Minimalism: Not as straightforward as it seems
It's 100 years since the Bauhaus art and design school first opened in Weimar, Germany, and the new Muji flagship store in Ginza is as good a venue as any to hold an anniversary exhibition celebrating the values of simple, affordable modernist design.
First on-campus Muji store to open at university in Tokyo
The first on-campus Muji store will open on Thursday at the Musashino Art University in Tokyo, featuring a selection of the brand's regular daily merchandise, a cafe and a workshop. Masaaki Kanai, chairman of Ryohin Keikaku Co., gives a speech at a new Muji store ...
Eyeing Brexit cliff edge, Japan waves goodbye to U.K. as 'gateway to Europe'
After a February meeting between U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May and 19 Japanese business chiefs, Tokyo's ambassador to Britain warned what might happen if Brexit took an unfavorable turn for foreign investors. "No private company can continue operations" in the U.K. if it becomes unprofitable, ...
The retailer of Muji products is considering moving its European headquarters out of the U.K. because of Brexit, in what would be at least the second such shift by a Japanese company. Ryohin Keikaku Co., which sells everything from furniture to kitchenware under the Muji ...
China fines Muji for packaging that lists Taiwan as a country
Retailer Muji has been fined 200,000 yuan ($31,300) in Shanghai for using packaging that lists Taiwan as a country, underscoring China's growing sensitivity to how companies refer to the self-ruled island. This marks the second time Muji has been hit by such criticism from China ...
The central government has communicated its concerns to Beijing over an order to scrap Tokyo-based retailer Muji's catalogs that contained maps that did not show the Senkaku Islands, the top government spokesman said Wednesday. "There is no territorial dispute to be settled over the Senkaku ...
Eat, sleep and shop at Muji Hotel
It all feels faintly familiar. There are the neutral textiles, the pale wood furniture, the green plants, the clean-lined gadgets and an aesthetic that is as calming as it is minimal. In short, it's identical to the interior of a Muji store — except here, ...
Paul Roquet's 'Ambient Media' analyzes the importance of experiential atmosphere in society
University of Minnesota Press"Reading the air" (judging the atmosphere of a situation) is considered a crucial social skill in Japan. Paul Roquet's dense work on ambient media invites the reader to analyze the air of the modern city and its media in a new ...
Reconstructing the Japanese house
After very successful runs in Rome and London, "The Japanese House: Architecture and Life after 1945," an exhibition of maquettes, photographs, plans and drawings, is now in the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. For providing an extensive look at varied and eclectic forms that ...
Japan's no-brand retailer Muji predicts big expansion in India after China success
A Japanese retailer famous for minimalist products and no-logo branding is betting big on India, the world's most colorful retail market, as it pushes forward with an aggressive overseas expansion. Strong growth and demographic trends will eventually make India the second-largest international market for Muji ...
China's state-run TV asked to explain false report on imported Japanese food
The Japanese Embassy in Beijing has sought an explanation from China's state-run broadcaster as to why a "groundless" report casting doubt on the safety of Japanese food products was aired earlier this month, a senior embassy official said. The embassy's request, made in a letter ...
Naoto Fukasawa: Between craft and design
Naoto Fukasawa is probably best known internationally for his designs for Muji, in particular for the wall-mounted CD player he created in 1999, which was featured in Gary Hustwit's popular 2009 documentary "Objectified." Now he remains a creative adviser for Muji, while still designing ...
