Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Sep 22, 2011, 5:06 pm
Last night I watched a short documentary called Tokyo Rising exploring some of the creative output by Japan following the devastating earthquake in March. It’s presented by Pharrell Williams and is beautifully shot. It’s inspiring and interesting and well worth your time. Check out the trailer!
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Sep 11, 2011, 3:52 pm
I came across this short film on Time Out Tokyo which tells the tale of post-nuclear commute. You can read about the background to the project on the same article and see the Kick Starter page here.
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Aug 29, 2011, 4:54 pm
I don’t know if you’ve heard about A Game Of Thrones, I heard chatter about it earlier this year on Twitter and wanted to see for myself if it lived up to the praise heaped upon it. I’m confident enough to say that it certainly does and delivers it in spades. I ended up watching the entire fir...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Jul 22, 2011, 5:58 pm
Just a quick reminder for you crazy kids that this years Hyper Japan event has kicked off!
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Jun 25, 2011, 4:53 am
Lytro is a company that is hoping to revolutionise photography. Making use of something called light fields, this magic technology captures every ray of light from a scene which means that you can then play around with the image to focus it later, I think it’s best explained if you see it for your...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - May 27, 2011, 2:59 pm
In what might be one of my dullest blog posts ever — and trust me the competition is fierce — I came across Craft Design Technology a Japanese stationary company through my daily Uncrate newsletter, the aesthetics just tick all my boxes. I’m going to have to figure out how I can get my hands...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - May 14, 2011, 4:56 pm
One of the films playing at this years Cannes Film Festival is Melancholia by Lars Von Trier, a director known for his notorious antics. My excitement mostly stems from the fact that it features Kirsten Dunst and if you watch the trailer she also happens to be nekkid. Good times!
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - May 12, 2011, 3:59 pm
I realise that I’m a massive nerd but I’m also a coke fiend, I drink copious amounts of the stuff (a vice that my teeth don’t appreciate) but I have to say I kinda think these exclusive original bottles celebrating the 125th Birthday of Coca Cola are something kinda awesome!
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - May 8, 2011, 1:57 pm
Much to my surprise, my previous post about Drop Dead Clothing has been ridiculously popular, so it seems like a good idea to return to it especially in view of their new collection and store opening. I first heard about the relocation after visiting the Brick Lane store, I missed the launch but fou...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - May 2, 2011, 9:17 am
It was quite a few years ago now that I first heard the news that Katsuhiro Otomo — Director of one of my favourite films Akira — was collaborating on a project for television called Freedom Project. Having never been released in Europe it has proven to be extremely difficult to get a hold of. ...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Apr 16, 2011, 6:21 am
I’m constantly delighted by the sheer number and quality of film festivals available to me as a citizen of the city of London. May brings to our steps the Terracotta Far East Film Festival from 5th until the 8th at the Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square. The list of films showing include;...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Apr 10, 2011, 2:11 pm
I’m really impressed by the work of Hiroyasu Ishida, a Kyoto Seika University student who produced a short film as part of his work called Rain Town. He’d previously found success with a much shorter piece Fumiko’s Confession. He’s clearly very talented and I look forward to seeing what el...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Apr 8, 2011, 5:29 pm
Following the great Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan, some of the most renowned names in video games have contributed to a feature reminding us all of the abundant creativity that ignited so much of our passion for Japan. Certainly, my love affair with video games was the catalyst for my ow...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Feb 27, 2011, 3:55 pm
Some snapshots from the last few weeks including A Bathing Ape Pirate Pop Up Store, Spectrum’s 10th Birthday, 10 O’Clock Live!
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Feb 27, 2011, 7:34 am
Five recently showcased a travelogue presented by Justin Lee Collins in his quest to get to grips with Japanese Culture. Although the show missteps at times and falls victim for the obvious cultural oddities that most Western shows immediately gravitate towards like ‘Love Dolls‘ and ‘Capsule ...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Feb 17, 2011, 5:13 pm
The Boston Globe does it again with some absolutely beautiful photos depicting some of the celebrations for Chinese New Year 2011. I’ve included a few of my personal favourites for your pleasure.
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Feb 6, 2011, 6:28 am
The Daily is an iPad-only digital newspaper, conceived and put together by Rupert Murdoch. With the dwindling consumption of physical newspapers, the iPad was seen as a beacon of hope. This is the first large-scale application of it’s nature and it’ll be interesting to watch it’s success (or l...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Jan 30, 2011, 4:59 pm
Unless you’re cool (like me) you might not have known that the exclusive Japanese fashion label A Bathing Ape, set up one of their exclusive Pirate Pop-Up Stores in Shoreditch last week which ended it’s run today. It was a chance to pick up items for a highly discounted price. Largely this meant...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Jan 1, 2011, 7:53 am
Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right.
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Dec 19, 2010, 10:04 am
I finished reading Scott Pilgrim a while ago, having picked it up after first seeing the trailer for the film and wondering what it was all about. I’m glad I did because I really enjoyed the collection with it’s themes of love, video games and pop culture and it’s hilarious. I wasn’t overly ...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Nov 28, 2010, 1:15 pm
With the big screen release of Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami imminent, it was with great delight to discover a further adaptation of his work is also waiting in the wings. The Second Bakery attack, taken from the short story collection The Elephant Vanishes is directed by Carlos Cauron whose mos...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Nov 23, 2010, 3:37 pm
With the demise of Japundit and Japansoc (which now operates solely on Facebook), it looks like for those of you with a hankering interest in Japan will have to look elsewhere for your news. Luckily for you, I’ve discovered two new sites that cater to your interests. The first of which is Japan Bu...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Nov 21, 2010, 2:05 pm
Saint Young Men is a manga by Hikaru Nakamura, it follows the story of bizarrely enough, a young Jesus and Buddha who live in Modern Day Tokyo. It won the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize for Short Work Manga but I still don’t think it’s something I’d particularly want to read but I liked the artwo...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Nov 7, 2010, 5:48 pm
I never got a chance to write about this last week but I wanted to highlight the absolutely excellent Byron hamburger chain. I’d planned to meet my girlfriend to watch a film at the cinema but with nothing grabbing either of us, we instead decided to find somewhere to eat. On the upper deck of t...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Nov 7, 2010, 10:56 am
Last month the readers of the Guardian newspaper voted on their favourite travel destinations, winner of overseas city was none other than Tokyo. Read Pico Iyer’s account of why Tokyo is top and while you’re at it another piece about the quirkier side of Tokyo. (Thanks, eBoy you can pick up t...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Oct 27, 2010, 5:39 pm
As a fan of world cinema, London offers a veritable feast of film festivals. The London Korean Film Festival is one of many celebrating contemporary works from South Korea. I’ve written before about how Korean cinema is often cited as the most exciting and interesting currently on the world stage ...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Oct 24, 2010, 5:33 pm
Mango have managed to recruit Scarlett Johansson to model their latest offerings and these lovely photos are the results of that colloboration. (Thanks, Halcyon Realms)
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Oct 3, 2010, 7:03 am
I suppose I should be embarrassed for putting up this post but I’ve found myself hooked on the song Gee by the Korean group Girls’ Generation (my friend Kiran is to blame for first bringing them to my attention). It’s surprisingly catchy, I warn you before you watch the video below please be a...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Sep 9, 2010, 4:27 pm

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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Aug 26, 2010, 4:46 pm
Once again PinkTentacle has curated a collection of interesting illustrations this time depicting a post-apocalyptic Tokyo. These images are orginally from TokyoGenso so hit them up for more.
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Aug 21, 2010, 6:08 pm
Scala & Kolacny Brothers are an all girl Belgian Choir that have created specially made arrangements of songs from well-known bands. It was almost a decade ago that I first heard their rendition of U2′s With Or Without You. I thought it was incredible but this being before I had access to the I...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Aug 20, 2010, 4:28 pm
There was a documentary on BBC Three a few weeks ago about a British schoolgirl from the Isle of Man, called Beckii: Schoolgirl Superstar at 14. She became an internet sensation after uploading a video of herself dancing to YouTube, that interest mostly came from Japan. The documentary follows her j...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Aug 15, 2010, 3:22 pm
Life has a habit of getting in the way and as a result I’ve been unable to furnish my love here on the interwebz. So although only a token gesture, above you’ll see a glimpse of my life as seen through the lens of my mobile phone.
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Jul 25, 2010, 3:27 pm
I finally started reading Arcade Mania after it had been sitting on my book shelf for a few months, of particular fascination for me was the section about Print Club, Purinto Kurabu or Puri Kura for short. Tremendously popular in Japan, these photo sticker booths allow for photos to be digitally cu...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Jul 15, 2010, 4:23 pm
If this blog was a child, I’m fairly sure that it’d have been taken away by the social services already. At which point I might try and argue that my lacklustre commitment was a result of a smorgasbord of examinations, graduation, interviews and employment. Alas, probably to no avail! ...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Jun 8, 2010, 8:58 am
PinkTentacle presents a collection of paintings by the Japanese surrealist Tetsuya Ishida (1973-2005) exploring some of the darker aspects of modern life. (Thanks, PinkTentacle!)
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Jun 6, 2010, 4:08 pm
How To Destroy Angels is the side project of Nine Inch Nails front man Trent Reznor’s collaboration with his wife Mariqueen Maandig. Following in the footsteps of Radiohead’s experiment with a ‘pay-what-you-want‘ pricing policy, Trent Reznor has enamoured major props from me...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Jun 1, 2010, 1:22 pm
I thought this was a really sweet marriage proposal flashmob at Washing Square Park in New York. Although, I’m not sure if I should shake his hand or shake my fist in the air for raising the bar for dudes everywhere! Flashmob – A group of people who appear from out of nowhere, to perfo...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - May 31, 2010, 6:39 pm
The Creator’s Project have kindly shared their interview with the French band Phoenix that I thought y’all might find fascinating. Their last album ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix‘ was terrific, you should definitely check it out! (Listen for free on Spotify here)
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - May 30, 2010, 6:24 am
Since the demise of the 1UP Yours podcast — what with everyone leaving the show — I’ve followed Garnett Lee to his new home at Shacknews. His latest podcast, Weekend Confirmed includes a section for fans to promote their music. One such band are the heavy metal group Haunted Sho...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - May 29, 2010, 4:24 pm
China is frequently reknowned for it’s cheap luxury knock-offs, Shirtflag aims to change that perception. Hailing from Shanghai, the fashion brand have remixed Mao-era propaganda art with modern cultural icons to create some inspiring designs. There was news that they were planning to open a s...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - May 16, 2010, 3:46 pm
I came across an article on Wired about the trend of Japanese municipalities to decorate their manhole covers. Photographer, Remo Camerota has compiled his collection of these covers into a book. I think I may have lost the plot as I’m posting a story about man hole covers… (Click an i...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - May 14, 2010, 12:56 pm
A short documentary by the BBC about a city relatively unknown outside of China, I find these sorts of things really fascinating. You can watch it on iPlayer or below if you live outside of the United Kingdom. In the last decade Chongqing in South West China has mushroomed into the biggest metropo...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - May 8, 2010, 12:47 pm
It’s that time of year when I’m too busy to update you kids, so you’ll have to make do with another video that I found. (Thanks, Danny Choo)
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - May 2, 2010, 4:00 am
Tokyoluv shares with us this great video of skating around Tokyo, the rest of the website features gorgeous photography and is well worth having a look at.
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - May 1, 2010, 9:36 am
In the early days of the internet, I remember first coming across Napster and the epiphany I experienced on the realisation that I could find and download music to my hearts content. Of course back then, downloading a song on dial-up connections would take forever. We all know of course what happene...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Apr 17, 2010, 5:39 pm
A short while ago Danny Choo announced on his website that he’d be holding an event at The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). Fortunately for me, my current placement at St Thomas’ coincided with the event for an easy journey on the tube to Russell Square from Westminster on ...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Apr 14, 2010, 11:06 am
The latest news is that the international release of the iPad will be delayed until May. In the meantime then, Alice for iPad is another fantastic and innovative demonstration of what the device is capable of and how that might revolutionise the way we interact with media. Rather than try and exp...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Apr 11, 2010, 6:00 pm
If you’re a fan of Japanese cinema, you’re bound to have come across Midnight Eye at some point. Every year the editors of the site put together a list of what they consider to be the best films of the year, I tend to use this as a guideline of films to try and watch. 2010 happens to be ...
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Hummy R. posted an article on Hoponbaby - Apr 9, 2010, 2:25 pm
Yesterday I visited the Japan Centre in Piccadilly to pick up some powdered green tea. As part of an overall grander scheme to improve my health and well-being, after trying the South Beach Diet recommended by Dr Weil during an interview with Kevin Rose about geek health issues. Matcha is a variet...
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