These ordinary looking stacks of square paper notes hold hidden surprises inside: each removed sheet reveals more and more of a secret Japanese structure, completely visible once all the pages are pulled.

The Omoshiro (roughly: “fun”) Block uses laser-cutting tech to craft the initial deck with its internal architecture. It is made by Triad, a firm in Japan that mainly makes professional architectural models for design firms.

In tihs case, they have replicated a series of classic buildings from around the country, including the  Kiyomizudera Temple in Kyoto and Asakusa Temple in Tokyo as well as the Tokyo Tower skyscraper.

Each block has 100 sheets or more, each uniquely shaped around the void to create the buildings within — in a way, they catalog their own order of usage, each edge profile reflecting the moment it was pulled. Subtly morphing hues between each layer reinforce the effect.

Currently, the blocks can only be bought in-store at Tokyu Hands in Osaka, along with other excavation-themed products and creations (like the book temple shown above).

As soon as someone pulls out a ring box the (wedding bell) alarms start sounding, hence this ingeniously slim alternative that packs flat into pockets and still doesn’t reveal its purpose once presented to a significant other.

From its creators: “Clifton is a unique engagement ring case that can be easily slipped into the pocket or the wallet. The discreet design allows the case to be easily hidden without showing much profile. At approximately 1 cm thick, Clifton presents the ring with a delightful flower blooming effect when opened, enchanting the moment.”

While there are many other ways to surprise someone on this kind of special occasion, this approach seems particularly elegant as a solution. Its creator, Andrew Zo, is a packaging designer who delights in the unboxing process and has won awards and acclaim for this and other work done for both domestic (Canadian) clients and international businesses.

Oh yes, you read it right: breaking ground was meant in the literal sense – think Sandworms from Beetlejuice, chewing through asphalt on their way to attack and nature’s own bright orange warning color.

Epos 257 is an urban artist with many tools, techniques and approaches, but few are quite so attention-getting as a presumably-rogue pipe (or mythical snake) that bursts up from the cobblestones or concrete right at your feet.

The creatures comes straight out legend, leaping into view in modern form: the Mongolian Death Worm is the creature of nightmares, spewing flesh-eating acid as it terrorizes a population. To this day, scientists cannot say of the stories are based on fact or fantasy.

Ingredients: 500 liters of brightly-colored, eco-friendly, wash-away water-based paint, one elevated location with video camera and a whole mess of (2000) cars just waiting at an intersection to be unwitting participants in creating a huge mural.

Guerilla artists of IEPE dumped blue, yellow, purple and red along each major motorway crossing at a single (huge) central space during a pause in traffic, all from their own well-timed vehicular conveyances stopped on the various sides.

When they peeled away, bicyclists and moped riders began to trail thin lines of color, crossed in turn by larger leavings from four-wheeled vehicles around them. Mixed paints overlapped and bled to form new colors along the way. A beautifully simple act of interactive and chaotic art on the street – fortunately, no drivers were too distracted to stay the course despite the rather complex nature of this particular intersection.