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Kenji Ekuan

The Founder of
GK Design Group

  • Born in Tokyo in 1929. His father was a priest of the Jodo sect of Buddhism. Admitted to the naval academy in 1945, as the war came to the end in August of the year, came back home in Hiroshima where his family had resided. His experience seeing the appalling scene of the city of Hiroshima lying in total devastation by an atomic bomb motivated him to be a designer.

    In 1950, he entered Tokyo University of the Arts. Made a group with his like-minded classmates, while appealed to the public "Democratization of things" and "Democratization of beauty," the group won a prize of design competitions several times. Their voluntary seminar centered by Mr. Iwataro Koike, an associate professor of the university then, named themselves as "Group of Koike." The name originated the company name GK since then.

    In 1957, founded GK Industrial Design Associates. In the times that society had yet no idea about design, the group appealed the meaning and the role of design through a practical project and had been gaining social confidence. They advocated their concept of design saying Dougu; "Things embodying the Way" and "The Way embodied in things" and kept probing into the idea.
    Their joining as a designer with the "Metabolism Movement," raised in the architectural field in Japan at that time, led them to gain a footstep in the design field of "street furniture" through the practice for "Japan World Exposition, Osaka, 1970." The practice had widened their professional field from so-called industrial design to the street furniture.
    Kenji Ekuan, in 1973, tried to promote the first meeting in Asia "the 8th World Industrial Design Conference" in Kyoto assembled by International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID). In 1975, he became the first Japanese president of ICSID.
    After the event, Kenji had been active in establishing "Japan Institute of Design," the organization proposing a solution of social problems, derived from ever complex and globalized social conditions, through the approach consolidating the ever since finely segmented design fields. Further, he appealed worldwide coordinated capacity of design fields by establishing "Design for the World" in Barcelona, Spain. On the other hand, he founded "Forum Douguology" to lead a practical study of "Idea of Dougu" derived since GK's establishment. He also proposed the plan named "Master plan for Dougu Temple and Dougu Village" to urge a new culture and civilization by consolidating all concepts and practice centered around the Idea of Dougu.

    To Kenji Ekuan, design is the "Way Creating Dougu" that brought man's dignity and a reason for living through things. He had bet his life on building up the professional reputation of design and development of design fields not only in Japan but the world.

  • Profile

    1929Born of father Tetsunen Ekuan (a priest of Eikyu-ji, Hiroshima), mother Katsuko (Tokyo Women’s Vocational College) as oldest son, at Takinogawa, Toshima-gun, Tokyo Prefecture.

    1930Tetsunen became a Jodo Sect Buddhism missionary of Hawaii parish: Whole family moved to Hawaii.

    1937Came back to Japan. Admitted to the second grade of Daiichi Jinjo Elementary School, Nishi-sugamo, Tokyo.

    1942Admitted to the Fifth Prefectural Junior High School of Tokyo (present Koishikawa junior/senior high school).

    1945Admitted to the Naval Cadet Academy in Etajima. Came to know Japan’s defeat of the war. Discharged from the navy. Admitted to Fukuyama Seishikan JuniorHigh School (present Fukuyama Seishikan High School).

    1947Succeeded father Tetsunen, killed by the atomic bomb, admitted to Vocational School of Jodo Sect in Kyoto (present Bukkyo University). Boarded at Keishi Dormitory of Kyoto Chion-in.

    1950Admitted to the Design Course in the Department of Crafts at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music (present Tokyo University of the Arts).

    1952Started advocating GK (Group of Koike) about this time.

    1955Graduated from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music.

    1956Studied at the Art Center College of Design, Los Angeles,US, for one year as a member sent by Japan External Trade Organization.

    1957Established GK Industrial Design Associates and took on the role of the head of the office.

    1958Joined Japan Industrial Designers' Association : Member number 67

    1959Became active as a founding member of the Metabolism Group.

    1962Appointed a Director of Japan Industrial Designers’ Association.

    1965Executive Committee Chairperson of the First Japan Industrial Design Conference.

    1970President of Japan Industrial Designers’ Association

    1973Executive Chairperson of the 8th World Industrial Design Congress (ICSID ’73 Kyoto)

    1975President of International Council of Societies of Industrial Design.

    1976A committee member of Japan Institute of Design Promotion of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

    1987President of Kuwasawa Design School.

    1989General producer of World Design Expo. Chairperson of Metropolitan Tokyo Design Up Committee.

    1995Established Japan Institute of Design. Appointedto the chairperson.

    1996Established Forum Douguology. Appointed to the chairperson.

    1998Established Design for the World headquartered at Barcelona, Spain and appointed to the chairperson.

    1999Established Japan Finland Design Association and appointed to the chairperson.

    2005Established the association of building Dougu Temple / Dougu Village.

    2015February 8, passed way.

  • Awards

    1979ICSID Colin King Grand Prix

    1988WORLDESIGN Award (USA)

    1992Design Lifetime Achievement Award. The Ministry of International Trade and Industry.
    Medal with Blue Ribbon (Japan)

    1993JIDA Grand Prix (Japan)

    1995Sir Misha Black Medal (UK)

    1997Officier de L’Ordre des Arts et des Letters (France)

    2000The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette (Japan)

    2004The Insignia of Commander in the Order of the Lion of Finland (Finland)
    The International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Award of the People’s Republic of China (China)

    2014The 23rd ADI International Compasso d’Oro Award for International Lifetime Achievement (Italy)

  • Publications

    1969Dougu Ko: Kajima Publishing Co., Ltd. (historical and philosophical analysis of the roles of “tools” in human life)

    1980Makunouchi Bento no Bigaku: Goma Shobo Publishing Co., Ltd. (the Aesthetics of the Makunouchi Lunchbox)

    1994Material Things and Japanese: Tokyo Shoseki Co., Ltd.

    1998The Aesthetics of the Japanese Lunchbox: MIT Press, USA

    2000The Discourses of Dougu: Kajima Publishing Co., Ltd.

    2009Putting all My Life into Design: Shunjusha Publishing Company