Frank Lloyd Wright in Japan

Exploring the famed architect’s work on the occasion of his 150th birthday

As one stands in the lobby of Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, light streams in through the windows. The hotel was completed in 1923—and demolished entirely in 1968, but where we stand is not a time machine. The experience, with original floor below, and glowing geometric columns around, made out of terra cotta and stone, can be found at Meiji–Mura, an open-air …

Yayoi Kusama is Opening a Museum

Known and adored all over the world, artist Yayoi Kusama is set to open her very own museum in Tokyo. The five-story museum will host a garden, reading room, materials archive and a shop—as well as some of Kusama’s most famous and celebrated works. Opening 1 October this year, tickets will cost ¥1,000 ($7) and it’s surely to become a much-visited Tokyo institution. Read more …

Non-Melting Ice Cream

At the Biotherapy Development Research Center in Kanazawa, an accidental discovery has resulted in the invention of non-melting ice cream. The ingredient is a polyphenol liquid, extracted from strawberries, that “make[s] it difficult for water and oil to separate”—meaning, in this instance, that a popsicle keeps its shape. Kanazawa Ice first became available earlier this year, and now can be bought in Osaka and Tokyo. …