Boye Lafayette De Mente 
Elements of Japanese Design 

Learn the elements of the timeless beauty that is Japanese design in this concise reference volume.


Japanese design is known throughout the world for its beauty, its simplicity, and its blending of traditional and contemporary effects. This succinct guide describes the influence and importance of 65 key elements that make up Japanese design, detailing their origins–and their impact on fields ranging from architecture and interior design to consumer products and high fashion.


Learn, for example, how the
wabi sabi style that’s so popular today developed from the lifestyle choices made by monks a thousand years ago. And how unexpected influences–like
tatami (straw mats) or
seijaku (silence)–have contributed to contemporary Japanese design.


Elements of Japanese Design offers new insights into the historical and cultural developments at the root of this now international aesthetic movement. From
wa (harmony) to
kaizen (continuous improvement), from
mushin (the empty mind) to
mujo (incompleteness), you’ll discover how these elements have combined and evolved into a powerful design paradigm that has changed the way the world looks, thinks and acts.


Chapters include:

• Washi, Paper with Character


• Ikebana, Growing Flowers in a Vase


• Bukkyo, The Impact of Buddhism


• Shibui, Eliminating the Unessential


• Kawaii, The Incredibly ‘Cute’ Syndrome


• Katana, Swords with Spirit

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Boye Lafayette De Mente worked for several years as an editor of newspapers and magazines in Tokyo and has written many books on Japan’s language and culture, including
Japan’s Cultural Code Words, Etiquette Guide to Japan, The Japanese Samurai Code, Survival Japanese and
Instant Japanese.