“Kansei” is Japanese for “Green”

May 27, 2009 by Allen Greer · Leave a Comment

At the recent International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York City, the lower level of the Jacob K. Javitz Convention Center featured an incredible display of Japanese innovation in a spaced dubbed “The Japan Pavilion”. The exhibit, called Japan by Design, showcased an assortment of product prototypes from seventeen Japanese companies and organizations. The theme of the exhibit focused on the Japanese philosophy of Kansei. In the words of Yasuo Hayashi, Chairman of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), “The exhibition aims at communicating to audiences worldwide the concept of ‘Kansei value,’ which combines the ‘monozukuri’ (manufacturing) spirit found in Japanese design and products with the art of ‘monogatari’ (story telling), the basis behind ‘monozukuri.” Exhibit spaces were subdivided into a family of sub-philosophies, including ‘Mottai’ (essential value) and ‘Habuku’ (to eliminate the supurfluous). In essence, the quintissential and overarching ethic put forth by Japan by Design is economy. Economy in terms of Japanese product design means use of organic materials, extended life cycles and reduction of waste. In America, we’ve come to know this as being “Green”.

Here’s a brief but impressive sampling of what Japan by Design had to offer at the 2009 International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF).

Humidifier
Company: Plus Minus Zero