Last month saw the passing of Pritzker prize-winner and father of modern Japanese architecture Kenzo Tange. Tokyo would certainly be unrecognizable if it weren't for the various Tange designs that pepper the cityscape, many of which have become landmarks.

United Nations University in Aoyama, Akasaka Prince Hotel, Hanae Mori Building, Tokyo Dome Hotel, New Tokyo City Hall Complex, Saint Mary's Cathedral, National Gymnasiums for the Tokyo Olympics - the list goes on and on. These structural wonders have helped Tokyo become a top destination for lovers of innovative architecture. Tange leaves behind a legacy that will not soon be forgotten.

Most magazines that deal with architecture approach the subject by examining specific projects. But what about city design as a whole? Now publisher Shotenkenchiku - who currently put out a monthly guide to new shop interiors by the same name - have launched the magazine Viewer: Cross-City Design. Viewer does for urban landscapes what Shotenkenchiku does for shop and restaurant interior: covering the topic and supplying gorgeous images.

The premiere issue (now on newsstands) opens with a mesmerizing look at Tokyo train stations, offering breathtaking aerial shots that help give a better sense of the size and scale of stations like Shinjuku. The issue also looks at collaborations between architects and fashion brands, and covers new urban sights in Seoul. Although the text is Japanese-only, the imagery speaks for itself.

In an interesting new mix of advertising and design-related content, Nissan accompanied the launch of its newest Cube mini-van with a website, Cube WIRED. The site entices buyers and builds brand image with a series of attractive screen savers, created by the likes of art director Kenjiro Sano (a 2002 TDC award winner), the Groovisions design collective, and directors Taku Inoue and Koichiro Tsujikawa (known for his video work for musician Cornelius). The Japanese-only site also includes interviews with the creators and short profiles.

In addition to the magazines, websites and gallery events that this column recommends, now there's a television show to help you keep up with the latest in the design world. New Design Paradise offers a weekly look at various creators, spotlighting designs which they then add to their Permanent Collection. Think of it as television's version of the Good Design G-Mark.

A recent episode examined Kazumi Kudo's take on the classic blackboard used in schools. He's updated it to a white board (to match the white paper that students write on) with movable sections that are rolled across the display area to help illustrate the lesson being taught. In conjunction with the show, the recent book The Permanent Collection (in Japanese) covers all the previously featured designs, and makes for a nice reference manual. New Design Paradise airs Thursdays at 24:35 on Fuji TV.

Not to be missed this month is the annual exhibition of Tokyo Type Director's Club (TDC) prize winners. Always a popular show, there will be close to 80 works on display at the Ginza Graphic Gallery, including winners like Taku Satoh (the NHK children's TV series Nihongo de Asobo - Let's Play with Japanese) and Masayoshi Nakajo (package design for the Higashi Ginza Shiseido Building). The show runs until April 25, and admission is free (as always).

After looking through the works of Tokujin Yoshioka - something you can do on his elegantly designed website - you'll come to realize one thing: many of those shop and event spaces you loved so much, the ones that really stood out, were all created by the same person. Yes, he's one of those dabble-in-a-bit-of-everything designers, but the the kind who seems to get it right no matter what the medium, be it architecture, interiors, product design or graphic work.

Yoshioka has certainly received his share of awards (CS Design, JDC Design, I.D. Annual Design Review), so it's no wonder he's in such high demand. Working on projects for the likes of Hermes, BMW, Shiseido, and Issey Miyake (he actually spent a few years in the Miyake Design Studio before establishing his own firm), Yoshioka has contributed enormously toward making Tokyo urban life more pleasurable.