Urban Storytelling: Hitotoki

The hidden whimsy of cities, or what Parisian gardens have to do with the Tokyo subway.

We’ve always been fascinated by cities — they are living organisms whose narrative is constantly evolving. Which is why we love Hitotoki — a rather unorthodox exploration of the highly subjective cultural footprints of cities, creating a narrative map of the world.

Hitotoki is an online literary project collecting stories of singular experiences tied to locations in cities worldwide

The Japanese word Hitotoki connotes any brief, singular stretch of time. It’s roughly translated as “moment” and is comprised of two components: hito, “one,” and toki, “time.” Which perfectly captures the project’s ephemeral yet timeless quality as an anthology of vibes.

Started in 2007 as a collaboration between Tokyo design group AQ and Tokyo/Seattle-based indie publisher Chin Music Press, the project embodies that wonderful cross-pollination of ideas and disciplines that we believe is the driving force behind true innovation. Today, Hitotoki spans six cultural epicenters — Tokyo, New York, London, Paris, Shanghai, and our hometown of Sofia. (It’s okay, we’ll save you some Googling — that’s in Bulgaria, which is not to be confused with Bolivia or Botswana or any of the other surprisingly misguided geographic guesses people make, and is actually in Europe.)

Beautifully designed and encrusted with superb typographic art direction, Hitotoki is a conceptual, aesthetic and cultural indulgence like no other. Be a part of this incredible project by submitting your own story about one of the existing cities, or by applying to be an editor for a brand new city.

Meanwhile, explore Hitotoki’s fascinating literary landscapes — whether or not you’re familiar with the city itself, these rich, vicarious experiences unravel a new whimsical world you never thought existed behind the concrete reality of the big city.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 at 7:12 am in culture and was tagged cool, culture, innovation, world.

Urban storytelling: Hitotoki, literary project collecting stories of singular experiences tied to cities http://su.pr/1tCsjG

This comment was originally posted on Twitter

brainpicker on October 14th, 2009 at 9:07 am

Urban storytelling Hitotoki: Beautifully designed and encrusted with superb typographic art direction. http://bit.ly/U24E3 #design

mochipark on October 14th, 2009 at 10:22 am

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t_de_baillon on October 14th, 2009 at 10:36 am

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besor on October 14th, 2009 at 1:12 pm

Hitotoki – literary project collecting stories about cities http://is.gd/4jHL3

brainpicker on October 14th, 2009 at 4:38 pm

RT@brainpicker Hitotoki – literary project collecting stories about cities http://is.gd/4jHL3

myndfcuk on October 14th, 2009 at 4:50 pm

Urban Storytelling: Hitotoki | Brain Pickings: Interestingness, curated – picking culture’s collective bra.. http://bit.ly/vVmAc

storytellin on October 14th, 2009 at 5:02 pm

Very cool! RT @brainpicker Hitotoki – literary project collecting stories about cities http://is.gd/4jHL3

Marilyn_Res on October 15th, 2009 at 2:02 pm

Love this! RT@Marilyn_Res @brainpicker: Very cool! Hitotoki – literary project collecting stories about cities http://is.gd/4jHL3

di_marshall on October 15th, 2009 at 7:44 pm

nu Hitotoki is an online literary project collecting stories of experiences tied to locations in cities worldwide: http://u.nu/858j3

plizo on October 15th, 2009 at 7:58 pm

[tall tales?] RT @TheStoryLady: Urban Storytelling Hitotoki | Brain Pickings http://bit.ly/3fCS70

skipzilla on October 17th, 2009 at 10:29 am

Urban Storytelling: Hitotoki http://bit.ly/2xVLY3 | http://bit.ly/19LSNI via @brainpicker

PD_Smith on October 18th, 2009 at 3:30 pm

now, i want this but for the ME – RT @PD_Smith Urban Storytelling: Hitotoki http://bit.ly/2xVLY3 | http://bit.ly/19LSNI via @brainpicker

SubMedina on October 18th, 2009 at 3:36 pm

RT @PD_Smith: Urban Storytelling: Hitotoki http://bit.ly/2xVLY3 | http://bit.ly/19LSNI via @brainpicker

djapollo2k on October 18th, 2009 at 3:37 pm

Can’t stop reading… RT @PD_Smith: Urban Storytelling: Hitotoki http://bit.ly/2xVLY3 | http://bit.ly/19LSNI via @brainpicker

nyriane on October 18th, 2009 at 3:50 pm

Fantastic collaborative storytelling project: Hitotoki, maps stories across cities http://bit.ly/2xVLY3 via @brainpicker @PD_Smith

marcusod on October 18th, 2009 at 4:19 pm

Fantastic collaborative storytelling: Hitotoki, maps stories across cities http://bit.ly/2xVLY3 via @brainpicker @PD_Smith @marcusod

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