East Meets West: An Infographic Portrait

German punctuality, Western ego and how to stand in line like a Chinese.

What’s not to love about minimalist infographics — such an elegant way to depict complex concepts with brilliant simplicity. We also have a longtime love affair with social psychology, some of which deals with the fascinating cultural differences between Eastern and Western mentality — from the individualistic tendencies of the West versus the pluralism of Asian societies, to how differently Westerners and Easterners read the emotions of others. Naturally, we’re head-over-heels with designer Yang Liu‘s ingenious East Meets West infographic series, tackling everything from differences in self-perception to evolution of transportation.

Born in China but living in Germany since she was 14, Liu has a unique grip of this cultural duality — and she channels it with great wit and eloquent minimalism in graphics that say so much by showing so little.

Lifestyle: Independent vs. dependent

Attitude towards punctuality

Problem-solving approach

Size of the individual's ego

Perception: How Germans and the Chinese see one another

How to stand in line

Complexity of self-expression

The evolution of transportation over the last three decades

The volume of sound in a restaurant

Catch an interview with Liu about the project over at the always-excellent NOTCOT. The book is still finable online and an absolute delight.

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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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Short Film Spotlight: Greenpeace Global Voices

What the streets of Delhi have to do with the halls of Copenhagen.

Today, we bring you an exclusive pre-premiere of the new Greenpeace International Global Voices short film from director Philip Bloom. [Correction: As Philip kindly pointed out, his role was DP — the spot was actually directed by Lucy Campbell-Jackson.]

Set to launch on MTV in the next few days, the beautifully shot spot promotes Greanpeace’s MyVoice initiative. Quiet and unsensationalistic, the ongoing project illustrates the powerful impact of global warming through the individual voices of the diverse people whose everyday lives are affected and threatened by this environmental apocalypse.

There’s a certain Chris Jordanesque approach to the problem — knowing that global warming is already claiming 300,000 lives each year is one thing, but seeing and hearing the visceral human element behind it, the personal story buried in the alienating stats, is quite something else.

The effort is part of the TckTckTck campaign, a global partnership for citizen-powered climate action, leading up the the United Nations Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen on December 7. Visit The Climate Orb to submit your story and join the movement.

Brain Pickings has a free weekly newsletter and people say it’s cool. It comes out on Sundays and offers the week’s best articles. Here’s what to expect. Like? Sign up.

New Traditional: Japanese Figurines

From folk craft to art toys, or what Sumo has to do with sustainability.

The Japanese seem to have a knack for gracefully incorporating tradition with modernity. These three contemporary examples of doll-making based on traditional forms or values celebrate the familiar while reinventing in a way that is relevant to today’s aesthetic, and even environmental, concerns.

KOKESHI

As part of a collaboration with the Los Angeles Toy, Doll & Amusements Museum, the Japanese American National Museum is exhibiting a large collection of Kokeshi dolls.

Divided into three parts, the exhibition contains examples of traditional dolls made by farmers in the Tohoku region of northern Japan.

The early versions consist of a simple wooden trunk and a round head with a few lines for eyes and a smile. The second section is comprised of versions by contemporary artists who, based on the simple Koseshi form, have produced everything from Krokeshi (crocheted Kokeshi) to works that explore the artists’ childhood memories of the dolls.

Travis Louis

For the “Custom” section, a reprise of a 2007 show in San Diego, over 100 artists, including David Horvath of Ugly Dolls fame and Amy Sol, were given an unpainted Kokeshi doll.

The result is a surprising array of painted and sometimes resculpted dolls. If you’ve got cash to spend, a number of these are for sale here.

Allison Sommers

The exhibition runs through October 4th.

BLAINE FONTANA

While based on a painting done by the artist himself rather than on any specific traditional form, Fontana’s nestkeeper dolls are cast from the same silicon form and, like the Kokeshi, represent variations on a theme.

Though the mold is the same, the appearance and mood of the dolls range from benignly serene to menacing — depending both on how they are painted and for how long you stare at them.

The remaining dolls from the run of 30 are for sale on Fontana’s website.

MIMUSHI

The creation of conceptual artist blattke, the “dauntless gatekeepers” are the latest generation of Mumishi dolls. The dolls are incarnations of the many personalities of Mimushi, a Japanese Sumo kid with multiple personalities, adopted by American parents.

Though previous personalities, ranging from geisha to rasta, were made from vinyl, the dauntless gatekeepers series is hand-crafted from wood harvested from government regulated Amazon plantations.

The dauntless gatekeepers are said to guard Mimushi’s mind from his ever-multiplying and warring personalities. These dolls, dressed in an endless variety of wheat straw “diapers,” as opposed to the traditional sumo belt, are not only eco-friendly and whimsically storied, but also well-designed and beautifully crafted.

Because of the work that goes into each doll, only 80 are produced per month. The first series of 119 Mumishi dolls is still available, with the second series currently in production.

Meghan Walsh has a degree in Anglo-Irish Literature from Trinity College, Dublin and is finishing her thesis on J.P. Donleavy at NYU. She is currently working on two art exhibitions in New York City. For more of her writing check out her cooking blog.