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Kenji Ekuan (榮久庵 憲司, Ekuan Kenji, September 11, 1929 – February 8, 2015) was a Japanese industrial designer, best known for creating the design of the Kikkoman soy sauce bottle.
Kenji Ekuan | |
|---|---|
榮久庵 憲司 | |
| Born | September 11, 1929 |
| Died | February 8, 2015 (aged 85) Tokyo |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Alma mater | Tokyo University of the Arts |
| Occupation | Industrial designer |
| Website | www |
Born in Tokyo on September 11, 1929, Ekuan spent his youth in Hawaii.[1] At the end of World War II, he moved to Hiroshima, where he witnessed the atomic bombing of the city, in which he lost his sister and his father, a Buddhist priest. He said the devastation motivated him to become a "creator of things".[2][3] Later he attended Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music (present-day Tokyo University of the Arts). In 1957, he founded GK Industrial Design Laboratory (ＧＫインダストリアルデザイン研究所).[1] "GK" stood for "Group of Koike", as Koike was the name of an associate professor at the university.[4]
In 1970, he became president of the Japan Industrial Designers' Association and five years later he was elected as president of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design.[5]
During his lifetime he served as chair of the Japan Institute of Design, dean of Shizuoka University of Art and Culture was and a trustee of the Art Center College of Design.[3]
Ekuan died in the hospital in Tokyo on February 8, 2015, at the age of 85.[1]
Products that Ekuan oversaw the design of included the following.
- Kikkoman soy sauce bottle, 1961[6]
- Yamaha VMAX motorcycle, 2008[6]
Kikkoman soy sauce bottle
Yamaha VMAX
Railway vehicles
- 253 series Narita Express train, 1991[6]
- E3 Series Shinkansen Komachi train, 1997[6]
- E259 series Narita Express train, 2009[6]
- E233 series commuter train, 2006[7]
Narita Express 253 series
E3 Series Shinkansen
Narita Express E259 series
E233 series
Logos
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government logo, 1989
- Ministop convenience store logo[8]
- Japan Racing Association logo[9]
Tokyo Metropolitan Government logo
Ministop store logo
Japan Racing Association logo
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He also served as co-general producer for the World Design Exposition 1989 held in Nagoya.[10]
- 1979: Colin King Grand Prix - International Council of Societies of Industrial Design[10]
- 1995: Sir Misha Black Medal[11]
- 1997: Ordre des Arts et des Lettres - French Minister of Culture[5]
- 2000: Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette[10]
- 2003: Lucky Strike Designer Award - Raymond Loewy Foundation[12]
- 2004: Commander in the Order of the Lion of Finland[13]
- 2014: Compasso d'Oro for Lifetime Achievement - Associazione per il Disegno Industriale[14]
- Kenji Ekuan (1 March 1998). The Aesthetics of the Japanese Lunchbox. Diane Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-7567-7620-6.
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