Japanese Design

The first book to present a comprehensive overview of postwar Japanese design For the Japanese, the concept of design is not limited to functionality or materiality--it is deeply connected with ancient culture and rituals. In this sense, a chair is much more than what you sit on, a cup more than what you drink from: these objects are to be reflected upon, to be touched and cherished. As mass manufacture became widespread in the post-war period, fascinating cross-cultural exchanges began to take place between Japan and the West. And in recent years, a new generation of designers has taken Japanese creativity into entirely new territory, reconceptualizing the very meaning of design. Showcasing over 80 designers, hundreds of objects, and contributions from both Japanese and Western designers inspired by Japan, this volume will remain the definitive work on the subject for many years to come.

Explore the enduring beauty of Japanese design through some 250 objects, ranging from bento boxes, calligraphy brushes, and Shoji sliding doors to Noguchi’s Akari lamp, the iconic Kikkoman soy sauce bootle, and a modern‐day kimono designed by Issey Miyake. Printed on craft paper and bound in the traditional Japanese style, WA features stunning, full‐page illustrations and an introduction by MUJI art director Kenya Hara.

Max Planck Series on Asian Intellectual Property Law Volume 18 Indisputably, Japan is today a major hub of product design, and designs made in Japan play an influential role in the world across a wide range of industries. This is the first and only book in English to provide a detailed overview and discussion of product design protection and practice under Japanese law. In addition to expert analysis of the application of design law by Japanese courts and the Japan Patent Office (including the far-reaching 2020 amendments), the book features seven contributions by Japanese product designers from specific industries who describe the product design process in their industry and its legal ramifications worldwide. With in-depth description and analysis and many detailed explanatory figures and tables, the contributors cover such issues and topics as the following: ownership of design rights; requirements for design protection; application process for design registration; examination procedure; appeals and invalidity trials; design infringement and scope of protection; overlap of design and other intellectual property rights; design protection and competition law; international jurisdiction and governing law; and design rights and commercial transactions. Industry-specific chapters cover the application of design law in furniture, home appliances, cell phones, cars, advertising, product packaging, web design, and typeface design. The book concludes with a chapter highlighting differences in design law in Japan and the European Union. Given that Japanese design experts often note a lack of understanding of Japanese design law and practice by foreign companies, this book will appeal to law firm practitioners and in-house counsel involved in global design right portfolio management and design protection in Japan. It will also appeal to intellectual property scholars and product designers with an interest in Japanese design practice and law.

This timely collection of the best of madern Japan is an authoritative introduction to the country's contemporary design, and the histories behind them.

**Winner, Choice Magazine Outstanding Academic Title 2015** This Japanese design book presents the arts, aesthetics and culture of Japan with over 160 stunning color photos and extensive historical and cultural commentary . The Japanese sensibility often possesses an intuitive, emotional appeal, whether it's a silk kimono, a carefully raked garden path, an architectural marvel, a teapot, or a contemporary work of art. This allure has come to permeate the entire culture of Japan—it is manifest in the most mundane utensil and snack food packaging, as well as in Japanese architecture and fine art. In Japanese Design, Asian art expert and author Patricia J. Graham explains how Japanese aesthetics based on fine craftsmanship and simplicity developed. Her unusual, full-color presentation reveals this design aesthetic in an absorbing way. Focusing on ten elements of Japanese design, Graham explores how visual qualities, the cultural parameters and the Japanese religious traditions of Buddhism and Shinto have impacted the appearance of its arts. Japanese Design is a handbook for the millions of us who have felt the special allure of Japanese art, culture and crafts. Art and design fans and professionals have been clamoring for this—a book that fills the need for an intelligent, culture-rich overview of what Japanese design is and means. Topics explored in Japanese Design include: The Aesthetics of Japanese Design The Cultural Parameters of Japanese Design Early Promoters of "Artistic Japan" 1830s-1950s

Utilitarian objects, including basketry, ceramics, lacquer, metalwork, and textiles, are presented in five areas of aesthetic taste that describe the essence of Japanese design.

The Museum of Modern Art and 5 Continents Editions recently launched this series of books dedicated to industrial and graphic design. Each volume offers an overview of a single country's design achievements and illustrates its particular design history and aesthetic by showcasing renowned architects and designers through exemplary works drawn from The Museum of Modern Art's unmatched collection. This season, they take on Japan. Japanese designers' special ability to combine aesthetic tradition with contemporary visual culture and material innovation has created a distinctive and exceptionally successful design industry in Japan, which has produced such divergent icons of Modern design as Sori Yanagi's Butterfly Stool, the Sony Walkman, the Honey-Pop Armchair by Tokujin Yoshioka and the Toyota Prius. This volume traces the development of Japanese design from the country's craft revival in the early twentieth century to the extraordinary objects of high technology that have been a specialty of Japanese designers since the middle of the century. Antonelli's lively introduction provides an overview of Japan's design culture, while an essay and timeline by Penny Sparke illuminate the masterpieces of Modern Japanese design that are superbly reproduced in this volume's plate section.

Japanese interiors focus primarily on one simple philosophy, Zen. All the rooms in a traditionally furnished Japanese home strive to achieve a balance of peace and simplicity; their interiors are steeped in centuries of cultural influence, and a sense of calm is key to the whole aesthetic. This handbook shows how to create a tailor-made Japanese home. Working through the house one room at a time, it highlights classic items of furniture and signature accessories, from tatami mats and paper lanterns to shoji (dividing screens). In-depth case studies demonstrate the essential elements and provide inspiration, while colour combinations are explored to help personalize this iconic style for the home. Anyone who hankers after the Japanese look and is eager to bring it to their own home will find this book a valuable resource.