Hidden under an awkward theme ("Japanese Absolute Sense"), the current issue of the bilingual design magazine +81 (Summer 2005) offers a tantalizing look at some of the greats currently doing work in the world of Japanese graphic design. Sure, they do try to bring up the topic of "design sense" during the many interviews, but what takes up most of the space (and piques our interest) is talk of the creators' own work, how they approach the process, and thoughts on the profession in general. Also included is a feature on some of the up-and-comers in the field, covering 34 young creators who are already influencing the current graphic landscape. From the blueprint-like imagery of AHAFT (Hiroki Matsuura, whose architectural background comes as no surprise) to the seventies-influenced work (seen on many CD covers) of Satoshi Matsuzawa, it's an inspiring new generation of designers who are sure to become the architects of a new shift in modern Japanese visuals.

Of all the creators included in the issue, Kenya Hara truly stands out. A member of the Muji board since 2001, his stunning use of emptiness (or at least the idea of emptiness) in the ad campaigns he's executed for the brand has led to a series of images that have been so well received as to become synonymous with the company they represent. This clever use of space, as well as some beautifully restrained logo concepts, can be seen in most of his work, from the Matsuya Ginza renewal project (with a storefront covering that gradually "zipped" open as the date of the re-opening approached) to his promotional brochures for the Nagano Olympics and the Expo 2005 Aichi. His work was also spotlighted a few months ago in another bilingual Japanese design magazine, IDEA (306), and it's certainly worth hunting down - the cover feature on him takes up most of the very thick issue.

Anyone who has been wandering the streets of Tokyo's fashionable/stylish districts (Aoyama, Shibuya, Nakameguro, among others) of late will have noticed that something is up. A distressing number of spots in the design-friendly cafe and shop category have been undergoing renovations, changes in location, or permanent closings. Is it a sign of financial trouble in a design-obsessed paradise, or simply a coincidental seasonal renewal that seems to have affected an abnormally large amount of like-mind businesses?

In Aoyama, the closing earlier this year of the admittedly less-than-crowded Bape Cafe - a frequent inclusion in numerous guides to stylish dining, including a spot on the cover of teNeue's Cool Restaurants Tokyo - now seems to have been a sign of things to come. The brand's nearby Bapexlusive shop - another Bape location that is but a shadow of its former self - is currently closed for renovations.

After news came earlier this year that the Idee produced Designer's Block would not be held this year (the Designers Week and Swedish Style festivities are still scheduled for early November), there was talk that the Idee brand might not have been doing so well. This was followed a few months later with the closing of the Idee Service Station cafe near Nakameguro. The latest? Last month saw the closing of Idee's Sputnik Pad (and the basement bar Low), with a promise of a move leading to a re-opening in the early Summer, yet there are still no details on when or where this will happen. Idee's main shop in Aoyama has recently opened a Sputnik Room on its 3rd floor.

In Shibuya, it's Cafe Company's Planet 3rd (including Lunch to Go and the Secobar, collectively known as the Shibuya Underpass Society, or SUS) that closed down a month ago. (It seems that the closing might have been a result of the city's plan to move parts of the Toyoko line, underneath which Planet 3rd was located, underground.) In Nakameguro, it's the Organic Cafe that has unfortunately served its last triple-decker, making way for the Nakameguro Redevelopment Program, with another Kazumasa Aihara property, Depot, undergoing some renovation work. The Transit-produced Meguro branch of the cafe/bar Office also closed its doors for good earlier this year.

Change in Tokyo is not a rare thing, and residents of the city have certainly become accustomed to seeing favorite spots suddenly disappear or make a move to another part of the metropolis. But all of these recent developments do seem to point to some kind of major shift in the city's stylish landscape. Stay tuned for more...

Vehicles haven't yet made their way to this column (unless you count mention of the internet Cube WIRED campaign by Nissan), and it took the new Yamaha Electric Commuter EC-02 - also referred to as the Pentagon for obvious reasons - to finally break the trend. As its name suggests, the compact bike is powered by an electric battery that will keep you going for 40 km at a speed of about 30 km/h, with a recharge time of 6 hours. Sure, it's not going to be the fastest thing on the road - although with Tokyo traffic being what it is, 30 km/h sounds just about right - and it will require more maintenance, but that seems like a fair price to pay for such an attractive and compact design (the handlebars also fold-down to make it easier to store in confined spaces). The EC-02 went on sale at the end of May with a list price of 209,790 yen, and it's sure to attract the gaze of onlookers as soon as it starts turning up on streets throughout the city.