WA: The Essence of Japanese Design

WA: The Essence of Japanese Design examines contemporary Japanese design through some 300 objects, from everyday items and packaging to interiors and lighting. The book asks how Japanese design handles its materials, natural or synthetic, and how it combines respect for tradition with experiment. Objects were chosen for their distinctly Japanese character and for the influence that character has had on Western culture.

Rather than following a chronology or individual designers, the book is arranged by material: wood, bamboo and lacquer; paper; metal; fabric and textiles; ceramic; and synthetic and new materials, each section with its own introduction. Designers range from Sori Yanagi and Shiro Kuramata to Naoto Fukasawa and Tokujin Yoshioka. Written by Rossella Menegazzo and Stefania Piotti, with an introductory essay by Kenya Hara, the hardback has 288 pages.