Sori Yanagi (1915-2011) was a master of Japanese design. The son of Soetsu Yanagi, he was one of the leading figures in postwar Japanese industrial design and served as the director of the Folk Craft Museum in Tokyo for over thirty years.
For 65 years, until his passing in 2011, Yanagi designed a wide range of products across various industries. The output of the Yanagi Industrial Design Institute includes tableware and kitchen utensils such as kettles, cutlery, and teapots; industrial products like turntables, sewing machines, and automobiles; noise barriers for highways, walkways, fire hydrants, kiosks, shop scales, oil paint containers, furniture, lighting, textiles, stationery, toys, and magazine covers.
What unites these diverse objects is the sensitivity that Sori Yanagi applied to all his projects. Yanagi’s design principles – honesty, simplicity of form, and high-quality materials – made him famous and are carried on in good Japanese design today.
Sori Yanagi: Furniture and objects
Throughout his career, Sori Yanagi pursued a design ethos for everyday life, creating objects that resonated with people’s hearts. Many of his designs for furniture and tableware are still in production and are widely used in Japan (and revered by European design lovers).
Among these are his famous steel kettle, the celebrated Elephant Stool, and his masterpiece, the Butterfly Stool, now produced by Vitra.
Many of Yanagi’s designs are part of the permanent collections of the world’s most prestigious art and design museums, including MoMA in New York, the Vitra Design Museum, the Triennale di Milano, and the Louvre in Paris. In Japan, you can also visit the Yanagi Sori Design Memorial at the Kanazawa College of Art.
Let’s explore some of Yanagi’s designs that are still in production. Links to purchase pages may result in a commission for ARCHIVEofOBJECTS.net.
Butterfly Stool, Vitra
The Butterfly Stool, a low stool with elegant organic shapes, is considered Sori Yanagi’s masterpiece and a classic in design history. Although Yanagi’s stool was designed and initially produced in Japan by Tendo Co., it utilizes Western forms, materials, and techniques (specifically the bentwood technique developed by Ray and Charles Eames). A product of its time, it serves as a bridge between Eastern and Western sensibilities, symbolizing the opening and collaboration of these two worlds during that historical moment. Now produced by Vitra, the stool consists of two L-shaped sections, each forming a leg and half of the seat. A metal rod midway between the legs acts as a stretcher, holding the stool together. The impressions evoked by the stool are delicacy and lightness, qualities that earned it the name Butterfly Stool.
Elephant Stool, Vitra
The Elephant Stool is a design object for everyday life that embodies the principles of Japanese design at the core of Yanagi’s work: efficiency, balance, and elegance. Originally designed as a work seat for his studio, the Elephant Stool is now one of the most iconic and beloved stools in design history, epitomizing the clarity of form and functionality of Yanagi’s design. Over time, it has become known as the Elephant Stool because its three-legged shape resembles a stylized elephant head when viewed from the front. Produced by Vitra in mass-dyed polypropylene, the stool is lightweight, stackable, and indestructible—making it a popular choice for garden furniture or children’s rooms.
Salad Bowl and STRAINER
This pair of objects represents a traditional idea revisited and perfected by Sori Yanagi, resulting in an elegant and timeless design. In this project, the colander fits perfectly within the salad bowl, with the two rims slightly overlapping—allowing for easy lifting of the colander to drain water from fruits, vegetables, or any other ingredients. Featured in the Super Normal exhibition, Jasper Morrison considers this set a testament to Yanagi’s ability to create designs so natural that they seamlessly integrate into the world of objects.
Steel Kettle
This stainless steel kettle is one of Sori Yanagi’s most iconic designs. Originally designed in 1953, a year after opening his studio in Tokyo, and slightly redesigned in 1994, this masterpiece is still produced today in Niigata, a Japanese district renowned for metalworking, through the combined efforts of nearly fifteen factories. A perennial favorite among the public and in sales, this kettle is one of the most widespread objects in Japan. Behind its seemingly ordinary (or Super Normal) appearance, every detail is carefully considered to create a beautiful and functional object. The wide base ensures that water heats quickly, while the handle is meticulously shaped for easy lifting and a secure grip. This kettle perfectly embodies Yanagi’s approach to design. As Yanagi himself said with utmost simplicity: I try to create things that we humans find useful in our daily lives.
Ladles and Kitchen Utensils
In his design process, Sori Yanagi is renowned for his prototyping technique, which always begins with an object hand-modeled by Yanagi himself. Only later is the prototype digitized into a 3D model for final mass production. The attention to detail and the harmony of form resulting from hand modeling is evident in this stainless steel ladle designed by Yanagi in 1974. This kitchen utensil is part of a complete set of stainless steel tableware and, like the other items in the set, is considered a masterpiece of design. These utensils combine Western tableware concepts with Japanese aesthetics and sensibilities.
Casseroles and pans
As unremarkable as it may seem at first glance, this pan has been meticulously refined by Yanagi to ensure maximum efficiency. Made in Japan’s Niigata district from high-quality 18-8 stainless steel, it features spouts on both sides for easy liquid transfer, rapid ventilation, and effortless handling. The lid can be rotated to create adjustable-width spaces, preventing overflow or allowing excess liquid to be drained. The handle is specially shaped to provide a secure grip for everyone. This pan is part of a series of casseroles and pans designed by Yanagi with the same principles. As his admirer Jasper Morrison once said: The objects that really make a difference in our lives are often the least noticeable, the ones that don’t try to attract our attention.
Sori Yanagi
Born in 1915 and the son of Soetsu Yanagi, the founder of the Mingei movement and the Folk Craft Museum in Tokyo, Sori Yanagi was a leading figure in postwar Japanese modern design. His practice incorporated elements of traditional Japanese craftsmanship with the pursuit of simplicity and functionality typical of of Western modernism.
Yanagi was heavily influenced by the work of Le Corbusier as well as by Charlotte Perriand, for whom he worked as a translator in the early 1940s during her time in Tokyo. It was Perriand who sparked Yanagi’s interest in product design.
Most of Yanagi’s designs are based on the principles of beauty and simplicity. His products illustrate his belief that true beauty is not created but arises naturally.
When Yanagi embarked on a new product design, he would handcraft the initial versions repeatedly, seeking new forms inspired by both old and new ideas. This approach allowed him to create timeless, harmonious, and balanced objects that were above all honest and useful.
He founded his practice at the age of 31, and five years later, established the Yanagi Industrial Design Institute. He continued to work and design until his passing in 2011. Contrary to industry trends and fashions, he always celebrated a “design without designers” approach—objects whose beauty is expressed through their functionality.
The Influence of Sori Yanagi on Contemporary Design
Sori Yanagi is an industrial designer who had a tremendous influence on both Japanese and Western design culture. Beloved in Japan, he is practically revered in Europe, where he has profoundly impacted generations of designers who aspire to create honest, intelligent objects that improve people’s lives.
Yanagi’s influence extends to subsequent generations thanks to the roles he held throughout his life. In 1956, he was appointed a professor at the Kanazawa College of Art, where his teachings profoundly influenced many students (unfortunately, there are no recordings of Yanagi’s lectures).
In addition to his design activities, Yanagi served as the director of the Japan Folk Crafts Museum in Komaba, Tokyo, from 1977 to 2006, dedicating himself to preserving and promoting the ideas of his father Soetsu (influential author of the book The Beauty of Everyday Things) and the legacy of their predecessors.
As mentioned earlier, in 2008, some of Sori Yanagi’s objects were part of the Super Normal exhibition organized by Jasper Morrison and Naoto Fukasawa. During the exhibition preparations, Yanagi visited the two young designers, who fondly mention him in their book.
Yanagi’s legacy is not only seen in his iconic designs but also in his profound impact on design philosophy. His commitment to simplicity, functionality, and the natural beauty of materials continues to inspire designers globally, ensuring that his approach to design endures.
