At the Beijing Olympics this year, an unbelievable amount of world records were broken due to the innovative Speedo LZR. And let’s face it, when it comes down to the swimming arena, it’s hard (if not nearly impossible) to beat someone like Michael Phelps. Yamamoto Kogaku, a leader in sports lenswear, created the Swans series to maximize comfortability. Just another high functionality, quality designed product from Japan C over at the Felissimo Design House.

See you at the Tokyo 2012 Olympics. (hopefully!)

By NYT.

Get ready guys and gals as we are merely days away from the release of Capcom’s rather daring “retro” release of Mega Man 9 for the Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and Nintendo’s WiiWare service. I say daring as, really, in this day and age of normal mapping, bloom lighting and self-shading, it seems like a major gamble to make a game that is comprised entirely of 8-bit sprites. But this direction just seems a perfect fit for the Blue Bomber, don’t you think?

Whatever your thoughts on the actual game, it’s impossible to deny Capcom’s own excitement regarding the project. Remember that fantastic, purposefully awful “box art” they made? Yeah, well now they really are putting it on boxes and selling the game inside an old NES cart (on a CD of course, not an actual NES game) in limited qualities. Toss in the recently announced Proto Man DLC for the Wii, it’s pretty clear Capcom considers this game something special.  Expect a review from NYT soon after the release.

Mega Man 9 Intro (via GameTrailers)

Mega Man 9 Retail Package?!?! (via CapcomUnity blog)

Proto Man confirmed MM9 DLC (via GoNintendo)

By Stewart Smith

The 80 year old Maruni furniture company uses a special technique to bend wood in unusual ways, allowing for a wide range of simplistically beautiful pieces. This one in particular, designed by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa and perfect for the estate of Bugs Bunny, features a pair of rabbit ears going up the back. While it may not look comfortable, you can take a stroll down to the Japan C exhibit at Felissimo Design House to test it out for yourself.

By NYT

Naoto Fukasawa’s minimal design company Plus Minus Zero aims to reduce excess in product design for everyday life. From pitchers that are calculated to fit perfectly into the hand, to table fans with a subtle sense of beauty, the company could yet find an audience here in the US thanks to pioneering companies like MUJI, previously featured here at New York-Tokyo. The humidifier pictured above, looking more like a shiny donut than any humidifier you might be familiar with, is a wonderful example of simplicity in design. As such, it is a fitting addition to the Japan C exhibit at Felissimo Design House.

By NYT

Shin Tanaka, Japanese paper artist extraordinaire and personal favorite of the New York-Tokyo camp, has put together a very special new member of his T-Boy line in commemoration of Fellisimo’s Japan C exhibit. The event’s simple but direct logo sits pretty across T-Boy’s face and body, and has quite the commanding stature in this picture above. Of course, like all of Shin’s brilliant designs the creativity and craft involved are apparent. Chalk up another wonderful addition to the cultural expose happening over at the Felissimo Design House right now.

By NYT

The Japan C exhibit, open now in New York, celebrates the wonder and beauty in many Japanese store-bought items that may seem relatively ordinary on their own. Deftly arranged in the Fellissimo Design House, their collective beauty is brought to the fore, celebrating the fun and wonderment of much of Japanese consumer culture. This is all largely due to the efforts of Tobias Wong and Joseé LePage, the creative directors who helped to put together the exhibit.

Tobias Wong was gracious enough to take some time to answer a few questions for us while busy preparing a sushi roll in his Hello Kitty robe (pictured above.) Wong, a celebrated New York-based designer and graduate of Cooper Union, has had his work exhibited in places as diverse as Art Basel in Miami, Colette in Paris, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, and even JFK Airport. Interview after the jump.