monomono
Founded in 1970 by industrial designer Yoshio Akioka, Group ｍonoｍono led a unique lifestyle design movement across Japan through the 1980s. The group later focused on creating furniture and everyday tools suited to Japanese living. Even after Akioka’s passing, they continue to uphold his philosophy, producing thoughtful designs that highlight craftsmanship and the culture of daily life in Japan.
Riki Watanabe [1911-2013]
Born in Tokyo, graduated from the Woodcraft Departmentat Tokyo Higher School of Arts and Design (now Chiba University) in 1936, and after joined Gunma Prefecture Industrial Arts Center under the direction of Bruno Taut, established his own design office in 1949. He got famous with the low-cost String Chair "Himo Chair" in 1952. In 1956, he formed the Q-designers, which brought about reforms in the early days of after-war Japanese design by inventing the "Torii Stool" and the "Riki Stool," among others. In his later years, he focused on clock design, and the "Riki Clock," named after his own name and released in 2003, became his masterpiece.