Postcard from Japan: Introducing Zakka, Wabi-Sabi and Kawaii
Posted: May 29th, 2009Today’s post written by Edwina
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Japanese design traditions focus on minimalism and ritual that results in a design aesthetic that is deliberate and serene. Fabrics, furniture, homes and gardens are pared down, functional and beautiful.
Some of the contemporary Japanese design movements including Zakka and Wabi-Sabi blend influences from ‘traditional’ Japanese culture such as discrimination, attention to detail and function with the beauty of technological advances. Japanese products also have a Kawaii, (cute) factor, which emphasizes their ’softness and gentleness’. This often manifests in cute-overload (this may explain Hello Kitty), but it can also have a more subtler influence on design.
Zakka is a word that you hear or see around more and more. It is difficult to define, but literally means “general merchandise” or “sundry goods” and refers to all the everyday items that are used around the home. Beyond its literal meaning, it refers to a design movement that honours the beauty in the everyday items that improve our home or outlook. These items are often hand-made, simple and full of charm.
Commercial companies are also producing ‘zakka’ products that take on these principles and are often influenced by Scandinavian and European design cultures.
While it is hard to pin down in words a feeling or attitude in design, the images below give a little window into the nuanced themes of Zakka, Wabi-Sabi and Kawaii for you.
More inpiration can be found at these websites:
- Creative Japan
- Zakka
- Wabi-Sabi
- Shirokumasha
- Shinzi Katoh – check out Monkeytail and Wellington and Kindergallery for some great Shinzi Katoh products and art.
- If you’re in Melbourne, you can check out Zakka in the flesh at Zakkaya. Luckily, for the rest of us, they also have an online store.
