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Takashi Sugimoto, Kenya Hara and Naoto Fukasawa

Takashi Sugimoto is an interior designer who handles commercial space designs both domestically and abroad. Kenya Hara is involved in communication projects, ranging widely from graphic designs to art directions. Naoto Fukasawa is a product designer who handles various products with major domestic and global manufacturers. The three designers who represent Japan discuss themes like "How to perceive Japan" and "Japanese design's impact for the future" from the designer's point of view.
So what is Japanese-style? Japan is influenced by many foreign cultures. Sugimoto asserts that European countries and China are seeking something glamorous. On the contrary, what differentiates Japan from Europe and China is that it finds beauty in simple things. Hara states that grips of German knives are shaped all the same. On the other hand, the handles of Japanese knives are straight and seem like wherever you grip, the hand blends right in. This expresses the Japanese-style to a tee. Fukasawa believes that when things are natural, they are in their most harmonized state and that when things are added, they become just decorations. In the 20th century, additions were considered the norm for design. However, the current Japanese architects try to take in the "natural elements" for new styles has become simple and minimalist. Japanese people have known that natural elements are when things are in their most luxurious and beautiful state from long ago. Moreover, Fukasawa states that the beauty of Japanese elements lies in the maintenance. This also holds true for architecture and products where the completion stage is not considered to be the most beautiful state. By using this, a meaningful flavor is born. It is important that the people and the products have contacts.
Hara says it is not only limited to the designs. The important thing for future generations is the state where things are naturally balanced without being fixated on any one thing. Fukasawa states that in the past, when things were made to be somewhat unusual, the rest was accepted even though they were not good, but recently, having a good balance is considered significant. Sugimoto asserts that that kind of flow wouldn't let the economy grow. "Mujirushi Ryohin"(so-called Muji) is the brand which struggles with harmonizing a comfortable lifestyle and the design along with the economic growth through a trial and error process. These three people think their role is to aim for this harmony. Japanese people started looking at their country differently, and it is thought that they are beginning to be proud of something besides Japan's economic growth. Japanese aesthetic feeling towards residences is not lost, rather in a buried state. Now we will have to dig up our aesthetic feeling.

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