DESIGN MUSEUM JAPAN

Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture

What does design mean to you?

Beauty born from the constraints of function. It's very interesting.

There's a connection between art and design.

They can overlap, and separate. It's an intriguing relationship.

Tokoname is a pottery town with over 900 years of history.

Look at these old kilns and chimneys.

Seeing the area's industrial heritage is amazing.

Tokoname ware

They produced exactly what was needed at the time. That's clear.

In the 20th century, a world-class architect was a fan of Tokoname ware

Left: Imperial Hotel
Right: Frank Lloyd Wright, Master of modern architecture

Wright decorated the hotel with Tokoname tiles.

2.5 million tiles were produced in a dedicated factory.

The building survived the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake.

The hotel's resilience led to more reinforced concrete and tiles.

Tokoname tile production increased.

"Denrankan" have been produced in Tokoname since the 19th century.

They're pipes that protect cables running underground.

They're found around the world, beneath airports and highways.

Here, they're used in an unusual way.

Ah, I see.

They actually blend into the neighborhood.

Incredible.

The house was built by Sugie's father, a denrankan manufacturer.

Walking through the town, you see the pipes everywhere.

Even so, the house is a standout.

The denrankan create nine layers of air.

They keep the building warm in winter and cool in summer.

We found out about that later.

Generally, denrankan are underground, out of sight.

The building is a visible form of something that's unusually invisible.

Your father may have wanted to showcase denrankan.

Tokoname ware has changed in form over the course of its history.

It's used to decorate building exteriors.

Or it's used in other creative ways.

How can a functional object be beautiful and inspire people?

I see that in the relationship between art and design, and in Tokoname ware.