Kikkoman Soy Sauce Bottle

Program

BS 57 Product Design

As a teenager, legendary designer Kenji Ekuan witnessed the devastation of Hiroshima, deciding then that he would become a maker of things. Over his six-decade career, recognized with the prestigious International Compasso d’Oro Award, Ekuan created such works of utility and beauty as Japan’s Komachi bullet train, the Yamaha VMAX motorcycle, and the iconic, red-capped Kikkoman soy sauce bottle, now in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Among his books on design: "The Aesthetics of the Japanese Lunchbox." Ekuan, who once planned to follow his father’s path as a Buddhist monk, was part of ArtCenter’s first group of students from Japan. Graduating in 1957, he pioneered the development of industrial design as a profession, and founded GK Design Group, now encompassing design offices in four countries. Shortly before Ekuan’s death, his retrospective exhibition "Soaring High in the Sky" came to Hiroshima, showcasing a lifetime of creation.