rønin

"In Beijing, even the tiniest apartment can cost a fortune — after all, with more than 21 million residents, space is limited and demand is high. But it is possible to find more affordable housing. You'll just have to join an estimated 1 million of the city's residents, and look underground. Below the city's bustling streets, bomb shelters and storage basements are turned into illegal — but affordable — apartments." - rønin

"On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 earthquake shook Japan, the most powerful earthquake in the island’s history. Communities on the coast were flattened by the tsunami that ensued minutes later, its crest peaking at 30 feet tall in certain areas, and traveling up to 6 miles inland. Around 10 percent of the population of Otsuchi, a small fishing town, perished that day, including the mayor and other officials. Sixty percent of residential buildings were damaged. A year and a half after the tsunami, Argentinian photographer Alejandro Chaskielberg made his first trip to Otsuchi. There, he found razed grasslands and debris. With the help of a Japanese curator he had previously worked with, he was introduced to local residents." - rønin

"The VEGETABRELLA is a compact umbrella that looks like a romaine lettuce when closed. When opened it becomes a normal umbrella and in summer its UV filter also protects from suntan. It is delivered with a small umbrella bag in the same "salad" design and is delivered in a box that resembles salad cartons for wholesale. It is sold and manufactured by Tokyo Noble – a small family owned company from Tokyo that specialized on the production of design and order made umbrellas. Customers in their Tokyo shop can choose umbrella components from hundreds of options and the umbrella will be assembled in front of the customer." - rønin

And seriously, hooks sold separately? The heck. - rønin

"Wouldn't it be great if you could get all of the convenience and pleasure of instant noodles—the portability, the just-add-water cooking, the lunch-sized portions—but pack it full of fresh vegetables and real, honest-to-goodness flavor? Here's a secret: you can, and it's easier than you think." - rønin

I've sometimes seen them in bulk foods sections, too. - Katy S