Finder: I offer two new versions of the finder face: manga (戯画) and ukiyo-e (浮世絵).
Computer: The original computer!
Home: Based on my friends' village house.
Documents, clipping, folders: Origami (折り紙) paper and a folded pocket for the folders.
Documents folder: Origami paper is sometimes sold in fanned-out packs.
System and Classic folders: Japan's current flag and the more ancient Emperor's standard (I know it's still in use, it's just much older).
Desktop: A desk all set for calligraphy work!
Users: 3 Noh (能面)masks.
Applications: fude (筆), the calligraphy brush.
Delete: tantou (短剣), the dagger that accompanied all warriors besides their swords.
Eject: The background motif comes from a Japanese family crest.
Customize: Bonsai basami (鋏), the shears used to "customise" and care for bonsai.
Burn: hibachi (火鉢), the brazier.
CD, CD-R, DVD, DVD-R: I used tsuba (鍔), sword guards, whose circular shape was appropriate; the simple shape is for CDs, the more elaborate one for DVDs, and the blank version of each is for the recordable devices.
Internal HD: Tansu (箪笥), a wooden chest. Obviously the place to store everything else.
External HD: Ishidourou (石灯籠), the stone lantern that is erected in gardens. It's external and it's hard...
Removeable HD: Inrou (印籠), a medicine purse that was carried around hanging from the belt.(
iPod: Wouldn't this baby look wonderful as an inrou? :^)
Favorites: Maneki-neko (招き猫), of course!
Find: Shikoku, a Japanese dog breed. Fetch!
Drop box: Tokkuri (徳利), the sake bottle. After all, everyone pours from it instead of drinking directly from each other's cups...
Library: A scroll.
Public and Private: The torii (鳥居) is a large archway that marks the entrance to a Shinto shrine. In contrast, Jizou-bosatsu (地蔵菩薩) represents the effigy of the deity, usually hidden within the shrine. Hence the public/private folders.
Movies: Classics of Japanese cinema, Kurosawa to be more accurate.
Music: Biwa (琵琶), the Japanese lute.
Pictures: From a karuta (card) game.
Trash: Choose between the Daruma doll (達磨) whose eyes are colored in when the trash is full, or the open/closed kasa (傘)
Network and sites folder: Based on an ancient Japanese map.
iDisk: Noren (暖簾), an entrance curtain omnipresent in Japan. It consists of two or more flaps of fabric one walks right through, with a design printed over both.
Fonts: I'm sure you've guessed it – the Kanji for "character".
System preferences: An example of sumi-e (墨絵), ink painting.
Icons folder: Double reference, as the icons used literally are Japanese icons.
Extra icons just for fun: A happi (半纏) or worker's jacket, a shamisen (三味線), which is a string instrument, an o-mamori (御守), a kind of talisman, a chouchin (提灯) or paper lantern, and a family of koi (鯉), the sacred carps.
I owe much to Nicholas Bornoff's and Michael Freeman's wonderful book Things Japanese, without which I couldn't have made it. Special thanks to Jordan Scott for giving me the nudge necessary to take this set to completion.