About The Journal
Photo by: Sebastian Mayer
Hawken King is a designer & illustrator. Occasionally he blogs.
He first started webloging on a visit to Japan in 1999 – this journal was originaly kept for his family and friends – but since they largely ignored his ramblings, the Journal is open to all.
Hawken lives in central Tokyo.
WiMax
Published 23rd of Oct, 2009. Stored under Journal
My internets had all run out so it was a good chance for me to retain my electronic gentlemen status by investing in new gadgets, namely; WiMax!
The process is rather simple – I went to an electronics store, filled out the form, got a 15 day free trial & the hardware. There is only one device per brand / store. Mine is i-o data (LABI), which was cheaper than the BIC CAMERA model (by 4000 yen) – they are essentially the same.
The problem with mobile me’s iDisk
Published 19th of Oct, 2009. Stored under Journal
Good afternoon, my name is Hawken and I trust the cloud.
For years I knew there was something missing from my life. I felt this emptiness inside. All these different computers I have but none of them are connected to one another.
Then, I heard of this thing called .mac. I was hooked. All my data synchronised between machines, bookmarks all the same on my browsers – whether it be my iPhone, work machines, home machine or laptop.
Names changed but the service remained the same, in-fact it got better! Now I could sync all my files! This was just getting better and better, my experience was peaking! No more swapping and burning of CD’s. No more instances of “not having the right file”. No more did I need a USB key just to carry my data home. The iDisk solved all my problems and I lavished my hard earned cash on it willingly.
Until today.
Tokyo 2.0 chat
Published 16th of Oct, 2009. Stored under Journal
Come and chat me up at the Tokyo 2.0 web event on Monday the 19th of October.
For a few years now Tokyo2.0 has been holding its monthly web seminar at various locations in Tokyo. Due to it's ever expanding size the event is currently held at Super Deluxe in Nishi Azabu.
Cherry blossoms Tokyo
Published 29th of Mar, 2009. Stored under diary
Once a year, people in Japan can take a bit of time to relax in the park and have a drink – problem is – most people do it on the same day.
Luckily there is a gigantic park next to my house, so this is where we would make our merriment. Staking out a spot near some trees and some people I vaguely know (I dare you to walk though the park and not see someone you know this time of year) we proceeded on the task at hand – getting blasted! Read More
Mother!
Published 21st of Mar, 2009. Stored under diary
Waiting at arrivals in the airport is a strange experience. You are all these thousands of miles away, but yet at a selected time and place, you can meet anyone you like! All it takes is an email.
Christmas 2004 was the last time I saw my Mother. I was wondering what would be different. Funnily I got rather apprehensive to her arrival – we had already mapped out what we were going to do for these three weeks – but there’s always the chance that when people come to Japan they freak out. As a matter of fact I think it’s required. Also we would be sharing sleeping quarters for three weeks with her legendary snoring. Read More
CS4 looms; my favourite quotes from “dear adobe”
Published 24th of Sep, 2008. Stored under ideas
With the imminent release of CS4, I take a look at the funny side of the long requested features from users of Adobe products.
Recently I found Dear Adobe. It was such a relief to find that there are literally thousands of other disgruntled creatives that work in the print and web industry that have also found this site – posing questions to adobe. Whether Adobe reads and acts upon these requests is another thing.
Read More
top11 missing mail features for iPhone! *update*
Published 6th of Aug, 2008. Stored under ideas
As we use e-mail more than SMS here in Japan, I have a look at what could be changed for the Japanese device, by means of a software update. This is basically my wish list for this already amazing device. Practically all of the wished for features listed are apparent on a normal everyday Japanese phone.
beach parties
Published 26th of Jul, 2008. Stored under diary
This July, I’ve spent every weekend at the beach. Mostly to get stung to buggery by jellyfish. Zushi beach is a short one hour journey from my part of Tokyo.
In my vain attempt to get a sun tan X pump at the gym I’ve so far succeeded in only going red and torturing myself.
I have met a few interesting people though.
web design magazine!
Published 3rd of Jul, 2008. Stored under press
“Web Design Note” profile me and my work on; Pantone, Transport for London and Salon Boutique.
Last month I received a call out of the blue. Unsure as to who was calling me and exactly what they wanted (the conversation was in Japanese) I took the time to find out. Eventually during the conversation I somehow deduced that I was in fact being called by an editor wanting to feature a 6 page article about me in a Tokyo based web design magazine.
30 today
Published 24th of Jun, 2008. Stored under diary
Was treated to a birthday dinner at my local pub. Lots of food and couples, presents etc. Didn’t go on for as long as I expected. Also, I seem to be having bad luck with the after effects of GF based birthday parties (second in a row). Next one…
iPhone homebrew
Published 13th of Jun, 2008. Stored under ideas
Now that the iPhone is finally hitting Japan, and I’ve finally upgraded to Leopard, I’m looking for a pro-active programmer(s) to work with me on game development!
Requirements are fairly simple, you just need to be super interested in making games for the iPhone with ample games programming experience.
Read More
no smoking
Published 21st of May, 2008. Stored under japan
I went to a no-smoking pub in naka-meguro.
While I’m not adverse to a total ban on smoking in Japan, entering a pub where no one is smoking was kind of strange. I haven’t been back to the UK since the smoking ban was enforced, so I had no idea what it was like.
You can smell all sorts of new and exciting smells, like; wood, beer and sweat.
Needless to say I gave up after one pint and got a drink at my local where all the normal people were.
Wii Mario Kart
Published 21st of Apr, 2008. Stored under Journal
my advice, don’t bother. I sold it. What a terrible let down.
I may not be articulate enough a reviewer to pin it down but, I just couldn’t be bothered to play it after a few days, theres something mind numbingly boring about racing the AI. Not that it’s too easy or anything. Online is OK… bit like the DS online.
There’s lots to make the game more chaotic than it should be, so racing skill is not really needed. you can be in 12th position and still finish 1st if you get the right item. Which with recent mario kart iterations is a real let down. They keep adding more random penalties to level the playing field but at the same time have eroded the skill element which should have been paramount as on the super nintendo. You could be the best driver in the world and still finish last if you’re unlucky. in fact, this happens far too much.
Choosing drivers for their advantages / disadvantages is also pointless. If you chose a big heavy driver you won’t get anywhere, because the random factor of being penalized is so frequent it removes any advantage of incremental speed gains, because you take longer to recover / gain speed. So an old mechanic is left in and you’re left with the worst aspects, none of the gains.
I’d give it 3 / 10 on gameplay, 5 / 10 on graphics and 2 / 10 on audio
The DS version has better tracks, better racing mechanics and is a trickier game to master, that rewards the player.
Japanese text – a guide
Published 9th of Mar, 2008. Stored under japan
Translating Japanese typography to the web.
Many foreign designers in Japan are faced with the un-easy task of formatting Japanese text for bi-lingual or solely Japanese language based websites. By rule we should already understand such principals before embarking, but the rule in this case is far from the norm. Read More
evoloution of currency fonts?
Published 25th of Feb, 2008. Stored under ideas
I once read somewhere that all the best design is refined by the end user. Take greengrocers for example, they have to use currency symbols and measurement symbols every day. No computers, keyboards or pda’s. Just a scrap of paper and a pencil.
What ever happened to the double strike on currency symbols?
freeze
Published 18th of Feb, 2008. Stored under diary
I never realised it could be this cold for so long!
I moved into my apartment just over 2 years ago, at that time there was bugger all furniture, just me and a sleeping bag. Soon after my boxes arrived from the UK. Now my apartment is stuffed with junk. I remember it being seriously cold back then, and the following year. However the following year I was working from another location, so the cold didn’t really affect me. That year, I promised myself I’d buy some kind of heater, as my air conditioner is useless. Well, this year, I failed once again, and come home to the Freeze.
Actually I have a certain amount of computer things to do when I get home, but it’s just too freaking cold. I end up hibernating under the covers! Too late to buy a heater now as next month it’s gonna get comfortable again no doubt. Next year, I promise myself!
10 years of dadako blog!
Published 12th of Jan, 2008. Stored under Journal
didn’t feel that long.
yes it did.
Japanese christmas
Published 25th of Dec, 2007. Stored under diary
This Christmas I decided to take a trip to the mountains and lounge around in hot springs in Hakone, situated west of Tokyo. A present to myself, even though Christmas has little meaning in this country of heathens, I was prepared to distance myself from the madness as much as possible.
The trip was interesting, riding a rickety old tram up a mountain. Apparently it’s the second highest railway in the world, can you believe it! So the endless chatter of the robotic tour guide tape told me, so proud to be number two. Eventually I reached my destination on the side of the mountain, distant clouds of steam billowing from the hidden resorts stuffed randomly into the endless forest. Not so well hidden but majestically prominent was my hotel, clad in geisha girls and pre-war decor. That night I feasted on endless courses of Japanese food brought into my room by a kind old lady, things I’d never seen before being carefully levered into my mouth – bliss. Privately I changed into yukatta (a type of simple robe), to enter my private hot spring. Read More
New Zealand Festival – Roppongi Hills
Published 16th of Nov, 2007. Stored under Journal
This weekend is New Zealand Paradise Week at roppongi hills arena in Tokyo. The company I work for is responsible for one of the Booth designs, my part to play is also visible in the costume design and paraphernalia (booklets, folders etc). The general theme is grass, so if you see a booth there covered in fake grass, you’ll know who was responsible!
Eat in Style Magazine
Published . Stored under Journal
The office where I work is very nice, it was designed by Eat and Steve Lidbury. Sometimes, it’s used for modeling shoots. So this month you will be able to see a little bit of the office in Style Magazine. I see enough, but it’s always a pleasure.