FIXES

Sign collaged from reflective tape cautioning motorists to watch out for kids at play in suburban Tokyo.

Materials: Reflective Tape
Location: Akishima, Tokyo.

Park bench constructed from household seating and plastic twine.

See “Bus stop chairs are gifted, unmatched, and spontaneous” for an insightful take on the subject (on Tokyo Green Space).

Materials: Plastic Twine
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Functional adaption of park tree for maintenance equipment storage in a run-down apartment complex just off the high-fashion avenue of Omotesando.

Materials: Tree
Location: Off Omotesando, Shibuya, Tokyo

(Originally posted on Tokyo-DIY-Gardening.org)

At night the climbing mound in the middle of the local playground is a spot for chatting, smoking, flirting, drinking……

Material: Playground
Location: Minami-ku, Nagoya

Hand made map showing shops and attractions in the center of Nagoya’s shopping district, Sakae.

Various fonts, paper, and hand written annotations, along with fading, wear and tear evoke the temporality of commerce.

I wonder what rules and regulations hold for the those allowed to add to the sign. What are the penalties for unauthorised editing?

Materials: Paper, Marker, Laminator
Location: Nagoya, Sakae

Another example of the hand made aspects of Japanese mass-made toilets. This time a large can that used to hold mosquito coils has been placed in a Nagoya public toilet by Mr./Ms. Migita?/Uda?.

Great to see the date of placement clearly written on the side of the can.

Materials: Can
Location: Sakae, Nagoya

A couple more [HERE] and [HERE].

Watch out for burglars! This frugal signage warns residents of ambient dangers.

Materials: Laminated Paper, Duct Tape
Location: Nagoya

Signage for a local kindgarten play-day makes use of a bush in a local park.

Materials: Laminated Paper, Plastic Twine, Tree
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Tree and plastic bag form an easily disposed of ashtray in a local park.

Materials: Plastic Bag, Tree
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

This sign in Shibuya station illustrates how station employees have ‘fixed’ ticket gate signage at the request of users.

In this case, existing signage left passengers unclear as to whether the station could be exited from the ticket gate. This was fixed by installing two signs pointing to well known exits/meeting spots.

Materials: Laminated Paper
Location: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Street fire extinguisher storage secured with duct tape.

Materials: Duct Tape
Location: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Street map in Shibuya annotated with print labels.

Materials: Print Labels
Location: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Impromptu and hard to miss lost and found repository.

Materials: Post
Location: Akishima-shi, Tokyo

With the completion of a new rotary/taxi stand the route straight out of the station, to the convenience store and up the main street was cut off – necessitating a 2-3 minute detour around the side. For the time scarce suburban commuter this is not obviously not acceptable.

The state of the shrubbery is evidence of the foot-made solution – two well worn paths between the bushes leading in a straight line from the bottom of the stairs to the convenience store. Rule-abiding minds have attempted to discourage this use by placing traffic cones in the way, but to no avail…..

Materials:
Location: Akishima-shi, Tokyo

Signage requesting low volume usage of radio/CD players in the park.

Materials: Laminated A3
Location: Akabanebashi, Tokyo

Streetside storage for net used on rubbish day.

Materials: Shopping Basket, Plastic Twine, S-Hook
Location: Akabanebashi, Tokyo

Signage in subway station warning of purse-snatchers.

Materials: Duct Tape, Laminated A4
Location: Akabanebashi, Tokyo

Community saftey signage in subway station – watch out for purse snatchers, “Ore Ore” sagi, and break-ins.

Materials: Duct Tape, Laminated A4
Location: Akabanebashi, Tokyo

Pot plants along footpath used as bicycle parking.

Materials: Pot Plants
Location: Akabanebashi, Tokyo

Apartment bike parking, which is often free-space, ordered into fixed parking spaces with paper and tape.

Materials: Paper, Tape
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Direction sign for Tokyo Tower at Akabanebashi Subway Station. Constructed of tourist brochure cut-outs and classic Tokyo public trasport duct tape lettering.

Materials: Duct Tape, Tourist Brochure
Location: Akabanebashi, Tokyo

Clarification signage in laminated A4.

Materials: Laminated Paper
Location: Shinjuku Station, Tokyo

Felt tipped pens, photocopied map, and tourist brochure combined to form an official information sign in a subway station near Tokyo Tower.

Materials: Felt Tipped Pens, Tourist Brochure, Photocopied Map
Location: Akabanebashi Subway Station, Tokyo

Shinjuku station signage, bilingual in all the important places.

Materials: Tape, Printed Labels
Location: Shinjuku Station, Tokyo

Fence as lost and found display for key.

Materials: Fence
Location: Shibuya, Tokyo