The DNA of Japanese Design

The world of design is invariably subjective. However, inspiration from leaders in the field doesn't hurt to inject a bit of barebones objectivity through which to view designs. In Japan, the mouthpiece for foreign investment provides just such a cue. Enter the Japan External Trade Organization's (JETRO) new book, The DNA of Japanese Design (日本デザインの遺伝子」展の記録). This book is the culmination of the similarly titled exhibition carried out by Japan's JETRO and Thailand's "Thailand Creative & Design Center" in Japan. The book provides insight from top designers such as Taku Satoh, Fumie Shibata, Tetsutaro Nakabayashi, Naoko Hirota and Shinichi Sumikawa as well as examples of Japanese design from past to present. The book is more of a reference than the pure eye candy of some other design-oriented books, it is nonetheless a great example of the past and present state of Japanese design. It can be ordered from JETRO's online book store for a song at ï¿¥1785.