Recently I was in Japan and did several Design Around the World videos so you could get a sense of the graphic design in the country.

Hope you enjoy this count down! 

5. Cat Bus

At the Studio Ghibli Park in Nagoya, I stumbled upon a life-sized replica of the Cat Bus from My Neighbor Totoro. Imagine my surprise when I walked into the room and found this massive, whimsical bus that my entire family could climb aboard for photos! The entire park is a treasure trove of design inspiration, full of vibrant colors and beloved characters, but the Cat Bus in the Grand Warehouse truly stole the show.

4. Tokyo Station Hotel 

The Tokyo Station Hotel is more than just a place to stay—it’s a masterpiece of design and architecture. Overlooking the historic train station, our room offered stunning views and the breakfast room featured breathtaking chandeliers. The hallways were adorned with beautiful artwork, making it a must-visit for any designer seeking luxurious inspiration.

3. Golden temple in Kyoto

After visiting a couple of temples earlier in the day, the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto left a lasting impression with its dazzling gold leaf exterior. The surrounding grounds are equally stunning, offering multiple vantage points to take in this architectural marvel. If you’re an architecture enthusiast, this temple is a must-see. It’s even more breathtaking in person—no video can truly capture its beauty.

2. Non Mickey Mouse DisneySea 

We took our kids to DisneySea, and I was amazed to discover an entire world filled with characters I’d never seen before. Unlike the usual Mickey Mouse-themed attractions, this park features Mickey and Minnie’s adorable stuffed animal friends as the stars. You’ll find these beloved characters everywhere, replacing the traditional Mickey ears with something uniquely Japanese.

1. Bathrooms!

This might surprise you, but the bathrooms in Japan were one of the biggest highlights of my trip! For first-time visitors, the cleanliness, design, and functionality are nothing short of astounding. From the informative signage to the high-tech bidets, every bathroom—from public restrooms to hotel facilities—was immaculately designed. Some even had stylish wallpaper and other decorative touches. It was a delightful surprise that I wasn’t expecting!

What about you? Have you been to Japan? What surprising designs or experiences did you encounter? Share your thoughts in the comments!

XOXO,

Carina

My visit to the Osaka Aquarium and Osaka Castle turned into an unforgettable double excursion that we squeezed into a single day while in Japan. Initially, I hadn’t planned on stopping in Osaka, but as soon as my daughter discovered that the aquarium had whale sharks, it became a must-visit for our family.

The YouTube video I made about this trip doesn’t fully capture how amazing the aquarium is. The graphic design work was top-notch, with detailed information about all the animals and marine life, and the visuals were stunningly beautiful.

Osaka Aquarium houses not one, but two whale sharks.

The aquarium itself was a masterpiece of design, with beautifully illustrated maps and signage guiding us through the exhibits. The experience kicked off with an immersive underwater tunnel, making us feel as though we were walking on the ocean floor among colorful fish and rays.

As we ascended through the aquarium, we encountered playful otters, seals, penguins, and, of course, the whale sharks. The Pacific Ocean Tank, where these gentle giants swim, was awe-inspiring. Standing before the enormous cylindrical tank, we were captivated by the graceful movements of the whale sharks and the variety of other marine life. The experience felt truly immersive, as if we were right there in the ocean with them.

After enjoying some blue whale ice cream—a fitting treat given our surroundings—we continued through the aquarium, exploring jellyfish exhibits and Arctic marine life. Even the aquarium’s restrooms were noteworthy, with creative designs that kept the immersive experience going. The gift shop was our final stop, where my kids eagerly picked out whale shark plushies as souvenirs.

In the afternoon, after a brief rest at our hotel, my husband and I decided to visit Osaka Castle. This was our only outing without the kids, who needed some downtime since this was definitely a go-go-go trip to Japan.

The walk there was a delightful mix of modern cityscape and historical architecture. We couldn’t resist stopping for a quick snack, which made me feel like Chihiro from "Spirited Away." There is a huge contrast between the traditional stone walls and moats of the castle against the backdrop of modern Osaka.

Exploring the castle was a journey through time, with each level offering insights into its rich history. Artifacts like letters, armor, and swords brought the past to life, and the intricate design and craftsmanship of the castle were awe-inspiring. The panoramic view from the top was the perfect end to our visit, offering a serene moment of reflection as we looked out over the lush greenery and urban landscape of Osaka.

Before heading back to our hotel, we explored a nearby building filled with shops and eateries, where I tried an adventurous dish: beef and mashed potatoes i

n an ice cream cone. While it wasn’t quite what I expected, it was a fun experiment to cap off an unforgettable day.

Our day in Osaka was a whirlwind of discovery, blending the beauty of marine life with the rich history of Japan. It’s a city that left a lasting impression, and I highly recommend making time to explore it if you ever find yourself in Japan.

Also if you want to see me eating a mashed potato ice cream cone, that at the end of the youtube video!

Of course, if you want to see more, there is nothing like video! Watch my Design Around the World adventure here

XOXO,

Carina

If you’re a fan of Studio Ghibli’s enchanting films like my family is, you need to check out Ghibli Park in Nagoya, Japan! We had loads of fun here on our Japan trip.

Ghibli Park offered us a magical experience through the beautiful designs and art that filled the place. The park is divided into several themed areas that are unique and so much fun. It highlighted the amazing animated films that make Studio Ghibli so historic and popular.

The park did a great job at showing the historical background of the filmmaking, context, and behind the scenes of films. There was a fabulous area my family went through with film posters, food, and interactive areas.

Some of our favorite spots we went to had characters you could pose next to for movies like Spirited Away (the first film my family watched and made us fall in love with these films), My Neighbor Totoro, Ponyo, The Boy And the Heron, and others! This photo is from the Ponyo themed area:

Around every corner there were great examples of the films and surroundings that were so detailed. Some of my favorite designs that I noticed here were the wallpapers! The bathroom wallpapers were stunning, and I had to grab a few shots of them as I observed.

We ended our time in the Grand Warehouse in the gift shop where you could find incredibly cute stuffed animals, games, and other lovely things. It was a long and fun day! If you haven’t watched any of Studio Ghibli’s films, I highly recommend giving them a shot!

To get a more detailed description and visual experience of Ghibli Park, watch the YouTube video of this adventure by following this link: https://www.youtube.com/@carinagardner/videos 

My family and I booked a tour through Kyoto Japan to most efficiently see everything in the time we had there! It was incredibly beautiful to see the temples, nature, and other parts of this city. 

The tour we went on took us to four different places: Fushimi Inari Temple, the UNESCO World Heritage Sites Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Kinkakuji Temple, and Arashiyama.

There were plenty of food and shopping stands at our first stop before getting to the grounds of the Fushimi Inari Temple. We saw the famous shrine of the Kami Inari, the deity of good harvests and business success. This is one of the most popular images of Japan.

We were obsessed with all of the tiny details in these places. The temples and shrines are beautifully designed and decorated, along with the gates leading up to them! Seeing design in a Japanese culture in real life was so amazing to me.

The Kiyomizu-dera Temple was next, and our favorite part was probably the Otowa waterfall. We got to drink the water of this waterfall as it is sterilized by UV light. It’s supposed to have healing qualities and attract good fortune!

At the Kinkakuji Temple, we were blown away by how beautiful and golden it was! It is one of Japan’s most iconic landmarks and is also known as the Golden Pavilion. The top two floors are covered in gold leaf, which was incredibly designed, not only looking beautiful, but having meaning behind it to represent purity. 

Our final stop was at Arashiyama. This is a bamboo grove and forest that was stunning! I noticed a lot of great signs and detailed patterns of many buildings as we walked into the park. The bamboo stalks get up to 30 meters tall, and it was breathtaking to see in person. 

If you want to watch the YouTube video of our Kyoto tour, click here  It was such a beautiful part of the Japan trip my family did!

My family are huge Harry Potter fans, and so we had to take a tour of the Warner Bro’s Studio on our Japan trip! It was so worth it, and so cool to see the inside scoop of how they filmed the Harry Potter movies.

I was so impressed with the designs found all over this place. As soon as you walked onto the property, there were beautiful sculptures. I noticed paper cut out designs, wallpapers, incredible architecture matching the movies, the clothing of the actors, and other details that went into creating the Harry Potter world.

The experience itself was incredible as you toured through this place. The work and details that went into creating all of this does not go unnoticed. Throughout the tour, there were short films you watch in different rooms to make you feel like you are in the Harry Potter world. It was so impressive.

After the Forbidden Forest, there was an outdoor area with exhibits and a cafe. We had some butter beer, pot pie, and a huge dessert. Again, so many small details everywhere!

My favorite part about the tour was probably the graphic design elements that I was able to see. They were some of the most inspiring that I’ve seen. Towards the end of the tour, there was a spot with all the graphic designs of the logos, plaques, posters, wooden signs, and great typography.

If you’re ever thinking about going to one of the Harry Potter Studios, go! They have one in Orlando, Hollywood, and Beijing as well!

If you want to watch my YouTube video on this experience, you can click the link here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyhOZJgC4JM 

After the day my family and I spent at DisneySea, we headed into the city to check it out and I loved it. Here are a few highlights!

We stayed at the Tokyo Station Hotel. It was established in 1915, showing Japan’s rich cultural heritage. The artwork and architecture was beautiful!

Our first day in the city was spent doing a lot of walking. I was blown away by how clean this city is! It was also relatively quiet considering how big of a city it is. The futuristic vibe is so interesting and fun. I saw so many things that caught my designer eye like photographs, uniform arches, and big signs (that I can’t read of course).

We went to a lot of shops that were themed for Anime, Pokemon, Japanese pop culture, Hello Kitty, Sylvanian families (Calico Critters), and others! We got a lot of souvenirs. The designs in these places were so inspiring.

At one of the stores, there was a section of Studio Ghibli stuff, which my family is a big fan of. There were these paper theater products you could purchase, and make crafts of characters from these animated movies. Seems like a fun Glowforge, Silhouette, or Cricut project!

After stopping for some food at some stands and a cat cafe, we went to the Senso-ji Temple! I understand now why this place is so famous for getting so many tourists. This is Tokyo’s oldest and most significant Buddhist temple. The signs and symbols were stunning, as well as the giant lanterns! One of the things I loved most about this place was the signage and images with clean shapes and lines. Truly a magical place for a designer!

Lastly, I wanted to highlight the Imperial Gardens. It felt like Central Park in New York City. Although you can’t go into the Imperial Palace except on certain events of the year, we walked these grounds and enjoyed the lush scenery. I enjoyed this incredible city so much.

If you’ve ever been to Tokyo, let me know what your favorite sites were! Also be sure to visit my YouTube channel for the video of this stop on our trip at https://www.youtube.com/@carinagardner

Back in June, my family and I went to Japan! We went to so many fun destinations, but I wanted to highlight our time in Tokyo DisneySea and Universal Studios in Osaka in this blog post.

First DisneySea! It was our first full day in Japan. Tokyo DisneySea is divided into seven themed areas, known as "ports of call," each offering a distinct experience and atmosphere including the 

1. Mediterranean Harbor which was Italian themed. 
2. American Waterfront which is early 20th century New York and New England. 
3. Lost River Delta which is of the Ancient Central American ruins. 
4. Port Discovery which is a futuristic marina. 
5. Mermaid Lagoon which is an underwater kingdom from the little mermaid. 
6. Arabian Coast which is Arabian nights. 
7. Mysterious Island which is Jules Verne-inspired.

Waiting in all the lines gave me plenty of time to take inspiration for my creative ideas. The park was filled with visuals and scenes that were interesting and fun to look at. One of the best places to get inspiration as a designer is by going into the shops!

As for Universal Studios in Osaka, this was the last stop on our trip. I noticed so many different signs, symbols, ambiance, and use of general design principles here.

I love the bold font that they generally use for the Universal Studios logo. If you have a big enough audience and people know who you are, your branding can be more attentive and less restrictive!

We visited Nintendo world, Hero Academia, Harry Potter, Sesame Street, and Hello Kitty themed lands in the park! All of them had a variety of different designs and sights to see. We loved the rides and interactive stuff we could do at each spot.

My family and I would highly recommend going to both of these places in Japan! It was eye-opening as a designer to be in this part of the world. If you want to watch the YouTube videos for both of these places, visit my Youtube channel!

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The Rijksmuseum of Amsterdam lived up to why it’s so famous, and I wanted to share some highlights here on the blog about it!

In my YouTube video that I made for this stop on my trip, I mostly highlighted the paintings I really loved or found interesting. Some of my favorites included the Van Gogh self portrait, a colorful shop window by Isaac Israels, a portrait by Therese Schwarz, the forest scene by Koekkoek, and many more.

The art-historical library in the Rijksmuseum is the largest library in the Netherlands, and I got to go and see this as well! This is a working library and there were people actually down in the bottom working which was so cool to me. I loved its brink-red and gold polychrome cast-iron colonettes. The walls are decorated with painted foliage. It was mesmerizing as a designer to see!

There was also this oversized dollhouse that I wanted to highlight since I showed a lot of it in my YouTube video and on Instagram! The details of this dollhouse were breathtaking and so fun to analyze.

The dollhouse had moldings on the walls and ceilings, the tiny furniture and all the beautiful little pieces like cushions, paintings, ruffles, and murals. There was dishware and tile. Every room was so brilliantly created.

The cherry on top from that day was meeting up with one of my Design Suite members who happened to be in Amsterdam that day as well. Check out my Instagram or YouTube to see more photos and videos of the Rijksmuseum! I loved my time there so much.