What do you think?
Rate this book
Designing Japan: A Future Built on Aesthetics
Designing A Future Built on Aesthetics presents renowned designer Kenya Hara’s vision of how his industry can support Japan in crafting a future founded on a unique philosophy of beauty as well as crowd-sourced wisdom from around the world. The book spans history from the beginnings of professional Japanese design in the sixteenth century to the impact of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, but Hara’s focus is the future. A master collaborator, meticulous organizer, and globally conscious innovator, he draws on more than three decades of participation in design work and exhibition curating, as well as deep professional interaction with creators from many fields. Designing Japan serves as a foundation course on the essence of Japanese aesthetics while maintaining a practical approach to Japan’s circumstances and future possibilities. Hara reveals the methods by which designers in Japan continue to work in tandem with government and industry to form publicly accessible aesthetic inquiries into how this island nation will proceed as its population ages, other nations take over manufacturing, and technology develops. Illustrations and examples recognize successful problem solving through design, proving that it is a living, changing industry that remains relevant not in spite of, but as a partner to, advancing technology.
193 pages, Hardcover
Published March 27, 2018
18 people are currently reading
236 people want to read
About the author
Kenya Hara
41 books115 followersKenya Hara (born 1958) is a Japanese graphic designer and curator. He is a graduate of Musashino Art University.
Hara has been the art director of Muji since 2001 and designed the opening and closing ceremony programs of the Nagano Winter Olympic Games 1998. He published Designing Design, in which he elaborates on the importance of “emptiness” in both the visual and philosophical traditions of Japan, and its application to design. In 2008, Hara partnered with fashion label Kenzo for the launch of its men's fragrance Kenzo Power.
Hara is a leading design personality in Japan and in 2000 had his own exhibition “Re-Design: The Daily Products of the 21st Century”.
(from Wikipedia)
Hara has been the art director of Muji since 2001 and designed the opening and closing ceremony programs of the Nagano Winter Olympic Games 1998. He published Designing Design, in which he elaborates on the importance of “emptiness” in both the visual and philosophical traditions of Japan, and its application to design. In 2008, Hara partnered with fashion label Kenzo for the launch of its men's fragrance Kenzo Power.
Hara is a leading design personality in Japan and in 2000 had his own exhibition “Re-Design: The Daily Products of the 21st Century”.
(from Wikipedia)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 14, 2023
In the opening of an interview in which Kenya Hara discusses his philosophy of design, he says something very profound on the purpose of design: "it is the human wisdom behind the creation of a thing...to search for an essential quality in things."
Although touching more on culture/design interconnectedness, this book is a great primer to Hara's more understated works (namely his exhibition pieces he calls "experience design") and his concept of "no design": far from a lack of design, but "keeping design's intention out of the way". I'd love to read more on the Japanese quality of emptiness/white space in his other book, he's truly one of the greatest design thinkers currently out there.
Although touching more on culture/design interconnectedness, this book is a great primer to Hara's more understated works (namely his exhibition pieces he calls "experience design") and his concept of "no design": far from a lack of design, but "keeping design's intention out of the way". I'd love to read more on the Japanese quality of emptiness/white space in his other book, he's truly one of the greatest design thinkers currently out there.
August 9, 2021
Insightful yet inherently flawed in Hara's lack of consideration regarding human-centered design. He touts great ideas and expertise in expanding Asian prowess through technology and innovation but provisions a mere half-page in a very lame attempt to address the shifting state of attitudes, values, generational ennui, and a burgeoning desire for an inherent identity in a highly interconnected nature of a globalized world.
Hara is clearly of an anti-colonial and anti-imperialism mindset but fails to recognize that the medicine he prescribes is a franchise of the very powers he wants to supersede. Perhaps it is the translation that does his love letter to the people of Japan a disservice, but I sensed an underlying need for validation from the Western sphere, which seemed childish and naive because, in the end, Hara is playing by the same rules that the Imperial powers have set up for the rest of the world. America could achieve such elevated ideologies because they have mastered the art of evangelism and messiah-hood. They have entrusted their people to do the good work of America but Hara continues to wax poetic about the old ways of how people just sucked it up and got the fkin' work done. He "warns" the new generation of the dangers of "Freedoms" which he equates with Western Individualism. Then in a very limp attempt to discredit human-centered interactions, calls shared spaces and shared living "oppressive" because people still need to be cogent of how they are sharing their spaces. This was a glaring hole in his assessment of Western culture and thus I have come to the conclusion that Hara is too sheltered, too naive, and too privileged to understand how the world sees Japan.
I wish I could like this book more. There are so many parts that I felt like I could stand behind and support. But his gross oversight on the fact that what makes Japan is Japanese people, not the byproducts of culture is deeply upsetting to read in a design frame of reference.
Hara is clearly of an anti-colonial and anti-imperialism mindset but fails to recognize that the medicine he prescribes is a franchise of the very powers he wants to supersede. Perhaps it is the translation that does his love letter to the people of Japan a disservice, but I sensed an underlying need for validation from the Western sphere, which seemed childish and naive because, in the end, Hara is playing by the same rules that the Imperial powers have set up for the rest of the world. America could achieve such elevated ideologies because they have mastered the art of evangelism and messiah-hood. They have entrusted their people to do the good work of America but Hara continues to wax poetic about the old ways of how people just sucked it up and got the fkin' work done. He "warns" the new generation of the dangers of "Freedoms" which he equates with Western Individualism. Then in a very limp attempt to discredit human-centered interactions, calls shared spaces and shared living "oppressive" because people still need to be cogent of how they are sharing their spaces. This was a glaring hole in his assessment of Western culture and thus I have come to the conclusion that Hara is too sheltered, too naive, and too privileged to understand how the world sees Japan.
I wish I could like this book more. There are so many parts that I felt like I could stand behind and support. But his gross oversight on the fact that what makes Japan is Japanese people, not the byproducts of culture is deeply upsetting to read in a design frame of reference.
January 1, 2025
I've been given the treat of starting the another year reviewing a book from Kenya Hara. While I'm too spoiled by earlier efforts to be amazed, "Designing Japan" is a worthwhile continuation of that work, giving expression of that design ethos to explicit visions for the future of Japan.
This future, given Japan's demographics and comparative population, isn't to aim to lead production, but instead to offer designs and experiences driven by a culture of simplicity and attention to detail, to make a compelling offering in downscaling consumption in favor of quality and specificity. The book take turns reintroducing these cultural resources and applying them to specific areas, including transportation, housing, tourism, and materials (particularly advanced fabrics).
This work is the synthesis of several articles, and while it occasionally has an episodic feel, it comes enough from a sufficiently common concept base as to be coherent. The section on exhibitions suffers from sharing that there were important exhibitions without giving enough of the exposition contents and explanations of how they were posed for their audience. Usually, though, it's very clear what the proposals are.
Is it persuasive that these particular cultural influences are sufficiently potent for export? I think the products and services proposed generally seem nice, but I wonder if there are local cultural assets for other markets that are as strong, and that some kind of hybridization might be more compelling. In the American context, I think about the comfort and casual qualities embodied by sportsware, and imagine a comfort minimalism that hybridizes what's proposed with those influences.
This concept of distilling what is appealing in one's own way of doing things is great food for thought which to start a new year.
This future, given Japan's demographics and comparative population, isn't to aim to lead production, but instead to offer designs and experiences driven by a culture of simplicity and attention to detail, to make a compelling offering in downscaling consumption in favor of quality and specificity. The book take turns reintroducing these cultural resources and applying them to specific areas, including transportation, housing, tourism, and materials (particularly advanced fabrics).
This work is the synthesis of several articles, and while it occasionally has an episodic feel, it comes enough from a sufficiently common concept base as to be coherent. The section on exhibitions suffers from sharing that there were important exhibitions without giving enough of the exposition contents and explanations of how they were posed for their audience. Usually, though, it's very clear what the proposals are.
Is it persuasive that these particular cultural influences are sufficiently potent for export? I think the products and services proposed generally seem nice, but I wonder if there are local cultural assets for other markets that are as strong, and that some kind of hybridization might be more compelling. In the American context, I think about the comfort and casual qualities embodied by sportsware, and imagine a comfort minimalism that hybridizes what's proposed with those influences.
This concept of distilling what is appealing in one's own way of doing things is great food for thought which to start a new year.
July 14, 2023
Sometimes the book goes a bit much into exhibition details which not interested me so much.
But all in all it summarized what I love about Japanese culture.
It is about the simplicity, the beauty of the simple, the everyday.
It explores the origins of Japanese culture and explains the essence.
You can copy some parts of culture (e.g. food, ...) But you will never be able to export what makes a culture what it is.
I am someone who loves Japan but couldn't find the exact explanation for it. I always said it is the atmosphere.
And yes it is. It is the culture that has been cultivated over centuries. The uniqueness. The quality over quantity.
If you like Japan for Japan, you will love this book.
4 / 5
But all in all it summarized what I love about Japanese culture.
It is about the simplicity, the beauty of the simple, the everyday.
It explores the origins of Japanese culture and explains the essence.
You can copy some parts of culture (e.g. food, ...) But you will never be able to export what makes a culture what it is.
I am someone who loves Japan but couldn't find the exact explanation for it. I always said it is the atmosphere.
And yes it is. It is the culture that has been cultivated over centuries. The uniqueness. The quality over quantity.
If you like Japan for Japan, you will love this book.
4 / 5
September 13, 2023
The discussion of Japan's traditional aesthetic—and how it differs from Western minimalism—is insightful and fascinating. The rest is interesting, but Hara's opinions are presented simplistically and unconvincingly. Compare with Witold Rybczynski's Home, which presents a much more pessimistic (and complex) picture of “minimalistic design”.
June 14, 2020
From automobil,home, tourism until materials, this book help reader to understand Japan Design concept in realizing the interaction between human and nature by not forgetting the new modern touch & technology.
🤩🤩.
🤩🤩.
January 25, 2024
3.5 stars - a bit meandering on the exhibitions but i enjoy his unique perspective on japanese aesthetic sensibilities
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews