Design Museum Japan

Hokkaido Prefecture / Takeya Takayuki (Model maker) Fishing boats in the herring industry―which thrived here until the 1950s―featured swirling decorations that made a big impression on Takeya, a Hokkaido native.

Akita Prefecture / Koike Kazuko (Creative director) Nishimonai Bon Odori Festival has continued for over 700 years. Koike finds timeless beauty in the costumes, remade using beloved family kimono.

Yamagata Prefecture / Nakui Naoko (Book designer) Thread for traditional "shina" fabric takes a year to make. Ultrafine mohair is also made here, with a 60-year-old device. Nakui admires the hunt for improvement.

Yamagata Prefecture / Minagawa Akira (Designer) To make a "dantsu" carpet, everything from yarn-making to weaving is done by hand. Minagawa experiences the deep allure of handmade goods.

Niigata Prefecture / Nishizawa Ryue (Architect) In a coastal district, boat builders used their skills to make houses. Nishizawa considers how architecture is affected by a community's terrain and values.

Yamanashi Prefecture / Shibata Fumie (Product designer) "Kaiki" is a thin, brightly colored silk fabric. Shibata discovers how threads are arranged to produce a layered effect that resembles a digital image.

Aichi Prefecture / Kataoka Mami (Curator) Tokoname, a pottery town with over 900 years of history, creates products appropriate for the times. Kataoka finds the beauty that's present in functional objects.

Ehime Prefecture / Nagazumi Takashi (Musician) Nagazumi visits a town with a great number of trowel reliefs, and observes that the things that truly last are the ones that carry the creator's intention.

Shiga Prefecture / Nagayama Yuko (Architect) For 400 years, a group of stonemasons have been building walls using natural stone. Nagayama learns how a stone's qualities are assessed and utilized.

Okayama Prefecture / Hara Kenya (Graphic designer) Hara visits a Japanese propeller maker with a 30% global market share, to discover the merit of finding an object's perfect shape, without compromise.