Art History
August 10, 2021

10 Facts About Utagawa Hiroshige: The Last Great Master of Japanese Woodblock Printing

Japanese artist Utagawa Hiroshige is often regarded as the last great artist of the Ukiyo-e movement. Ukiyo-e translates to “images of the floating world,” and artists of the movement made woodblock prints and paintings that depicted scenes of history, nature, and famous faces of Edo. However, rather than create prints depicting typical Ukiyo-e motifs, Hiroshige developed his own style.

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Design
August 9, 2021

Japan Designed Unique Kimonos for Every Country at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics

At each Olympics, we are reminded of the interesting and varied countries on our planet. So, as the host country of the 2020 Summer Olympics, Japan wanted to do something special to highlight the history and culture of each nation. That is why in 2017, the Japanese international outreach association Imagine Oneworld began the Kimono Project—an initiative with the goal of creating a unique kimono for every country in the world.

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Environment
August 9, 2021

Study Shows That Bottled Water Is 3,500 Times More Harmful to the Environment Than Tap Water

If you needed another reason to ditch bottled water and turn on the tap, a new study shows that it's 3,500 times more harmful for the environment than tap water. This number comes from assessing everything from extracting the raw materials (to make the bottles) to manufacturing, distribution, transport, usage, and disposal. The Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal)

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Architecture
August 8, 2021

Each Dome in This Futuristic Botanical Garden Has a Different Climate and Plant Life

The Taiyuan Botanical Garden has recently opened on the site of a former coal mine in the Jinyuan district of Tiayuan, China. Designed by Delugan Meissl Associated Architects, the work blends a museum, a botanical garden, and a new diverse landscape into a beautiful cohesive development. Three domes are placed along a vast artificial lake and act as greenhouses that are full of vibrant plant life from various disparate climates.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.