What do we need to live a rich life?

The day you put on your new heels, happiness will come to you every time you look down at your feet; if the sunlight streaming in through the same window every morning is beautiful, you will look forward to waking up. If the design of the cutlery you use every day is to your liking, your meals will taste even better. If the soft lighting that glows before you fall asleep is poetic, you may have a good dream tonight.

A memorable, rich life surely lies beyond the small pleasures that come with everyday life.


The winners of the 2019 iF DESIGN AWARD, one of the world's most prestigious design awards, were announced in Munich, Germany in March.


What is the iF Design Award?
The iF Design Award is known as the "Oscars of the design world" and is the world's oldest design competition, held since 1953. Organized by iF International Forum Design (iF), an international organization based in Hannover, Germany, which promotes design, the award selects outstanding designs each year from industrial products and other designs from around the world. This year, 1,190 companies were awarded "certificates of design excellence" from among 6,375 entries from 52 countries across seven categories: "Product," "Communication," "Packaging," "Service Design/UX," "Architecture," "Interior/Interior Design," and "Professional Concept." Of these, a total of 66 were awarded the Gold Award, the highest design award, with up to 75 entries selected. Japan won 10 of these awards, accounting for 15% of the total, demonstrating the high level of Japanese design. Including the Gold Award, Japanese companies accounted for nearly 50% of the approximately 360 entries submitted domestically, a high percentage compared to other countries. In this article, we'll explore some of the world-renowned Japanese design that Japan is proud of.

Living, Everyday Life

Nestled in a quiet residential area of Shibuya Ward, Nishisando Terrace is a residential complex comprised of four three-story row houses, cleverly utilizing the limited space in the city center. The design by Ishikawa Motoki Architects incorporates a central shared approach that connects the homes to the street, while maintaining privacy between each unit.


From the first-floor entrance, you'll find storage space on the mezzanine level. The second floor features a bedroom, bathroom, and toilet. The third floor features a spacious living room, dining room, and kitchen with ceilings nearly four meters high, and a Western-style room on the mezzanine level. All floors face a private courtyard, allowing gentle sunlight to filter through the latticed windows. The first-floor public space and second-floor courtyard signal the arrival of the new seasons and also serve as a buffer zone with the city. The gentle wood accents, standing out amid the city's concrete buildings, provide comfort to both residents and the environment.




The memories of traveling through all sorts of books before falling asleep at night are irreplaceable. Night Book is an LED light fixture designed in the motif of a single book. When you gently pull it out of the bookshelf, a soft, gentle light spreads, and when you put it away, it goes out.



This product was created by YSM, a Saitama-based company with five employees, and akii, a design unit made up of two Tokyo-based designers. Placing this book light on your own bookshelf will provide you with a poetic and dramatic experience, like discovering an unknown story that unfolds within a book.





Not silver, wood, or porcelain. ZIKICO's cutlery series is made of zirconia. Zirconia has the hardness of a gemstone and the flexibility of metal. These slender, delicate cutlery pieces are approximately 50% lighter to hold than metal cutlery. They're also thin and smooth to the touch, with no leaching of metal ions that interfere with flavor and, of course, no allergy-causing properties.


The product name "SUMU" is a combination of the words "clear" and "live." The matte texture of the knife gently reflects light, allowing you to easily insert it into an omelet and enjoy a quiet breakfast.

Use New Technology

Transform the act of consumption into excitement. Flower Colored Pencils feature cross-sections of traditional Japanese flowers. The motifs are cherry blossoms, red plum blossoms, dandelions, evergreens, and bellflowers. When you sharpen the pencils, which are dyed to the core in the true color of the flowers, the shavings scatter like real flower petals.



The wooden part around the pencil lead is made from a new, environmentally friendly material made in Japan, primarily from recycled paper. Shavings can be disposed of as combustible waste.

This product, which has been popular at Merci and Le Bon Marché in Paris, was created by Trinas, a company that connects Made in Japan technology with designers to bring wonder to people around the world. "Many Japanese manufacturers fail to fully utilize the technology developed with passion by their researchers, and 49% of patents granted in Japan remain unused." Trinas' goal is to "use design to bring to fruition the technologies that remain dormant in the world." It's precisely because of everyday tools that we want to choose something special that satisfies our personal preferences.





The "zero" series was developed by Kagawa-based Winces Co., Ltd. and design director Satoshi Umeno (UMENODESIGN). True to their name, these sacoche and pouch bags are made from an incredibly thin material—as light as air, as thin as skin, and practically nothing at all.

This product was created using materials from industrial gloves typically used for work, combined with delicate sewing techniques. Surprisingly, the material, which at first glance appears like film, is in fact a woven textile with an extremely thin, uniform weave. By eliminating the need for cases for carrying small items, the bag reduces bulk, its translucency makes it easy to see the contents, and, above all, its unparalleled, ephemeral, minimalist appearance is beautiful.


While appreciating the uniquely Japanese philosophy of "beauty in the simple" and the delicate techniques and sensibilities that accompany it, one cannot help but look forward to the possibilities of the future.





Nishimura Precision, a Sabae, Fukui, eyeglasses designer, manufacturer, and retailer, has redefined eyewear. Combining artisanal techniques with innovative design, the result, after more than three years of development and test marketing, is ultra-thin Paper Glasses sunglasses, just 3mm thick—as thin as paper.

Despite their incredible thinness, these sunglasses combine functionality with a design that prevents eyelashes from touching the skin, as well as comfort and ease of use. This new style of sunglasses is incredibly thin.

Everyday life, travel, outdoors, festivals... Take them out quickly in the sun and tuck them away smartly in your pocket when the shade is gone. These next-generation sunglasses, which have been stripped of all unnecessary elements, are sure to become an essential tool in people's daily lives in all sorts of situations.

Encounter new sensibilities and unknown experiences

TIERS GALLERY / © Tetsu Hiraga

TIERS GALLERY / © Tetsu Hiraga
The gallery, located on the top floor of a three-story building designed by Tanabe Yoh Architects under the theme of "architecture open to the city," is characterized by a grand staircase that opens onto the street. The cross-genre curation, which includes architecture, product design, interior design, graphics, and art, has created an open environment where a diverse range of people can gather together, transcending boundaries. On May 10th, 11th, 17th, and 18th (since April 25th), we will hold the "MATERIAL IN TIME -PAPER- Triumphant Return Exhibition," a design exhibition themed around Japanese paper materials, creating new synergies.



Japan's unique dedication to craftsmanship and precision craftsmanship. When combined with design, these create unprecedented value and enrich everyday life. The high number of awards won by Japanese companies at the iF Design Awards makes it clear that these products are accepted not only in Japan but around the world. Not only in Tokyo, but local Japanese companies can connect with the world through design and provide new value. Japanese design holds infinite potential.