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On display in the Japan Poster Shop showroom: the huge B0 billboard for Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, a monumental survivor from the era of roadshow science fiction.
The World of Japanese Film Posters
Designed to Disappear
In the second half of the nineteenth century, Europe fell under the spell of Japonisme. The visual language of a country that had only recently opened its doors to the West transformed painting, graphic design, fashion and the decorative arts. More than 150 years later, Japan is once again inspiring a renewed fascination around the world. A glance at today’s social media makes it clear that a new generation has developed an appreciation not only for Japanese pop culture, but also for the country’s everyday aesthetics, craftsmanship and design heritage. One indication of this shift came during Asian Art Week at Christie’s in New York last spring. Under the title Anime Starts Here: Japanese Subculture Reimagines Tradition, the auction house presented anime, manga, film posters and popular culture within the broader context of Japanese art and design. It marked a significant moment: for perhaps the first time, original Japanese film posters were presented not merely as collectibles, but as cultural artefacts worthy of standing alongside more established forms of Japanese art.
Nike Shinjuku, façade. Photo: Nike
Shūetsu Satō’s adhesive tape lettering
Tokyo Tape Type: From the Underground to the Flagship Store
In April 2026, a new NIKE flagship store opened on the east side of Shinjuku Station. In an environment that all but overwhelms the viewer with advertising messages, the creative team led by the Creative director Shuichi Narita (Nike) and art director Shun Sasaki (Ayond) achieved a move that was as engaging as it was clever: for the branding, they drew on the iconic adhesive-tape lettering Shūetsu-tai by security guard Shūetsu Satō, which for over twenty years has been inseparably associated with Tokyo’s busiest railway station—and indeed the busiest in the world.
Museum Documentary
The Remarkable Rescue of a Historic Advertising Wall
In 2019, the Vienna Museum commissioned us to document the removal of a historic advertising wall on Favoritenstraße. Over the course of the week-long filming, a quiet tension accompanied the entire team, as uncertainty lingered over whether the severely deteriorated wall could, in fact, be preserved.
In the Wien Museum Depot
A Visit to the Prater Whale
The inn Zum Walfisch, founded as early as 1782, was a true Prater institution and, for generations, a cherished destination for Viennese patrons. Above its entrance, a nine-metre-long whale—installed in the early 1950s—delighted visitors with its playful water fountain, captivating not least the younger among them. In 2013, however, the restaurant closed its doors, and with it seemed to come the end of the whale.
Albert Cuyp Markt, Amsterdam
The Market Signpainter: Henry van der Horst
A November morning at the Albert Cuyp Market in Amsterdam. The distinctive style of the price signs at many stalls immediately catches the eye. Responsible for them is the market signwriter Henry van der Horst, who has been producing hand-lettered price cards for nearly four decades.
Hong Kong Neon
The colours of Wong Kar-Wai
In December 2017, I travelled to Hong Kong to document the remaining neon signs. My explorations took me across all parts of the city; night after night, I followed the glow of this distinctive medium. Although Hong Kong’s neon may be in decline, it has lost none of its enduring fascination.