for instance, Ace becomes A60). Not limited to the D&Department stores (they have shops in Tokyo and Osaka), you can now find 60 Vision-branded products in select stores throughout the city.

LINK: 60 Vision
LINK: D&Department

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A while back we had featured the Takumi Shimamura designed Monacca Bag (with a link to the Arenot store), and now the Monacca brand -- "a brand name for products made of thinned Japanese cedar in Umaji Village, Kochi Prefecture" -- has its own official site (in Japanese and English) where you can order their various products (furniture, bags, accessories) directly. The calculator, set to come out next month, is looking very tempting! Pictured in this post is the Zabuton, also by Shimamura.

LINK: Monacca
LINK: Takumi Shimamura

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Making its debut at the recent Milano Salone del Mobile 2005, the Boing collection of chairs by Tokujin Yoshioka for Driade continues to show the designer in fine form. The event also saw the debut of Yoshioka's beautiful crystal chandelier for Swarovski.

LINK: Driade
LINK: Tokujin Yoshioka

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The creations of Toshihiko Sakai (Sakai Design Associate) are simply beautiful. Be it his designs in electronics, like his family of appliances for Comfortable Communication (ComCom), or museum goods created in collaboration with Title magazine for the Guggenheim Museum, they all share a sense of lightness and clarity that make them truly stand out.

LINK: Sakai Design Associate

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