History of Design Promotion in Japan
Over a half century has transpired since Japan's design promotion activities were systematically organized. The subjects associated with design promotion change through the years. The history, therefore, marks milestones, which indicate the magnitude of need for design in industry and society within Japan. The following traces a brief introduction to this historical progression.
Approximately 150 years ago when Japan's modernization commenced, activities to improve the form and color of chinaware and handicrafts, which constituted the principal exports at the time, began. The effort merely addressed improvements in exterior design. But in 1928, a national laboratory, though small, was established, and the study and practical instruction of design under the modern meaning started. Renowned designers like Bruno Taut and Charlotte Perriand were invited here, and traditional craftsmanship was reassessed from an industrial perspective.
- 1957 Good Design Product Selection Program is launched (known as Good Design Awards today)
- Design Section is installed at the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Design Policy Office of Ministry of Economics, Trade, and Industry today)
- 1960 JETRO opens Japan Design House.
Despite a respite from the post-war turmoil, Japan remained a seriously impoverished nation. No policy could lift the nation out of poverty, except growing exports of industrial goods.
Once started, however, exporting revealed the lack of technology for creating competitive products in the market. The leadership of Japan began to realize that the technology concerned design, and an organization was initiated as part of industry promotion policy. The Good Design Awards, which remain a principal program of design promotion today, were instituted, and design instruction and training took place actively under the invitation of designers from the United States.
Trade organizations, such as the Japan Industrial Design Association and Japan Design Committee, were established, and activities of designers began to ramp up.
- 1961 The Council of Design Promotion of MITI proposes establishment of a design promotion institution.
- 1969 Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization (JIDPO) is established.
- 1971 JIDPO joins ICSID.
- 1973 ICSID convention in Japan results in '73 Design Year action program in cooperation with JIDA.
As exports flourished, living standards in Japan grew in affluence, and domestic markets developed around demand for durable consumer goods. The power of design in industrial activity gained increasing understanding as a result. An institution with a comprehensive promotion mandate for design came in to demand. Those needs culminated in the establishment of the Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization.
- 1974 JIDPO receives the service contract for Good Design Product Selection Program from MITI.
- 1975 JIDPO launches regional design development activities.
- 1981 Japan Design Foundation is established.
JIDPO took over the activities of JETRO's Japan Design House, which was engaged in promoting exports of household goods produced by local industry, and design to major manufacturing businesses. JIDPO also inherited the secretariat of the Good Design Product Selection Program, previously managed by the Japan Chamber of Commerce. Activities and organizations gradually grew in robustness alongside the handling of existing design promotion activities. In particular, the regional design development activities integrated a variety of local industry support measures from the perspective of design. An alliance with nearly half of the nation's prefectures led to a ten-year program that targeted major centers of industry around the nation.
As a dedicated institution to foster international exchange through design, the Japan Design Foundation (JDF) was established. Until its role concluded in 2009, JDF promoted international design competitions and design exchange activities with various Asian nations.
- 1984 Good Design Product Selection Program greatly expands subject domains.
- 1988 The Council of Design Promotion pronounces "Design Policy for the '90s" and the Design Year.
- 1989 The '89 Design Year is instituted as a nationwide activity with JIDPO serving as secretariat.
As the quality of life in Japan improved during the 1980s, the Japanese market expanded tremendously, and Japanese industry flourished to unprecedented proportions. Growth prompted the need for design in all corners of industry, while promotion activities to transfer design technology from consumer product domains to industrial product and public utility product domains achieved tremendous results. Maturation of society as a whole led to an understanding about how the power of design could support many kinds of activities for citizens. MITI and JIDPO proposed the activation of design competency to daily living and community development, and called upon local government, leading design firms, and academic institutions of design to engage in new activities through design. This action program held under the Design Year banner grew to a very large scale, and included the World Design Expo, which commemorated 100 years of municipal history of Nagoya and brought the participation of 400 businesses. The action program expanded the domain of design promotion to spheres encompassing citizens and daily living.
- 1993 The Council of Design Promotion releases "New Design Policy to Meet the Changes of Our Times."
- 1993 JIDPO institutes the Design Resources Development Center.
- 1998 Good Design Product Selection Program is privatized, and JIDPO carries on with the program as the Good Design Awards.
In the 1990s, society experienced structural transformations, and designers found that the industrialized society mode no longer matched the scenario. The Council of Design Promotion recommended that training of new design resources should take place. JIDPO responded by instituting the Design Resources Development Center and initiating new activities. As part of the National Government reforms, MITI relinquished sponsorship of the Good Design Product Selection Program, and the privatized operation re-launched as the Good Design Awards under the sponsorship of JIDPO. These changes prompted JIDPO to pursue a service model, where promotion activities that increased public value were provided as a service business.
- 2004 Good Design Awards encompass the ASEAN Selection.
- 2004 Tokyo Design Market is launched under contract from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
- 2004 Design Excellence Company Awards are launched.
With the arrival of the 21st century, the structural transformations in society started to become more evident, and expectations grew for the potential held by design in planning. Design gained an appreciation for its resource value in society, and a school of thought emerged, which placed design in the driver's seat for society in general.
Tokyo Design Market fostered a forum for designers with concept-pitching abilities and manufacturers excelling in making products to meet. The intent was to stimulate new products and new business. The Design Excellence Company Awards positioned design as a business resource, and commended business owners who provided products and services of exemplary value for living.
- 2006 Good Design Awards mark 50 years since establishment. JIDPO conducts commemorative activities, including the Milan exhibition.
- 2007 JIDPO relocates head offices to Tokyo Mid-Town, and institutes the Design Liaison Center in an alliance with overseas academic research institutions.
- 2007 Design Hub activities launch in cooperation with JAGDA, Kyushu University.
- 2011 Japan Institute of Design Promotion is established.
The Good Design Awards celebrated their 50th anniversary of establishment in 2006. During the half-century, over 35,000 entries had received a Good Design Award. Steadily rising recognition over the years brought the program to a point where over 1,500 companies and designers applied annually with over 3,000 entries in total, and awareness for the program reached 87%. The Good Design Awards matured into a social institution as a route to obtain support from consumers, in addition to industry and designers. The numbers demonstrated that design promotion in Japan had achieved certain, measurable success.
Today, expectations for design are surpassing its legacy in industrialized society with the arrival of new questions. What is a sustainable society? What needs specific implementation? Design is being tasked with new answers to these subjects, and we are called to prepare the forums for this problem solving work.
JDP, in fact, takes the role of preparing the forums. In this regard, the Design Hub and Liaison Center were instituted at the time of our office relocation to Roppongi. The agenda for JDP in the 21st century continues, as we ready the platforms for design that will take the initiative.