DESIGN TALKS plus

Cities around the world are reexamining their infrastructure. In response to the UN SDGs and environmental issues, cities are turning away from car-focused planning to models that put people first. Tokyo is part of this trend. New ideas and strategies are looking at streets. Architect Chiba Manabu rediscovers the charm of Tokyo's city streets and explores new designs for transport infrastructure and urban living.

Bonsai recreate vast natural landscapes in the confines of a plant pot. This unique Japanese culture is known by its original name around the world, and for many young people has become a byword of cool Japanese culture alongside manga and anime. From pieces painstakingly shaped over centuries to cutting-edge artworks shaped around new ideas, bonsai has an extraordinary diversity that's won fans at home and abroad. Rising international star and bonsai gardener Hirao Masashi explores the evolving world of bonsai.