DESIGN TALKS plus Season 1, Episode 1: Anonymous Design

Railway Design

The first railways in Japan were developed using imported technology, brought in after Japan opened its doors to the West in the latter half of the 19th century. Since then, Japan has developed a world-class railway system that includes Shinkansen bullet trains, and that features a variety of uniquely Japanese designs. Riding the rails is an integral part of daily life for so many Japanese. Designer Eiji Mitooka joins us as we investigate the design of Japan's railways.

30 min

Avant-garde

Japanese culture is often celebrated for its simple beauty. But it has another, very different side. The glamorous, ornate clothing worn by kabukimono and oiran made them popular icons. This avant-garde fashion asserted a sense of self, rebelling against social norms. Our guest is Noritaka Tatehana, who has updated this tradition for the modern age. He will help us explore Japan's avant-garde design.

30 min

Flowers

The flowers that grace each of Japan's 4 seasons have inspired many floral designs in both high art and everyday items. The Japanese love of flowers is most obvious in kado, the art of flower-arranging. Kado is not just about visual beauty - the flowers are symbols of life, and are used to express feelings like sympathy and spirituality. Our guest is Takashi Kimura, a kado artist who will take us on a journey through Japanese flower design.

30 min

Shitsuraeru

Shitsuraeru typically means something like "arrange" or "set up", but in the world of Japanese design, it refers to the custom of placing objects in a harmonious way. Beautiful objects like hanging scrolls, bonsai plants and bamboo sunshades are placed in the home, and then replaced, in ways that highlight the passage of time and the changing seasons. Today's guest is Mai Miyake, an artist with a unique style rooted in traditional Japanese beauty. Join us as we explore this fascinating idea of "harmonizing" spaces.

30 min

Printing

Even as the Internet and digital media play an ever larger role in our lives, interest in traditional printed media is seeing resurgence. You can't replace the texture or expressiveness of physical printed items. Printing in Japan blossomed during the Edo Period, as ukiyo-e woodblock prints and other printed items found widespread popularity. Even today, technological advances in physical printing continue to be made in Japan. With guest Issei Kitagawa, a graphic designer who is the head of a printing company, we discuss printing and design.

30 min

Yohaku

Japanese culture has developed a keen appreciation for "yohaku", which means something like "negative space". In everything from art and entertainment to clothing, food and housing, space is more than just a blank - it is a form of expression that provides room for implication and suggestion. How has the Japanese created beauty in blank spaces? We're joined by graphic designer Shun Kawakami, who is on a quest to bring Japanese aesthetics to the world. Watch and discover the beauty of yohaku!

30 min

Reality & Fiction

There is a centuries-old theory in Japan that true beauty lie in the gap between reality and fiction. That aesthetic has had an enormous influence on Japanese culture. Studio guest, Tom Kawada of augmented reality design unit AR 3 Brothers, uses cutting-edge technology to create new, genre-bending forms of expression that have sparked widespread interest. Explore the designs born from this Japanese aesthetic, and discover how it is still inspiring designers today.

30 min

Furumai

Human behavior is sometimes constrained by design - while some designs are carefully calculated to nudge us towards certain behavior. The Japanese word 'furumai' can refer to physical movement as well as to general behavior. Japanese designs have long been shaped to encourage particular behaviors and etiquette in social life. Studio guest and architect Hiroshi Nakamura joins us to explore designs which focus on the relationship between form and human behavior.

30 min

Regeneration

For centuries Japan has squeezed every possible use out of limited resources; exceptional skill and understanding created great beauty along the way. The spirit of regeneration is also part of Zen Buddhism in which a new perspective provides unused items with new value. Studio guest Fumikazu Masuda is an industrial designer: we explore with him the world of Japanese regenerative design!

30 min

Glass

30 min

Special Selections

DESIGN TALKS plus has featured a fascinating variety of designs from Japan and explored the artistic qualities that make them uniquely Japanese. Today we bring you highlights from all the episodes since April 2015. What discoveries did our hosts Andy and Shaula make during these first episodes? Join us as we take a second, deeper look at a wide range of Japanese designs.

30 min

Floating

For centuries Japan has prized a 'floating' aesthetic in architecture and the arts. The elevated floors of homes and pillars that support traditional architecture all create a unique sense of floating. Designer Gwenael Nicolas discovered that sense of floating in urban Tokyo and has made Japan his base for over 20 years. He joins us in the studio to explore the world of Japanese floating designs that express lightness and freedom.

30 min

Miniaturization

Japanese have valued small things since ancient times. Bonsai is one well-known, and much-loved, example of Japanese miniaturized design: it condenses the entirety of nature. In modern times, tiny sweets are used as giveaways with products, and carefully detailed figurines are all the rage. Miniaturization in Japanese design has inspired all kinds of new products. Architect Naoki Terada, is pursuing a new world in models, and joins us in the studio to discover a whole universe of distinctly Japanese designs born out of miniaturization!

30 min

Bento

Bento have become so popular worldwide that the word now appears in English and French dictionaries. The limited space of a bento box is lovingly packed with a wide variety of balanced foods. Bento bring many happy memories, from the pleasure of opening a bento made by a family member to the fun of eating bento with friends. Photographer Satoru Abe and writer Naomi Abe have sought out bento all around Japan. We'll talk with them about how the bento is a uniquely Japanese way of expressing love through design.

30 min

Homage

The word "homage" refers to a new work of art inspired by, and paying respect to, historical pieces or traditional designs. The world of traditional Japanese arts and crafts is filled with examples of older works that have been reinterpreted and adapted by later figures. This time we are joined by celebrated cross-platform artist Hiroshi Sugimoto, also creator of a tranquil, modern take on the traditional Japanese tearoom. Find out what homage means to Sugimoto, and how these convictions are reflected in his work.

30 min

Light and Shadow

The long eaves of Japanese buildings are designed to shut out direct sunlight, allowing only a gentle glow to fill the rooms within. Interior light fittings wreathed in washi paper create beguiling gradations of light and shade. These subtle tones are known as inei, and this beauty has long been a key tool in Japanese aesthetics. Our studio guest is lighting designer Hirohito Totsune, the man responsible for the illumination of the iconic TOKYO SKYTREE. He reveals a world of Japanese design that plays with a sensitivity to light and shadow.

30 min