Galleries 1 & 2 at 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT in Roppongi, Tokyo, will be holding a special exhibition, "Top Secret: Rarely Seen Original Drawings by Designers," from November 22nd to May 10th, 2020.


Since its establishment in 1953, the Japan Design Committee has contributed to Japanese design through the selection of outstanding products and the hosting of design exhibitions, in a long relationship with the Ginza department store Matsuya. Leading designers, architects, and critics from various fields join voluntarily, and the committee currently consists of 26 members, ranging in age from their 40s to their 90s.

The core of this exhibition will be the numerous sketches, drawings, and models created by Japan Design Committee members of a wide range of generations during their design process. While these pieces receive less attention than the finished products that are visible to the public, it is these "hidden" aspects that contain the essential essence of design. Seeing them up close will be an inspiring and thought-provoking experience for those who will be responsible for the future of craftsmanship, especially those of a generation that is predicated on digitalized craftsmanship.

Kengo Kuma Sketch
The exhibition will be directed by Kinya Tagawa, a design engineer at Takram, whose work spans a wide range of fields, from hardware and software to interactive art. Tagawa, a design engineer who continues to explore new fields, is one of the youngest members of the Japan Design Committee.

Lobby exhibition image
A special website (http://designcommittee.jp/maruhi/) has been launched in conjunction with the exhibition. Ahead of the opening, podcast interviews with Japan Design Committee members will be made available, and during the exhibition period some of the members' "rarely seen original drawings" and representative works will be introduced. The venue will also be hosting an opening talk by Tagawa and Suzuki Yasuhiro on November 30th, as well as talk events featuring Mende Kaoru on December 7th and Hara Kenya on January 11th, 2020, in order to actively disseminate information beyond the framework of the exhibition.

In conjunction with this exhibition, 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT Gallery 3 will be hosting "DESIGN COLLECTION by MATSUYA GINZA" from November 22nd to January 13th, 2020. The exhibition will introduce the design collection that began in 1955 as a pioneer of Japan's Good Design Award, as well as the activities of Matsuya Ginza, and will also exhibit and sell carefully selected items from the collection.