Japanese Design Since 1945: A Complete Sourcebook

Japanese design is renowned for its evocative aesthetic combined with thoughtful utility and deeper cultural meaning. Despite this, Japanese Design Since 1945 is the first attempt to create a comprehensive record of the country's design oeuvre in the post-war period.

A foreword by MUJI's Masaaki Kanai gives way to an introduction by the author, American-born, Tokyobased architect Naomi Pollock, contextualising the country's broader design history and approach. The first quarter of the book is devoted to coverage of 13 design ‘titans', with the remainder divided into sections on furniture, kitchenware, electrical devices, packaging, fabric and lifestyle products. Each chapter is organised by designer — from large corporate to reclusive individual maker — but punctuated by a feature on an exemplar ‘everyday icon', with a concluding essay for added context.

Pollock was granted access to archives, experts and the designers themselves, and it shows. The book is an invaluable informational resource, and with more than 700 images in its 450 pages, is quite the visual feast as well.