James Bowskill

A.C.O. Flickr Photostream

2008-04-28T04:30:51Z

To coincide with the renewal of the company site, we've started an A.C.O. Flickr photostream of shots taken during office hours and at events and parties we hold. Keep an eye out and you might see me pop up once in a while :-)

A.C.O. Web Renewal

2008-04-28T04:28:01Z

We've just finished work on the renewal of A.C.O.'s company site in time for the Golden Week holiday out here in Japan. All nicely tied to a grid at last, with a little typographic tweaking throughout. Thanks for the coding Yuka!

Company Name Change

2008-03-31T03:49:16Z

As of April 1st, our company name officially changes from the grammatically flawed "Asian Culture Organize" to the slightly less embarrassing, though somewhat faceless "A.C.O.". At the same time, we drop the aohara.com domain, and fluff the cushions at our new pad, http://www.aco-tokyo.com.

TAB Talks #4 "Christian Schwartz: Type Designer"

2008-03-28T11:24:48Z

Can't wait for the next TAB Talk at Gotanda Sonic.

TAB Talks #2 "Blah Art Blah Blah?" @ Gotanda Sonic

2008-03-10T03:38:28Z

For the 2nd TAB Talk at Gotanda Sonic, artists Ryo Morimoto and Yoshiaki Kuribara will do a live performance, followed by discussions, another performance, and the 30-second pitch corner. More details at Tokyo Art Beat.

TAB Talks at Gotanda Sonic

2008-02-20T02:49:05Z

Tuesday 26th February sees the opening of our new event space on the ground floor of our offices in Gotanda. The guys over at Tokyo Art Beat will kick things off with a weekly series called "TAB Talks", starting with #1 - Brutus deputy editor, Yoshio Suzuki. Looking forward to it very much indeed, just got to get the Gotanda Sonic site launched in time!!!

UNIQLOCK: NO MORE INTERACTION!

2007-07-05T16:18:19Z

I just realized why I like Nakamura Yugo's recent UNIQLOCK so much. In contrast to every other site, every web 2.0 app, every collaborative, user-generated, connecting, questioning, inclusive site out there, it asks absolutely nothing of you. You just go to the site and it works its little multi-coloured socks off to entertain you, to pass the time of day with you, to get your head nodding. It's an utterly undemanding, selfless, hard-working corner of the web which does all this whilst never forgetting its goal - to show you the product (it's polo shirts if you hadn't realised). So a great big otsukaresamadesu to UNIQLOCK. Long may it keep ticking!

Redesigning Mika Ninagawa's Website

2007-02-24T09:58:59Z

Pulled together just in time for the opening day of Mika's debut feature film, the site has been completely renewed from the ground up.

It's a Boy!

2006-09-19T14:07:56Z

Just to let everyone at home know, my wife Kyoko just gave birth to our first baby today. Still to be named, he weighed in at 3.5kg, and both mum and baby are doing fine. He came a few days behind schedule, but made up for it with a swift, gentlemany entrance at teatime.

So what are we going to to call him..?

Boo! More Japanese Packaging!

2006-07-23T11:38:33Z

24 new designs (including this “Monokuro Boo”) to see at my Japanese packaging design scrapbook, “Off the Shelf”.

British Branding Since 1604

2006-07-05T12:39:21Z

Whilst explaining to Japanese colleagues the difference between England's white and red St. George's Cross and the more familiar blue, white and red Union Jack, I came across design proposals from the era:

Designer: Behold m'lord, the fruits of these pasts twelve nights' labours... (shows the Union Jack as we know it)

Boss: A fine design I do hold before me, but alas, one proposal shalt not suffice. Our good King requesteth more patterns than the night sky hath stars.

Designer: But m'lord, we must depart for presentation when the sun riseth, there is no time for more designs!

Boss: I careth not for thy whimpering, knave. By candlelight thou shalt toil and come sunrise, a half dozen patterns I shall see! (Exit boss to tavern round the corner)

Designer: I'll give you patterns you old bastard...

Web Designer Opening in Tokyo!

2006-06-22T07:37:20Z

We're looking to hire an additional web designer to join the team at Asian Culture Organize here in Meguro, Tokyo as soon as possible. You'll need a good foundation in interface design, great design sense, understanding of best coding practices (though not necessarily the skills to code yourself), ability to work both with specialists within a team, and independently, and great communication skills. Native Japanese isn't essential, but reasonable fluency is.

Please get in touch with links to online examples of your work, to: jb (at) aohara.com.

My Writing Debut for PingMag

2006-04-23T09:59:20Z

Last week saw my first go at "proper" writing making its quiet little debut on Tokyo's finest online magazine, PingMag. So no sniggering at the back please, have a look and see what you think about The PingMag Standards Wish-list.

Oh My! More Japanese Packaging!

2006-04-18T10:51:06Z

Just a quick update to “Off the Shelf” with this fantastic bag of Caramel Corn.

Wi-fi Wabbit

2006-04-08T13:23:14Z

Whilst Tokyo may have the reputation of being gadget centre of the world, its position is being nibbled away by un lapin Français. Look out Nippon - here comes Nabaztag, the French wi-fi rabbit!!