The roots of Sori Yanagi, a pioneer of Japanese industrial design, lie in folk craft. The fusion of two seemingly opposite factors — the modern and traditional — makes his designs unique, yet surprisingly simple and attractive.
Embracing the spirit of "mingei," or Japanese folk craft, which is deeply connected to people's daily life, the 87-year-old designer stressed that what is important in a product's creation is how perfectly it is designed to serve its purpose.
"Things that are easy to use survive, regardless of what is fashionable, and people want to use them forever," Yanagi said in a recent interview. "But if things are created merely for a passing vogue and not for a purpose, people soon get bored with them and throw them away."