Design

The Wonder 500 in New York

The Wonder 500™ campaign has come to New York to showcase a collection of 500 products selected from the 47 Japanese Prefectures.

Run by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the purpose of the exhibition is to discover and promote a curated collection of some of the finest goods originating from Japan to a global market, pertaining to the categories of craftsmanship, food and travel.

There were many wonderful new finds that we discovered at the exhibition, especially the items in the food and drink category that we remember fondly from our trips but never get a chance to see outside of Japan. Seeing the food items in this context amongst craft products really gives you a sense that Japanese values and sensibilities run across many aspects of the culture. There is a common thread that connects all 500 products to make them distinctly Japanese and this is something that is profoundly noticeable when the work of many manufacturers and designers are gathered in one setting – telling the story of a culture’s values and traditions through tangible objects.

The Wonder 500™ association stated it best but to paraphrase, some of the common values held by the Japanese include the preservation of culture, harmony with nature, a minimal aesthetic and a high regard of the relationship between student and teacher, otherwise known as Shu Ha Ri. These are just a few of the wonderfully unique concepts that the products we love have also been rooted in. Working closely with our manufacturers over the years, we’ve found that the approach to a design is just as important as the final product.

The exhibition runs free to the public until February 9th at 4 West 43rd Street, New York, at the Exhibition Hall, 11:00am to 7:00pm. Try to catch it if you get a chance. If you can’t make it, stop by the store because we carry many of these products.