Lecture: Mr. Masayuki Ohnishi,
Washing Machine – its Development History and System
GK Design Group held a "P-Room" seminar by inviting Mr. Ohnishi, a researcher of home appliances. He had been working long time on developing and planning of home appliances at Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co., Ltd. (presently Toshiba Corporation).
Titled as "Washing Machine – its Development History and System," he introduced technological development history of home appliances both in US and Japan with rich research materials; beginning with the world first electric washing machine made in the US and the first model of the machine born in Japan.
He explained the development history in Japan with the many social aspects surrounding the machine. The development first started with the try referring an imported machine and the process adapting it for practical living conditions in Japan. Responding to changing lifestyle and awareness, the relations with physical conditions in the house to place the machine and so on.
Mr. Ohnishi also raised the concerns relevant to the developing activities in future.
The process of accumulating creativities for better products he talked about was filled with very helpful suggestions for designers. In the question and answer session after the lecture with vigorous questions from the floor made it the very meaningful event for GK members.
Masayuki Ohnishi:
Home appliance researcher, board member of Forum Douguology, Ph. D. (engineering)
[Education]
March 1962: Graduated from the school of mechanical engineering of Himeji Institute of Technology (presently University of Hyogo)
March 2004: Completed the latter doctoral course, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata
[Career]
April 1962: Joined Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co., Ltd. (presently Toshiba Corporation) Chief engineer of the department of home appliance business
April 1994: Joined Toshiba Home Technology Corporation, chief engineer, executive director
April 2000 to date: lectures, writings, appearance on TV
April 2010: Chief researcher of the History of Industrial Engineering, National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo
[Writings]
"A Hundred Years History of Electric Washing Machines", "Introduction to Living Home Appliances", (Gihodo Shuppan) and others.