Sori Yanagi (1915–2011) was one of Japan's most influential industrial designers. His work spanned a wide range of fields, from furniture, including the iconic Butterfly Stool, which is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, to kitchenware, tableware, the torch holder for the Tokyo Olympics, the entrance portals of the Kan-Etsu Tunnel on the Kan-Etsu Expressway, and pedestrian bridges.

His designs continue to be admired and appreciated by people around the world. In 2022, he was posthumously recognized as a Person of Cultural Merit by the Japanese government in honor of his outstanding contributions to design.