Via Beverly Tang’s blog, I found a curious site called Pearl Children. I don’t read Japanese, but it appears to be part of a handmade doll movement (hey, I noticed that obvious “handmade doll webring” thing on the bottom; nothing gets past me). Though I’ve not heard of this before, it’s not surprising given the explosive popularity of niche items like the underground “designer” vinyl toy industry (just check out a site like www.kidrobot.com to see a good cross-section of that stuff).

What really has me wondering is whether this set of dolls is inspired in any way by the “suicide clubs” or whatever they’re called in Japan. I forget where I first heard of them, but given the zombified look of these dolls, it seems plausible. Makes me wonder what hybrid fusion of industrial design, art and anthropologic recorder we’re creating with all this technology. More importantly, it seems like an uncomfortable decision might sometimes have to be made: profit from something like these suicide clubs, or try to draw attention to them (in order to end the practice) and kill the cash cow. Interesting situation. And this site probably has nothing to do with that trend.

Metropolis is carrying an interesting piece on an exhibition titled: “Little Boy: The Arts of Japan’s Exploding Subculture”. When I went to Japan a few years back to work on a project, I was surprised to find the topic of conversation – during my initial meeting with my Japanese design partner and a company sales rep – to be World War II. From what I heard and observed, the war still has a hold on many Japanese. I attribute that to a culture where the family is more tightly knit than what I see in the U.S.; we increasingly put our elderly in nursing homes, the Japanese children apparently care for them in a… how to say this without taking a position… more intimate and perhaps respectful way. That proximity might explain my initial, bewildering conversation. And this exhibit.

(note: image above from Metropolis credited to Sheldan Collins)