Kenya Hara Interview: The Wisdom Behind the Creation
“The purpose of design is to search for an essential quality in things.” Meet the internationally acclaimed master designer, whose name has become synonymous with the changing face of contemporary Japanese design – Kenya Hara. In this extensive video, he talks about the concept of “no design” and creating from the Japanese mentality.
While studying at university, Hara’s interest in moulding developed into an interest in the philosophy of design, which became the foundation of his design: “The human wisdom behind the creation of a thing.” He feels that “global culture” doesn’t exist, but that the local culture in which we grew up shape us, and that “providing a local culture to contribute to the global context is what it means to enrich our world.” Visiting other countries has made Hara more aware of Japan and how to translate Japanese culture into a universal language: “I have to take the Japanese locality and digest it for the global language in order to present it in a global context.” When designing for Muji, and conveying this design to a global market, he realized that the Western idea of simplicity was similar to the Japanese idea of emptiness. This concept of emptiness became key, and was furthermore reflected in our perception of – and sensitivity towards – white: “I discovered the concept of white that lies next to emptiness.” This realization consequently resulted in a book series that Hara is working on, which through 100 essays explores the concept of white.
“Its simplicity should be gorgeous without a feeling of inferiority.” Hara argues that design’s intention shouldn’t be obvious, but rather “a suitable thing prepared for people without them noticing it.” On the subject of “no design”, which is at the core of Muji, this isn’t about a lack of design, but about “keeping design’s intention out as much as possible.” Muji, which Hara describes as a concept or ideology rather than a product design, was created as a sort of antithesis at the height of Japan’s economic wealth in 1980, and was consequently scrapped of useless things, rendering the products simple but by no means mediocre: “This is something very Japanese, placing value on austerity. So I wanted to create something out of the Japanese mentality and MUJI was born.” In continuation of this, communication, according to Hara, isn’t about assuring others that you know things, but rather about sparking curiosity: “The momentum of communication shouldn’t move people into the known but rather make people feel as if they saw it for the first time.” If people get the feeling they already know things, “the deepening of interests stops there.”
“It’s time for us to think calmly about how humans will change.” On the subject of technology, Hara comments, “the time of humans making tools has ended. And now we are entering a new era where tools create humans.” He believes that new technologies and environments will change the human being in the future, but is unsure whether this will be for the better or the worse. In continuation of this, Hara argues that when facing problems or obstacles – such as Japan’s decreasing birth rate and how to combine technology and traditional culture – it is possible to find solutions as long as the problem is apparent: “The worst thing we should fear is when problems are not clear to us.”
Kenya Hara (b. 1958) is a Japanese graphic designer. Since 2001, Hara has been the art director of Muji, Japan’s retail chain for household products (sometimes dubbed ‘the Ikea of the East’) founded in 1980, and aims to let its minimalistic products speak louder than the advertising around it. Over the years, he has worked for major Japanese clients such as Art Setouchi Triennale, Kenzo and Tsutaya Books. In 1998 he designed the opening and closing ceremonies of the Nagano 1998 Winter Olympics. Hara, who is also a professor at Musashino Art University in Kodaira, Japan, has received several prestigious awards including the JAGDA New Designer Award (1990), the Yusaka Kamekura Design Award (2001), the Tokyo ADC Grand Prize (2003) and three JAGDA Awards in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Hara is also the author of numerous critically acclaimed books, including the design bible ‘Designing Design’ (2007), which muses on the concept of emptiness in design aesthetics and philosophy. During his career, Hara has also produced numerous successful exhibitions aimed to widen people’s perception by proposing experimental objects that arouse senses, e.g. ‘Re-Design: The Daily Products of the 21st Century’ in 2000, ‘Architecture for Dogs’ in 2012 and ‘Subtle’ in 2014. He lives and works in Tokyo.
Kenya Hara was interviewed by Marie d’Origny Lübecker in Tokyo, Japan in October 2017.
Camera: Yudai Maruyama
Edited by: Klaus Elmer
Produced by: Christian Lund
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2018
Supported by Nordea-fonden
Beautiful Dreamers 告知映像
Okano Satoshi + Tai Ogawa
Beautiful Dreamers
Artist Talk:Nov 12(Mon) 16:30-
Nov 12(Mon) - Dec 8(Sat) 2018
open: 11:00 - 17:00
close: Sun & public holiday
*Admission Free
place: gFal (Musashino Art university Building No.2 First Floor)
address: 1-736, Ogawacho, Kodaira-shi, Tokyo, 187-0032, Japan
Tel: 042-342-6051
岡野智史 + 小川泰
『ビューティフルドリーマーズ』
アーティストトーク: 11月12日（月）16:30～
2018年11月12日（月）～2018年12月8日（土）
11:00-17:00 *日・祝休廊
於: gFal (武蔵野美術大学 2号館1F gFAL)
〒187-0032 東京都小平市小川町１丁目７３６
042-342-6051
Beautiful Dreamers with Okano
Okano Satoshi + Tai Ogawa
Beautiful Dreamers
Artist Talk:Nov 12(Mon) 16:30-
Nov 12(Mon) - Dec 8(Sat) 2018
open: 11:00 - 17:00
close: Sun & public holiday
*Admission Free
place: gFal (Musashino Art university Building No.2 First Floor)
address: 1-736, Ogawacho, Kodaira-shi, Tokyo, 187-0032, Japan
Tel: 042-342-6051
flier design: Ukishita Daisuke
trailer: Misa Sugata
specal thanks:
Karisa Kaneshiro
Masaki Kishimoto
Ekko
Michiyo Matsuhisa
Bunny bissoux
岡野智史 + 小川泰
『ビューティフルドリーマーズ』
アーティストトーク: 11月12日（月）16:30～
2018年11月12日（月）～2018年12月8日（土）
11:00-17:00 *日・祝休廊
於: gFal (武蔵野美術大学 2号館1F gFAL)
〒187-0032 東京都小平市小川町１丁目７３６
042-342-6051
Sou Fujimoto: Between Nature and Architecture
Recorded: April 15, 2014
Sou Fujimoto established his Tokyo-based firm in 2000. His practice seeks to challenge the definition of architecture by blending interior and exterior, structure and furniture, natural landscape and architecture. Based primarily in his home country of Japan, Fujimoto draws architectural inspiration from nature and embraces openness, flexibility, and transparency across his work.
In this Current Work lecture, titled “Between Nature and Architecture,” Fujimoto presents three conceptual early works and six recent projects. The early unbuilt projects, conceived of following his graduation from the University of Tokyo in 1994, illustrate the formation of principles that have carried through to today, including abandonment of solid walls and the design of spaces without fixed function. Finding inspiration in the traditional Japanese engawa, a narrow veranda that serves as passageway between house and garden, Fujimoto translates these “ambiguous, in-between spaces” into his contemporary buildings.
The six completed and current projects he discusses are:
- The Serpentine Pavilion 2013 (London), a cloud-like temporary structure built for the Serpentine Gallery’s annual series
House NA (Tokyo), a small, transparent house composed of many individual floor plates at varied heights
- Toilet in Nature (Ichihara, Chiba, Japan), a public toilet situated in a landscaped garden
- House N (Oita, Japan), a private house built as a “box in a box in a box” with large openings to the outdoors
- Musashino Art University Library (Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan), entirely composed of bookshelves to create the impression of an endless library
- L’Arbre Blanc (Montpellier, France), a high-rise apartment building with large balconies of varied size and placement
These projects represent how Sou Fujimoto Architects translates uniform systems — such as a grid of steel tube, 3.5 by 1.5 meter floor plates, or repeating bookshelves — into structures that eliminate traditional divisions between indoor and outdoor and challenge perceptions of space and form.
The Current Work series invites significant international figures who powerfully influence contemporary architectural practice and shape the future of the built environment to present their work and ideas to a public audience.
Beautiful Dreamers
Okano Satoshi + Tai Ogawa
Beautiful Dreamers
Artist Talk:Nov 12(Mon) 16:30-
Nov 12(Mon) - Dec 8(Sat) 2018
open: 11:00 - 17:00
close: Sun & public holiday
*Admission Free
place: gFal (Musashino Art university Building No.2 First Floor)
address: 1-736, Ogawacho, Kodaira-shi, Tokyo, 187-0032, Japan
Tel: 042-342-6051
flier design: Ukishita Daisuke
trailer: Misa Sugata
specal thanks:
Karisa Kaneshiro
Masaki Kishimoto
Ekko
Michiyo Matsuhisa
岡野智史 + 小川泰
『ビューティフルドリーマーズ』
アーティストトーク: 11月12日（月）16:30～
2018年11月12日（月）～2018年12月8日（土）
11:00-17:00 *日・祝休廊
於: gFal (武蔵野美術大学 2号館1F gFAL)
〒187-0032 東京都小平市小川町１丁目７３６
042-342-6051
Beautiful Dreamers
NEXT Show...
Okano Satoshi + Tai Ogawa
Beautiful Dreamers
Artist Talk:Nov 12(Mon) 16:30-
Nov 12(Mon) - Dec 8(Sat) 2018
open: 11:00 - 17:00
close: Sun & public holiday
*Admission Free
place: gFal (Musashino Art university Building No.2 First Floor)
address: 1-736, Ogawacho, Kodaira-shi, Tokyo, 187-0032, Japan
Tel: 042-342-6051
岡野智史 + 小川泰
『ビューティフルドリーマーズ』
アーティストトーク: 11月12日（月）16:30～
2018年11月12日（月）～2018年12月8日（土）
11:00-17:00 *日・祝休廊
於: gFal (武蔵野美術大学 2号館1F gFAL)
〒187-0032 東京都小平市小川町１丁目７３６
042-342-6051
kichijoji-north musashino-city tokyo jp saturday around 20 o'clock
kichijoji-north musashino-city tokyo jp saturday around 20 o'clock
kichijoji is one of the most popular town for those who wanna live in in tokyo area.
get there within 20 minutes by jr train-ride from shinjuku to kichijoji cost 220yen.
吉祥寺北側土曜20時ごろの映像です。2015年10月
Tokyo 2014 - Higashi-Koganei
Navštíveno společně s +Veronika Stehlíková a +Ondřej Nentvich
western Tokyo - also known as the Tama area - western tokyo vessel
Whereas the special wards occupy the space that was formerly the city of Tokyo, western Tokyo consists of the 26 cities, three towns, and one village occupying the area that were not part of the former city. The cities are: more info please go to
Akiruno
Akishima
Chōfu
Fuchū
Fussa
Hachiōji
Hamura
Higashikurume
Higashimurayama
Higashiyamato
Hino
Inagi
Kiyose
Kodaira
Koganei
Kokubunji
Komae
Kunitachi
Machida
Mitaka
Musashimurayama
Musashino
Nishitokyo
Ōme
Tachikawa
Tama
western tokyo vessel
apartments rent tokyo
tokyo racecourse manual
western tama area
tama area tokyo
best western tokyo nishikasai
best western tokyo pantip
best western tokyo nishikasai agoda