Design Talks - Season 3 / Year 2014

Since ancient times, boundaries of shrines and other holy places in Japan have been marked off by sacred ropes called shimenawa. Mizuhiki is the custom - still followed today - of conveying sentiments ranging from congratulations to condolences by tying knotted designs in thin cords to seal the message. With our guest, knot scholar Miyuki Sekine, we look at the beauty that can be created by knotting a single cord, and explore the influences on Japanese design of old traditions connected with tying knots and ropes.

Japan's highest and most famous peak, Mt. Fuji has inspired artists and poets since time immemorial. It occupies a special place in the hearts of Japanese people, and it holds great religious significance. These are some of the main reasons why Mt. Fuji was recently named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This week together with our guest, the well-known translator and artist Peter MacMillan, we'll be looking at the multitude of designs inspired by Mt. Fuji as we investigate the Japanese fascination with this majestic mountain.

The cultural effects of the design concept known as 'kasane', or layering things, can be seen everywhere in Japan, visible in the sliding doors, windows and folding screens of traditional houses, and in everyday items such as nesting sets of dishes. Our studio guest, architect and designer Emmanuelle Moureaux, helps us explore the special beauty produced using kasane and the aesthetic philosophy behind this focus on layered design.

Washoku, traditional Japanese cuisine, is characterized by its uncompromising attention to seasonal ingredients, taste and presentation. In 2013, it was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. On this episode of DESIGN TALKS, our hosts visit a restaurant owned by celebrity chef Toru Okuda to explore the exquisite beauty of Japanese design as reflected in washoku. They'll also learn how to prepare a basic meal of ichiju-sansai (1 soup and 3 side dishes) that tastes as good as it looks. Bon Appétit!

Since ancient times, the Japanese have believed in that gods, or kami, exist everywhere in nature. Prayer was a way to express gratitude for the sun, rain and other blessings of nature, and this prayerful spirit manifested itself in many traditional designs. Our guest this week on DESIGN TALKS is Nobuhiro Nishitakatsuji, deputy chief priest of the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine in Kyushu. Together with this young and dynamic priest, who is full of ideas for making his centuries-old shrine relevant to people today, we'll explore the concept of prayer in Japanese design.

Too much stuff. Too much information. Constantly consuming. Constantly needing to know what's happening right now. Sound familiar? In response to our current lifestyles, a man named Kenmei Nagaoka has created a new concept that he calls "long life design". It seeks to redefine our relationship with our possessions, and to reevaluate how we experience design. This time, we focus on how Nagaoka is pursuing his innovative philosophy in Japan.

DESIGN TALKS 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 September 2013. 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.

"Adeyaka" is an ancient Japanese word that covers a broad range of meanings, especially if we include the various readings of the character used. When pronounced "adeyaka", it expresses a colorful elegance and grace, when read as "tsuya" it describes the luster of objects like lacquered bowls, and as "tsuyayaka" it can mean the look of a landscape covered in a thick layer of snow. This is often the word of choice to describe the fresh, vibrant complexion of a young woman. Our guest Ichiro Tsuruta, an artist who specializes in portraits of beautiful women, helps us explore the world of esthetic sensibility contained in this expression.

The kawaii aesthetic is one of Japan's best-known exports, and the Japanese themselves are finding new and innovative ways of exploring it. The word "kawaii" is often translated as "cute", but the idea goes much deeper, and it has been an important part of Japanese art and design for centuries. Why does Japan love kawaii? Guests Yoshie Watanabe and Ryosuke Uehara, the artistic directors of the KIGI design studio, discuss on today's show.

Since ancient times, bamboo has played an important role both in the everyday life of the Japanese and in the nation's culture and art. Bamboo can be seen everywhere, not only as the material for many kinds of products, but as a widespread motif in arts and crafts symbolizing, for example, auspicious events. Even today, bamboo is integral to life in Japan, used in everything from food to clothing and housing. Our guest, Tatsuyuki Kosuga, 5th generation owner of a 116-year old bamboo craft shop (founded 1898), will be our guide to the traditional bamboo designs still seen today and the innovative uses bamboo has inspired in modern designers.

These days, you can buy books online 24/7/365, including digital versions. Despite, or perhaps because of this change, many are reassessing the value of printed books and brick-and-mortar bookstores. In Japan, people appreciate books, including the designs on their covers, in some unique ways. This time our guest is Yoshitaka Haba, a "book director" who specializes in the artful arrangement of books. He talks about the history and the future of printed books, and what they mean to the Japanese.

Time, the way we mark each moment of each day. Countless works of art and commercial products are made with time in mind. On today's program we welcome lighting designer Kaoru Mende, and take a look at designs that express the temporality of life, and discuss how people in Japan think about the passage of time.

This time, Andy leaves the studio and heads to Shobu Gakuen, a support center in Kagoshima Prefecture for people with intellectual disabilities. The center's motto is, "To create is to live", and the impressive works of art and design created there are garnering a lot of attention, both in Japan and abroad. As Shin Fukumori, the center's director, gives Andy a tour of the facilities, we discover how Shobu Gakuen has become a breeding ground for sensational art.

Soaking in a hot spring, eating great food, exploring a different local culture, making new friends - many Japanese lodgings offer all of this under one roof. Today's guest is Toru Iwasa, an editor of a lifestyle magazine who has spearheaded the creation of a "natural inn" in Niigata Prefecture. From the excellent service to the relaxed environment to the gardens that showcase the subtlest changes of the seasons, we look at Japanese lodgings, and how they intersect with the world of design.

In olden times, when the people of Japan faced natural disasters, disease or other misfortune whose cause they could not understand, they sought to attribute it to something ayashi... to anything that felt unsettling or frightening... the supernatural. And so in their imagination they conjured ayashi creatures like ghosts and goblins. This time on DESIGN TALKS, guest Koichi Yumoto, a leading researcher on the Japanese fairies known as yokai, discusses how the concept of ayashi is reflected in design.

Japan is home to innumerable steams, rivers and lakes, and images of water hold a special place in the hearts of the Japanese. From a single drop of dew falling into a pond, to the spectacular spray of a waterfall, to the quiet quiver of a gentle breeze over the surface of a lake, water can evoke both the beauty and the fragility of life. Today's guest, garden designer and Buddhist priest Shunmyo Masuno, discusses the aesthetics of designing with water.

The evocative, energetic curves found in Japanese design - in the roofs of temples and shrines, in swords and in family crests - reflect an admiration for the curving forms of nature. Contemporary Japanese designers exhibit a unique mastery of the curve. Today's guest is Shoryu Hatoba, a painter of family crests who employs traditional methods passed down through generations of his family. Join us as we explore the role of curves in Japanese design.

Children are overflowing with creativity and uniquely sensitive to new experiences. A child's schooling environment is an important part of her formative years - it's no exaggeration to say that what happens at school will change the course of her life. This week, architect Reiko Tomita discusses the schools that define our communities, and how design is shaping new educational trends in Japan.

Since ancient times, the color black has been an integral part of design in Japan, from samurai armor and lacquerware to the plaster walls of buildings. Today's guest, the calligrapher Sisyu, describes how she uses traditional black ink to explore new forms of expression, and helps us answer the question of what exactly the color black means to the Japanese.

Zipangu, the Land of Gold. Around the 13th century, that was the name by which many Westerners knew Japan. In the 16th century, the development of gold mining in Japan made possible the construction of golden temples, golden teahouses and even solid gold Buddha statues. Gold is expensive, but also soft and easy to process, and it is still used today in a wide range of fields. Today we welcome Hakuga artist Takuro Noguchi into the studio to help us explore the world of designing with gold!

"Aqua design" involves filling a tank of water with plants, animals, and other living things to create a stunning work of art. In Japan, an island nation with lots of aquariums and a variety of unique craft skills, the field of aqua design has blossomed. This time, our guest is Hajime Nakamura, an "aquarium producer" who will give us a firsthand demonstration of how he creates his beautiful aqua designs.

DESIGN TALKS 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 2014. 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.

As interest grows in living a richer, more enjoyable life, something called "Seikatsu Kogei" - lifestyle or living crafts - have gained increasing attention. These crafts that are not traditional handcrafts, nor mass produced wares, are imbued with the spirit of their makers, who in a typically Japanese way, create by hand, select materials with care and aim to come up with new designs suited to contemporary lifestyles. We welcome as our studio guest, woodwork designer, Ryuji Mitani, to explore the roots of the beauty that dwells in form.

The moon has played a huge role in human culture, and Japan is no exception. The Japanese language is rich with words that describe the moon's phases and its mysterious beauty; the moon is often spoken of in Japan as more of a "friendly neighbor" than a celestial body. Today's guest, Akihiko Toto, is working to bring new life to the ancient art of karakami, a form of traditional papercraft that originally came from China. Join us as we take a look at works of art that incorporate the moon.

Clay has been deeply connected with human life since ancient times thanks to its ease of collection and use. In Japan, the development of the tea ceremony led to discovery of the wabi-sabi aesthetic in such things as tea ware and the earthen walls of the tea room, thus fostering its own clay culture. This time we invite plaster craftsman, and seasoned clay handler, Shuhei Hasado, to join us as we explore the many clay designs that have been passed down to our day, as well as the new possibilities there are for clay.

Eating has always been a central part of human existence - our kitchens may be the best indicator of how we live day to day. As lifestyles in Japan grow increasingly diverse, the very concept of "the kitchen" is being reevaluated. Architect Naomi Tanaka joins us as we delve into the designs and philosophies behind today's kitchens.

In the Buyo style of traditional Japanese dance, the act of dancing expresses not only emotions such as joy and sorrow, but also concepts such as respect for nature. In Noh and Kyogen, each movement has been refined over centuries, reduced to its simplest and most beautiful form so that its symbolic meaning is clear to every member of the audience. Today we welcome dancer and choreographer Yukio Suzuki to the program as we discover the beauty of movement in Japanese culture.

Nukumori is a Japanese word which means "warmth". And like the English word warmth, nukumori can express physical heat as well as "warm" feelings of gentleness and security. In parts of Japan where the winters are especially cold, various items and methods devised in ancient times to keep warm are still used today. This time, we invite industrial designer Fumie Shibata into the studio to discuss the concept of nukumori and designs that warm the body and soul.