With the devastating Japanese earthquake and tsunami still less than four months ago, Japanese culture remains at the forefront of Angelenos's minds. Two events coming up in the next month have a special emphasis on Japanese design. Michael Sylvester talks about several programs at this weekend's Dwell on Design, as well as the new Los Angeles Design Festival, happening through June 30, that will feature Japanese designers and also raise money to help the country's earthquake victims. The next month is the first-ever Little Tokyo Design Week, which will highlight fashion, furniture, architecture, and anime. UCLA's Chair of Architecture and Urban Planning Hitoshi Abe discusses the festival and what it was like to return to his hometown of Sendai after the earthquake.
A table produced by Takeshi Miyakawa to raise money for earthquake victims is part of Yakitate at Dwell on Design
The Japanese artist Sasaki will be painting heartbeats to raise money for Architecture for Humanity's rebuilding efforts at Dwell on Design