Second week

"First week is the communication week, second week we start working."
Ota San said to me, on the very first day I came to his office.

Today is my second week in Manz office. Started designing a flyer for Taiko master Sato Kensaku, designing something for Japanese cultural related stuff is truly exciting. I found the long lost joy for turning on my adobe illustrator and start designing again today. Thank you Ota san, I miss doing graphic design.

1. Ohayo Kanematsu.

2. Men in black visited us.

3. Sneak out during lunch time, was attracted by the old cloth's shop.

4. Super friendly old couple, had a pleasant conversation with them with my very limited Japanese vocabulary. Always enjoy small towns in Japan rather than big city like Tokyo.

5. Bought a Japanese worker shirt, with a handkerchief as a free gift :P

6. Thanks Ai chan for lending me some more Japanese easy-listening music, like it! ( Kazehakase 風博士, and water water camel )

7. Mr.chef is making our free croquette lunch!

8. Have a lunch break, have a chit chat.

9. Bonnecura members having a regular meeting, I am sleeping.

10. Dinner at Hiyori cafe, just 3 minutes walk from the office, nice food and nice ambient. I'll come back again!

11. Introducing new Bonnecura's member - Mr. Nagamine. Very funny guy, we had a lot of nonsense jokes. Although I think I can only understand 1/3 of our conversation, or maybe less... but It's fun! Arigatou.

12. Met Aoki san in the cafe, who is working in a publishing company upstairs, and of course we didn't let go the chance to visit his office as well. Personally love publication design a lot and it's exciting for me to see how's a Japanese publishing company works. Well, most of the staff is still in the office after 10pm... tough works, as expected.

Second week II

Start working on a flyer for Taiko master Sato Kensaku, then I realized that for the past 2 years I was only working on advertising campaign and web design, it's been a long while I never really sit down and think about a project from a graphic designer point of view.

In advertising agency, we're talking about big concepts, strategies, award-wining ideas, gimmicks, ambients, viral, viral and viral. In web design, we are talking about flash, action scripts, iphone apps, html 5, and all the techgy languages that I don't even understand.

Nobody will care about a tiny flyer's design anymore, how it communicates with the viewer better, how it tells the story, how to make the graphic form nicer, colors, typesetting, grids, paper usage till the print production. Suddenly I have a feeling that I never designing a design properly for a long time. After all I still prefer the insignificant, out-dated, tiny print design.

Day 7

There are too many things and people I met today I can't go into details one by one. So, in short:

1. Good people in Kanematsu. Kaori san, Kei san, Kuraishi san. ( from L to R )

2. Yuka chan drop by to have lunch with us, and share about her love story... ^_^

3. Visited Nagano Art and Design School.

4. Thank you Aizawa san and Nagasawa san for showing us around~

5. Handsome teacher - Aizawa san.

6. Student's work, I like it.

7. Ota with the funny hat.

8. Ota san's senior, Hara Hiroshi visited us in the evening. He is a very experienced web director/ designer, I'm surprise he had seen some of my works before... and thanks for the blog too, it's my honor to know you Hara san. I'm not really that great, am just a lazy designer who run away from his job. Let's go get a drink sometimes~

What more can one ask for? After a long working day there is a delicious supper waiting for you at your doorstep. Thanks to our generous neighbor Orie san! Ota san and I enjoyed it so much! ippai ippai~

Stefan's answers

Our favorite designer got a new website with some advices for all of us.

mochi-pounding

version 2.0

Lazy Sunday

I wake up in the late afternoon, Ota San went to office again like usual. I am on my own today, by the time I walked out from home the sky is getting dark. Wandering around Nagano city, its a small town and most of the interesting places are in walkable distance.

- interesting old signage

- the shop owner must be a big fans of Michael Jackson. It's been showing MJ's videos from the first day I arrived Nagano, and now it's still showing with 3 TVs on even the shop is closed. You're not alone.

Finally found a quiet cafe and walk in to have a coffee and do some thinking. Yes, do some thinking. My brain simply doesn't work when I'm doing other stuff, e.g. when I'm facing computer, reading books, visiting exhibition, walking. I can only think in a quiet place with notepad and pen, maybe my brain is getting rusty.

Day 5

Ota san and me were having a lunch meeting today about the design concept for Sato Kensaku's flyer, Orie san from 1166 backpacker hostel was invited to be our translator, otsukaresama deshita. Thanks to Orie San we were able to understand each other better. Arigatou Orie san!

We decided to go to D&Department again to do some shopping after the lunch. Once we step out of the restaurant we bump into Aya San and her cute baby daughter Minori chan, they had some chat and then Aya san and Minori chan also joining us to D&Department.

- Aya san and super kawaii Minori chan.

One of the nice thing about Nagano is that it's such a small city and everyone seems to know each other, you may meet someone you know on the street any time, and everyone is incredibly friendly. There is a Farmers Market going on in D&Department, produced by another great design studio from Nagano - Todoroki, they made beautiful packaging design to promote importance of local agriculture, and also demonstrating mochi-making in front of D&Department.

- Mr.Todoroki.

- keep pounding and pounding.

- itadakimasu!

There's a special guest came to the office this evening. Yoshinori Sato (佐藤嘉風) is having a live performance in Kanematsu. The music is so smoothing and therapeutic, I do not understand the lyrics but his voice does make us feel warm at heart. Such a pleasant evening~

- 佐藤嘉風, 岡崎恵美 live in Kanematsu.

- Ota the laser face.

The night is still young. Later after the show Ota san and me went for DJ Kawasaki's performance. I'm not really into clubbing, just want to check out how's Nagano clubbing scene. It was all good... ja, oyasumi nasai with a Yoshinori's song.

Beautiful day

This is such a wonderful day.

We went to Togakushi this morning, a village not too far away from Nagano city, to have a meet with client. The way to Togakushi is already covered by snow, the scenery is marvelous! For a person from tropical country, we'll always go crazy whenever we see snow.

After the Soba lunch, we visited great Taiko drummer Mr.Sato Kensaku (佐藤健作) to meet about the promotional items for his next performance. Sato san performed on the spot for both of us, so we can get a better picture and inspiration about Taiko. The traditional drum's beat is far more louder than I expected, every single beat is like hitting straight into our heart, you can probably have a brief look at Sato san's amazing performance here.

Before going back to the office, Ota san and me went for Onsen. This is the 3rd time I went for Japanese hot springs during my trip in Japan, and each time is with different Japanese guys I met along the way, so I'm not feeling that awkward anymore being naked in front of other guys, instead it was really relaxing.

The day get dark earlier during winter time, the sun is setting when we heading back to start our works for today. It's a blessing to be able to work in such beautiful place, and doing what you like in such place is a complete happiness, I think I'm already fall in love with Nagano...

Takoyaki Party

We were having a takoyaki party at 1166 backpacker hostel yesterday night, I've made a video to celebrate it.

Day 2

This is a busy day (for Ota san), when I arrived office this morning, he has already been there working for few hours, such a hard working man!

- good morning Kanematsu.

We then headed to D&Department Project Nagano and had lunch in the cafe downstair. D&Department is a nice concept store, carrying timeless products, retro furniture, household goods, used books and CDs, and even published their own travel guide books. On top of that they also produce various design projects time by time. I've been lucky enough to be able catch their exhibition - 'Only honest design can be recyclable.' in Kanazawa 21st Century Museum of Design Gallery 2 weeks ago :D

- D&Department Project Nagano.

- D&Travel Cafe Nagano.

- setting up Saunter's signboard.

Soon after the lunch Ota san carry on with his works, checking the setup of Saunter Salon's signboard, meeting client, change tires, and then meeting with another client, after that still have to go back office and work until late night.

I couldn't help much but just tag along with him. I'm so impressed by the hard work and efficiency of a Japanese, how can a man do so many things by himself in one day... I have to work harder from now on.

人生はまだ驚きに満ちている

I'm having 2 and a half months holiday in Japan until 5th of January, didn't think of blogging about my trip so soon, the thought was changed after I met a graphic designer during my short trip to Nagano, Mr.Ota Nabuyuki (Manz design).

Ota san is living beside the backpacker hostel I was staying, the owner of 1166 Backpacker Hostel introduced me to Ota san, we share the same interest and later I visited his office - Kanematsu. He is sharing a very old but awesome warehouse office with other architect and editor partners. Everyone was unbelievable friendly, I was so amazed by the interior as well, it's definitely one of the dream studio for me.

Soon after that trip, I wrote an email to Ota san to ask whether I can work with him for a short while, he agreed and even offer a room for me to stay, Subarashii~ So 2 weeks after that I came back to Nagano, working with a Japanese designer. We doesn't speak same language, the only language we both sharing is graphic design. I'm really looking forward for what I'm gonna meet next, no matter what I think it's going be an unforgettable experience.

Now I'm here and the first task he gave to me is, to blog about what I've experienced in Nagano everyday... So for the following 3 weeks I'll constantly update my blog, and also in Manz's blog.

Amazing things happened when you take one step out of your comfort zone. Let's see what happen next, Gambatte masu!

- 1166 backpacker hostel.

- tempura party in 1166.

- me in Ota's office :)

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

So, here's my 1st blog post in Manz Day book:

"Hajimemaste.

Hello Minasan, Konnichiwa~ This is Driv, a graphic designer from Malaysia. I've just quit my job recently and having a long holiday traveling around Japan. I met Ota San in a very rare circumstances and end up I'll be working with him for few weeks in Nagano. I'm always fascinated by Japanese graphic design, I believe this is going to be an amazing experience.

Thank you so much Ota San, you are so kind! Let's do some good works together, Gambatte masu! "

- Ota san, Manz Design.

Fading Vision

然后我们一起奋斗过，

呐喊过疯过癫过笑过哭过，

然后沉淀，妥协，各走各路。

然后热诚不见了，

所以到处寻找，

不在德国，不在日本，不在哪里，

它在自己一直想逃避的地方，

不想面对的地方，

它在自己的心里面。

追求的东西像根羽毛，

越用力抓越抓不到，

等到有一天能真正停下脚步，

闭上眼，摊开手，静静聆听，

然后它就会飘落在手心里。