The Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre presents
Japanese Design Today 100
a travelling exhibit from the Japan Foundation
May 7 - June 26, 2022
The Nikkei National Museum is delighted to host a travelling exhibit from the Japan
Foundation titled, Japanese Design Today 100. The exhibit features 100 Japanese
products from the 1950s to the present, with many objects designed post-2010. The
exhibit has been curated to offer visitors a look into life in Japan through design, as
well as a glimpse into trends in Japanese culture which influence the world today.
The exhibit, curated into 10 themes, includes famous designers Sori Yanagi, Riki
Watanabe, and Issey Miyake:
Classic Japanese Design
Furniture + houseware
Tableware + cookware
Apparel + accessories
Children
Stationery
Hobbies
Healthcare
Disaster relief
Transportation
This exhibit is curated by Hiroshi Kashiwagi (Design Critic and Professor at Musashino
Art University), Masafumi Fukagawa (Curator), Shu Hagiwara (Design Director), and
Noriko Kawakami (Journalist, Associate Director of 21_21 Design Sight)
”The 100 designs gathered here include mass or popular design as well as what is
known as high design. Not all of them have the hard-edged, clean lines typical of
modern design; many have more supple forms typical of traditional crafts. These
differences reflect the tendency of current Japanese design.”
-Hiroshi Kashiwagi, co-curator
“Many wonderful products are being created in Japan with refined techniques, a
marvellous sense of beauty, and accurate apprehension of the needs of users. These
products are also based on careful observation and deep understanding of the life,
culture, and perceptions of people living in contemporary times. By looking at the group of designs selected for this exhibition it is possible to get a good overall picture of
Japanese life today.”
-Masafumi Fukagawa, co-curator
“Even more exciting are the efforts being made by designers to improve recycled
materials to provide customers with elegant, beautiful, and practical products. A good
example is a lamp shade utilizing an unwoven textile made entirely of fibers from
recycled plastic bottles. In addition to being environmentally friendly, this lamp shade,
which is folded into shape by hand, produces delicate effect of light and shadow that
bring the sensibility of traditional Japanese lighting in to the present. This product is
designed in a way that appeals to peoples sensibilities as well as being
environmentally friendly.”
-Noriko Kawakami, co-curator
“Regional production centres are quietly being reorganized and revitalized with the aid
of design.”
-Shu Hagiwara, co-curator.
We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Japan Foundation and the Japanese
Consulate in Vancouver.
Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre
6688 Southoaks Crescent
Burnaby, BC V5E 4M7
604.777.7000
https://centre.nikkeiplace.org/exhibits/japanese-design-today-100/
Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm (and occasional Sundays when the
Nikkei Garden Farmers Market takes place.) Admission is free for this exhibition.