Last month, the first session of the sixth annual Omotenashi Selection awarded 68 products, from foods to interior goods, in recognition of their good design and potential to promote Japanese culture overseas. It’s the initiative’s biggest project yet, and acknowledged the importance of continuing to promote soft power during the coronavirus-related economic downturn.
Though the Omotenashi Selection, a collaborative effort of more than 20 privately owned companies, is primarily aimed at vendors looking for Japan-made items, it’s an interesting resource for anyone wanting to see how innovations, and product and packaging design, may aid Japanese industry and crafts. Of the 17 Gold Award winners, three homeware items caught the eye of On: Design.
omotenashinippon.jp/selection (Japanese); omotenashinippon.jp/selection/en (English)