Tokyo Touts New Design Center

By Michiko Toyama

"Historically, Japan is a country of design," says fashion innovator Issey Miyake, who plans to open 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, Japan's first museum dedicated to the subject, on March 30 in Tokyo's megacomplex, Tokyo Midtown, in Roppongi. "Everything is design, from the things people take pleasure in, from gardens, scrolls, paintings and Kabuki, to the things people use." With a name that gestures to a realm of design beyond the limits of 20/20 vision, 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT is a Tadao Ando--designed building that was conceived as a forum where people could think about design. Together with Miyake, two of Japan's leading designers, Taku Satoh and Naoto Fukasawa, will act as directors. The space will feature a host of changing events and exhibits, including fashion shows (some collections from Tokyo Fashion Week will be open to the public). "Actually, I don't know myself how it will go," Miyake says with a laugh. "Planning, devising things, trying anything. Isn't that what design is?"