Although Japan boasts some of the most highly regarded architects in the world, many of the buildings that define the Tokyo skyline are the work of foreign architects. — ft.com

The “Small House” designed by Unemori Architects, is … small. It’s footprint is only 4 by 4 meters and it is 9 meters high. Apparently a family of three lives is this house in Tokyo. — todayandtomorrow.net

"In the same way that we have backup batteries for our cameras and computers, the Japanese government has recently unveiled plans to develop a whole new city that will act as a backup for Tokyo in the event of another crippling earthquake." — Inhabitat.com

A complex scale model of Tokyo is on view by appointment at Tokyo's Mori Tower in Roppongi Hills. The model was built in 2003 by 30 Mori employees over approximately 17 months. All streets and buildings were photographed at street level and from above via helicopter. They were then adjusted in Photoshop and glued to polystyrene models. — thepolisblog.org

Due to the overwhelmingly positive response to this semester’s Paris studio offering, we have made plans to continue the Study Abroad Program in Tokyo for the Spring 2012 term. Toyo Ito will instruct the studio, focusing on the tsunami-hit area of Japan. — Harvard GSD (Lian)

Little Tokyo Design Week: Future City (LTDW) celebrates the power and energy of cutting edge design and technology now emerging from Japan and its intersection with current trends materializing in Los Angeles. Design’s ability to move us towards a more sustainable and creative urban lifestyle is at the heart of this four-day festival, which will be open to the public from July 14 – July 17, 2011 (VIP Preview Night: 7/13). — ltdesignweek.com

When I first came to Japan a quarter decade ago, toilets were in unheated spaces, and it was sometimes a shock to sit. About 20 years ago, leaders in the industry came up with a nifty solution: a small heater in the seat. Over time, more and more features were added: massaging and bidet features are common, newer ones have a little air fan for deodorizing,... play music, and light the inside of the bowl. Somewhere along the line, the original reason for the heater itself became less important — The Berkeley Blog