What to Visit in London

May 15 2024

New Exhibition at Japan House London – Design Discoveries: Towards a DESIGN MUSEUM JAPAN

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Japan is synonymous with exemplary design yet, it doesn’t have its own national design museum.

Seven leading Japanese designers with completely different disciplines were asked, “If there were a permanent Japanese design collection, what would you put in it?”. Their diverse responses are the subject of Japan House London’s newly opened exhibition: Design Discoveries: Towards a DESIGN MUSEUM JAPAN

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[BLOG POST IN BIO] I was invited for the press preview of Japan House London’s new exhibition: ???????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????: ???????????????????????????? ???? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? Japan is synonymous with exemplary design yet, it doesn’t have its own national design museum ???????? Seven leading Japanese designers with completely different disciplines were asked, “If there were a permanent Japanese design collection, what would you put in it?” ???? Their diverse responses are the subject of Japan House London’s new exhibition that opened today Make sure you join the conversation by participating two activities at the end of the exhibition and tell something about your favourite design ???? ???? 15 May – 8 Sept 2024 ????️ Mon – Sat: 10am – 8pm | Sun & Bank Holidays: 12pm – 6pm ????️ FREE | Booking a time slot is encouraged. You can book your free time slot on Japan House London official website #japanhouselondon #japaneseart #japanesedesign #designmuseum #japaneseculture #japanese #design #CapCut

♬ Japanese style music – kurenaidouke

Design Discoveries: Towards a DESIGN MUSEUM JAPAN

Photo: Urban Adventurer

“Spanning ten millennia, this exhibition is an experiment in imagining what a design museum of the future might look like. It is about speculation and collaboration.” – says Director General and CEO of Japan House London, Sam Throne.

Seven well-known Japanese creators, from filmmakers to fashion designers, were asked to try to find an answer of a simple yet complex question: “What is design?”

Kuramori Kyōko, Director of Design Museum Foundation

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As Kuramori Kyōko, Director of Design- DESIGN MUSEUM Foundation and Chief Producer of NHK explains, design shouldn’t necessarily be an intricate and super expensive piece of art. Design can be an everyday object we can find connection to in our everyday lives.

This is why ‘Design Discoveries: Towards a DESIGN MUSEUM JAPAN’ exhibition showcases artefacts that have close connection to our lives, such as toys, fashion or even cutlery.

Hand-Picked Artefacts from Well-Known Japanese Creators

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The exhibition showcases Japanese artists’ and creators’ chosen national treasures spanning 10,000 years across Japan, chronologically telling the story of each individual piece.

Originally thousands of different objects have been collected by DESIGN MUSEUM Foundation to be potentially displayed at a future Design Museum Japan.

Out of the thousands of objects, seven individual pieces were selected that, the curators thought, would be the most suitable for the UK audience.

The selected seven objects are set to represent different parts of Japan from North Japan all the way to Kagoshima Prefecture at the Southwestern tip of the island.

It was also important to showcase diverse objects from pottery to fashion to music from both male and female creators.

Design Treasure Hunt

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The exhibition has been created to be like a treasure hunt.

Each creator’s chosen object has its own section to tell the story of the artefact on display and why the artist picked that particular item.

Visitors are encouraged to walk around the display cubes and read quotes from the artist and interesting facts about the object displayed. This gives an experience similar to a treasure hunt.

Highlights of the Exhibition

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Fashion designer Morinaga Kunihiko presents Noro priestess garment. It’s a talismanic patchwork garment made from different clothes from the whole community in order to protect the young priestess from harm.

The triangular shapes represent butterflies that are believed to carry the soul of their ancestors. This garment has never left Japan before, therefore it’s a very unique opportunity for visitors to marvel at this wonderful piece.

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One of Japan’s most influential textile designers, Sudō Reiko showcases sportswear inspired by huge paper lanterns, presented in Toyama’s Yotaka Andon Festival. The festival is also called ‘Fighting Lantern Festival’ because of the violent clashes of enormous lanterns with warrior pictures painted on them.

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Filmmaker Tsujikawa Kōichirō has chosen wooden spinning tops from Hyōgo because, according to Kōichirō, a spinning toy is the first designed object a human comes into contact with in their life.

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Architect and ex-SEGA video game designer Mizuguchi Tetsuya presents a ‘transacoustic piano’ from Shizuoka. The piano has an embedded speaker that creates a sonic experience that can be felt throughout the entire body.

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Architect Tane Tsuyoshi offers earthenware from over 10,000 years ago from the Jōmon Period and explores how these potteries still impact Japanese design today.

Be Part of the Exhibition – Add Your Design Treasure

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The exhibition ends with two activities.

Visitors are invited to share their own ideas about design and what designs mean to them. Simply grab a piece of paper provided and write down what design means to you and place it on the wall. The aim is to cover the entire wall with colourful papers full of ideas and thoughts about design.

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Is there a particular design close to your heart? Grab a small piece of paper and a little flag and write down (or draw) what design it is and in which country it can be found. When you’ve finished, pierce the flag in the country in the world map on the wall and connect your flag with your paper.

Need some assistance? A friendly member of staff is always there to help you put your paper and flag on the wall if needed.

Practical Info

Photo: Urban Adventurer

Design Discoveries: Towards a DESIGN MUSEUM JAPAN

Address

Japan House London | 101-111 Kensington High St, London W8 5SA

Opening Times

15 May – 8 Sept 2024

Mon – Sat: 10am – 8pm

Sun & Bank Holidays: 12pm – 6pm

Tickets

FREE | Booking a time slot is encouraged. You can book your free time slot on Japan House London official website

Ready for your next adventure? You still have a chance to visit Bandai Namco Cross Store’s free One Piece pop-up to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the anime series and Luffy’s birthday.

October 23 2022

Must-Visit Museums this Halloween (Part 4) – Grant Museum of Zoology

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Grant Museum of Zoology has around 68,000 zoological specimens – including the world’s rarest skeleton: the quagga – dodo bones and fossils, creatures of the deep sea, a collection of preserved brains, and much more. Let’s explore!

Watch video tour here.

Extinct Species, Preserved Animals and Rare Skeletons

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Grant Museum of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy was established in 1827. Since the following year, the museum has been continuously used by students at University College London (UCL). The Grant Museum of Zoology first opened to the public in 1996.

The old-fashioned museum is packed with skeletons, preserved animals in jars, skulls, mystic creatures from the deep sea and remains of species now extinct, such as bones of Dodo that went extinct in the 17^thcentury; a skeleton of a quagga which was a type of zebra or an egg from an Elephant Bird. Elephant Birds were hunted to extinction in the 1700s.

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There is a different section dedicated to animals in jars. For example, monsters from the deep sea, such as Three-Toothed Pufferfish or Wolf Fish.

There is a jar full of moles – and it’s a mystery who and why made that jar -; and ‘jars of assorted specimens’, such as lizards and terrapins.

A Collection of Brains

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The brain collection is originally from the anatomical and pathological collection of Kings College London’s School of Medicine, and it consists of mammal brains (except from a single turtle), preserved in alcohol. The brains were collected from Africa, Asia, South America, Australia, and Europe. Among others, the collection consists of a brain of a dog, a monkey, a gibbon, a rabbit, and an infant tiger.

Fossils

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Grant Museum of Zoology is proud to have a number of well-reserved fossils of long extinct dinosaurs, such as Ichthyosaur, a marine reptile lived 250-90 million years ago or Pterosaur, a flying dinosaur we all know from Jurassic Park and Jurassic World blockbusters.

The Micrarium

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The Micrarium is a back-lit corner displaying over 2,000 of the tiniest microscopic specimens, all in just 2.52 square metres. The slides mostly show whole tiny animals but there are bits of bigger animals, too, for example mammoth hair.

Practical Info

Address

Rockefeller Building, 21 University St, London WC1E 6DE

Ticket Price

FREE – no booking required

Opening Times

Tuesday – Friday 1pm-5pm

Saturday 11am-5pm

Ready for your next adventure? It’s still not too late to visit some of the spooky museums before Halloween. Jack the Ripper Museum, The Old Operating Theatre Museum or Museum of Curiosity.

January 2 2022

Step Into a Painting – Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience

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Step into the world of imagination and immerse yourself the universe the world-famous painter, Vincent Van Gogh.

Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience is a 360-degree experience made with a cutting-edge technology in a 20,000 square feet space with light and sound to get you closer to the painter and his most famous masterpieces than ever before.

Interesting Facts

The first room showcases Van Gogh’s most famous artworks and gives us fascinating information about the painter we never heard before.

Did you know for instance, that Van Gogh was likely unable to recognise the colours as normal people can? Research revealed that Van Gogh was likely using bright colours because his eyes were unable to distinguish the different hues of a colour that are close together.

If Paintings Were Reality

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The next room shows how Van Gogh’s paintings would look like if we had a chance to step into them. Unfortunately, due to Covid restrictions there is no chance for visitors to really step inside ‘The Bedroom’ painting and snap a photo. Still spectacular, though.

Immerse More with VR

For an extra £5 you can immerse more into the unique universe of the painter. A 10-minutes Virtual Reality experience guides you through the life of Vincent Van Gogh and his world-famous paintings, including ‘The Bedroom’ and ‘Starry Night’.

All Ages Welcome

Van Gogh – The Immersive Experience welcomes all ages. Kids (and adults of course) can create their own masterpieces by choosing a template provided and colour the image of their own artistic taste.

Once you’re ready, scan the QR code on the corner of the paper (do not colour and damage the QR code, otherwise you won’t be able to scan it) by sliding your finished work under the lamp and camera provided, push the big red button, and watch your masterpiece appearing on the big screen.

The Immersive Experience

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Finally, visitors arrive in the immersive room which is a 20,000 square foot room filled with 360-degree light and sound effects. Sit on one of the sun beds or enjoy the show in style by sitting on a wooden bench.

Watch the paintings turning alive in front of your eyes. You’ll really feel like you were inside in the paintings.

Watch video here.

They Offer Private Bookings

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You might have not known that Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience offers private bookings for groups of 30+ people.

You can book the whole experience for yourself and your group, either if you’re a corporate organisation, school, university or an individual. What about a Van Gogh themed birthday party? Would be amazing, huh?

Practical Info

Location

Commercial 106, Spitalfields

Opening

The experience is open till 30^th May 2022

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday: 10am – 9pm

Tuesday (throughout December): 10am – 9pm

Saturday, Sunday & holidays: 9am – 10pm

Duration of the experience

60-75 minutes

Tickets

Available on Fever

Hurry up! Limited tickets available!

Age limit

None

Ready for your next adventure? Did you know that Van Gogh lived in London for a year, and you can visit the house and the room he lived in? Discover the treasures found during the renovation of the house, step into Van Gogh’s room and listen to stories about the painter’s early career.

December 14 2021

A Christmas Carol – Christmas in Charles Dickens Museum

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Charles Dickens Museum is dressed for the season, taking visitors back in time and showcase how people celebrated Christmas in the Victorian era.

Step into the house, once Dickens lived and worked; step through the same door he used daily and admire the famous novelist’s house in full Christmas glory.

The Entrance Hall

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The shadowy entrance hall is richly decorated with garlands and Christmas wreaths. Mistletoe is hanging from the chandelier waiting for couples to kiss underneath.

Here some of Dickens’ personal belongings are on display: his walking stick, his leather bag, theatre tokens for his regular theatre trips, his snuff box and silver matchbox.

A Christmas Gift

Image Source: @dickensmuseum

Next to his theatre tokens, there is an engraved pen and pencil holder Dickens received as a gift from his wife, Catherine in 1838. It is a form of mechanical pen with sliding buttons to turn it from pen to pencil, to quill sharpener.

The message reads: “TO DEAR CHARLIE FROM KATE XMAS 1838” It is believed that Catherine carved the inscription herself with a needle.

Dickens treasured the gift for the rest of his life. He used to take it with him every time he travelled.

The Drawing Room

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The Christmas tree was placed in the drawing room where Dickens and his guests gathered for drink and entertainment.

In the Drawing Room Dickens would seat in his plum-coloured leather armchair that he probably purchased when he was living in Doughty Street.

Dickens Loved Christmas

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In ‘A Christmas Carol’ Scrooge orders a huge turkey for the Cratchit family as a present. It’s a fascinating fact that this was the scene that helped popularise turkey as a Christmas meat. We also know that Dickens himself loved turkey at Christmas.

As Christmas was very important to Dickens, he ensured that his extended family was present for the holiday season.

Christmas rituals were very similar to those included in ‘Pickwick Papers’ and ‘A Christmas Dinner’. There would have been Christmas carols, festive food and drink, games, dancing and fireside reading.

In 1844 Dickens wrote to his close friend John Forster in a letter:

“Such dinings, such dancings, such conjurings, such blind-man’s-bluffings, such theatre-goings, such kissing-out of old years and kissing-ins of new ones…I broke out like a mad man.”

1867 – The Most Miserable Christmas for Dickens

In 1867 Dickens travelled to America to perform for his sell-out reading tour. He spent Christmas in America while desperately missing his family and friends. To cure his homesick, Captain James Dolliver enclosed a piece of English Mistletoe in a letter and sent it over to Dickens on a ship delivering transatlantic post.

Dickens was very grateful for the present that offered the author a small piece of home on his difficult trip. He decorated his breakfast table with the Mistletoe on Christmas Eve.

“Dear Captain Dolliver, Accept my cordial thanks for your kind reminder of Home and Christmas-time. It was highly acceptable to me when I saw it lying on my breakfast-table.” – Dickens wrote.

The Importance of the Look of a Book

Image Source: Charles Dickens Museum

Dickens was aware of the importance of the look of a book. On writing ‘A Christmas Carol’, he had plans for its design because he knew design is just as important as the novel itself. A rare trial edition of the book, which had come out shortly before the first official edition, Dickens played with colours.

The official edition had salmon brown cloth covering and brilliant illustrations by John Leech. In the trial edition, Dickens introduced a green and red title page to make the book look more Christmassy. However, at the end he settled on red and blue colour combination, perhaps because green colour tended to fade to a drab colour over time.

(Click on the photo above to watch a short video of this.)

What Shall We Have for Dinner?

Catherine Dickens was a competent and resourceful housekeeper. In 1851 she even published a book, called ‘What Shall We Have for Dinner?” containing recipes and menus. The book had been written based on Catherine’s own experience as a hostess to set menus for parties.

Dickens and his wife loved parties. Many letters survived written by the couple to invite friends for dinner.

It has also been revealed that Dickens loved cheese. This is why nearly third of the menus include cheese in Catherine’s recipe book.

The Christmas Dinner

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The peak of the Christmas dinner was typically something roasted. This was often turkey but was not obligatory. Often times, in the early 19^th century, roast beef was served with plum pudding because it was a perfect accompaniment to it. After the roast, fruits and vegetables were next on the menu. These were typically unseasonal “to demonstrate wealth and status.” – explain Annie Gray in one of English Heritage’s articles.

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These were followed by a series of sweet dishes such as plum pudding (or Christmas pudding), mince pies, and confectionary containing chestnut.

The Servants’ Christmas Dinner

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Servants at Doughty Street would have joined the festive spirit too. On your visit at Dickens Museum, you will see how the kitchen would have been decorated with greenery and learn more about the Christmas menu of the servants’.

The upper servants had a meal and a party of their own. The servants’ menu contained beef, veal, turkey, rabbit, and game. – according to English Heritage. Punch and Christmas pudding would have also been served.

Festive Events at Dickens Museum

Charles Dickens Museum is hosting a number of events during the festive season, including ‘The Housemaid’s Christmas Tour’, ‘A Christmas Carol’ live performance or a fun family event, called ‘Finding Father Christmas’ which is full of clues and puzzles to be solved and will be taken place on 18^th December.

As Tiny Tim would say:

“A Merry Christmas to us all; God bless us, every one!”

Ready for your next adventure? Here are some of the most beautiful festive displays from all over London you might want to take selfie with.

Crome London - London's First French Toast Bar

July 9 2021

London’s First French Toast Bar – Crome London

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London’s first French toast bar has opened its doors in Westminster in July. Crome London gives a twist to your favourite brunch classics. Their menu is inspired by the food and drink trends of the future. The futuristic silver and blue interior provide a perfect backdrop for the indulging and picture-perfect food and drink.

Crome London

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The name of the bar comes from a Greek word ‘khroma’ that means compounds, layers, and colour. These elements tie the brand offerings together and refer to the perfectly blended coffee, milk, and ice.

These elements are not just present within their coffee specialities though, but also within their food and interior.

Element #1 – The Food

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Crome London takes French toast making and serving to the next level. Their signature toasts are either finished with savoury or sweet toppings. Chilli cheese, smashed avocado, feta & poached egg, Nutella & caramel popcorn, caramelised banana and many more options to try.

I went for a ‘Stuffed Nutella & Caramel Popcorn’ toast. It was a mountain of Nutella stuffed toast that was topped with more Nutella sauce, caramel popcorn, brownie pieces and cookie dough.

Element #2 – The Drink

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Crome has so many picture-perfect coffee specialities, it’s almost impossible to choose from.

Pistachio Spanish Latte, Red Velvet Spanish Latte, Matcha in Blue, Iced Tiramisu, and not even mention their signature coffees, called ‘Crome Coloured Lattes’, like Liquid Gold, Ruby Rose, Black Charcoal, frappes and much more.

I tried the purple ‘Ube Frappe’ a vanilla flavoured frappe that comes with milk foam and whipped cream, topped with Ube powder. Ube is a ground substance that is made from purple yams, also known as purple sweet potato. It has a vanilla-like flavour.

Element #3 – The Interior

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The interior is super photogenic. The main colours are silver, ice blue and shades of pastel.

Blue and silver neon signs are literary everywhere to enhance your Insta pics. Oh, and look up! Even the ceiling is photogenic. Time to shine!

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Ready for your next adventure? Discover a retro ramen bar that brings you back to the 1970s neon lit alleyways in Japan – Heddon Yokochō.