Japan is a land saturated in juxtaposition, where the traditional world continually meets and melds with the modern, This long history of simultaneously adapting and distinguishing the native from the Western is a markedly singular Japanese trait. From the rice farmer in a Ferrari to young Japanese girls flocking to Harlem for gospel lessons, this fascinating contrast is also clearly manifested in a number of areas of Japanese design: fashion, architecture, interiors, food and drink,homeware, transport, products, advertising and communication and packaging.

Japan is a land saturated in juxtaposition, where the traditional world continually meets and melds with the modern, This long history of simultaneously adapting and distinguishing the native from the Western is a markedly singular Japanese trait. From the rice farmer in a Ferrari to young Japanese girls flocking to Harlem for gospel lessons, this fascinating contrast is also clearly manifested in a number of areas of Japanese design: fashion, architecture, interiors, food and drink,homeware, transport, products, advertising and communication and packaging.

Ever since Japan opened its shores to the outside world in the Meiji era in 1868, after almost 250 years of selfimposed isolation, it raced to catch up with the West. Modernization was synonymous with Westernization and the country grew at a remarkable rate finally culminating with the bubble years of the 1980s, which marked Japan’s position as the world’s second wealthiest nation.

Conspicuous consumption abounded and the Japanese travelled overseas at an unprecedented pace desperate to absorb all things foreign. The country’s new-found wealth resulted in garish excesses. People dressed head-to-toe in designer brands, gold leaf was sprinkled liberally in sake cups and bowls of miso, while ice was flown in from exotic foreign locales to chill the mizu-wari (whisky and water) of Ginza’s more fashionable nightclubs. By the early 199% the bubble had burst and the country headed into a decade-long recession marred by industrial decline; the old Japan which had driven the country to riches was now suffering from financial woes. The country was also hit by a series of disasters including the sarin gas attack by a religious cult, the Kobe earthquake, and a nuclear accident. The days where the Japanese had felt invincible and secure had all but disappeared.

introduction

fashion

architecture

interiors

food & drink

transport

products

homeware

advertising

communication & packaging

index & acknowledgements