Our trip to Japan

Todd Christensen
5 hours ago
1 min read

And how the Japanese appreciate and practice living design.

In May of 2025 Wendy and I traveled to Japan with the goal of hiking the first five-day stretch of the Nakasendo Way called the Kiso Road. An amazing guided tour (our guide was ceramics artist Ion Fukazowa) over the Kiso Mountains through the heart of the Japanese countryside. And then to set off to explore wherever the fates took us.

We arrived in Tokyo and decompressed in the quiet neighborhood of Shimokitazawa for a few days, preparing for our guided tour with the fantastic Walk Japan tour company (I'll do another post on that soon).

Like everyone who visits Japan we were entranced by the hospitality, impeccable organization of transit, the glittering city, the singing bidets, and of course the egg salad sandwiches from 7-Eleven. But the public appreciation of design simply floored us.

Design is everywhere. I mean the thoughtful application of graphical concepts, visual communication, creative artistry, typography, and imagination. It is infused within Japanese culture and history itself. Even the Ramen bowls are designed with a purpose and expression.

From Tokyo, Nagoya and Kyoto and dozen small villages in between great design was everywhere.

Below is small fraction of what we saw.