Asia’s largest art and design exhibition returns to Tokyo.

Tokyo Designers Week (TDW) began life as a trade show for furniture makers back in 1985, today the exhibition features a broad range of design from a broad range of disciplines and backgrounds.

Tokyo Designers Week

Every year Japan’s capital city is invaded by artists, designers and architects, bringing together the cream of Japanese creative talent and business leaders, buyers and manufacturers.

Student Exhibition

For many aspiring architects and designers, large scale events like TDW offer incredible chances to be noticed and to receive invaluable feedback from peers and industry experts.

Emo Chairs

From furniture, to graphic design, media art, architecture and fashion, to movie screenings, sculptures and live music, Tokyo Designers Week is an annual event not to be missed.

Stools by Tama Art University student

The theme for TDW 2011 is “Love”, which explains these stools created by a design student from Tama Art University.

'Love' chairsJapanese companies also display design and art, below: mobile phone company Docomo display some innovative installations controlled by smart phones.

Docomo mobile phone

Here, the interactive smart phone application controls the patterns and colors projected onto the wall.

Docomo mobile phone

Docomo mobile phone

Dyson, the British vacuum cleaner and fan maker had a large stand in the center of TDW, showing prototypes of early Dyson models and the next generation heater, “Dyson Hot”.

Dyson

Dyson

After the March 11th earthquake and tsunami designers and architects have been offering solutions to the reconstruction efforts. The “Arigatou Project” takes a look at school children in Sendai and the affected areas and simply says “thank you” to the world for support.

Arigatou Project

The collection of photographs were taken during workshops held by leading Japanese artists, architects and designers and will be published next year in a special “Arigatou Project” book, with proceeds going to charity.

Photos for Arigatou Project

For more information on Tokyo Designers Week visit: http://tdwa.com


Photos by Weekender.