When I stayed in a hotel during my business trip, I found a Japanese sword (an imitation sword) displayed on the lobby floor. Its notice said viewers are free to touch it and it was late at night. Since it was a rare opportunity to touch a real sword and no other guests were seen around me, I dared to take it in my hand.

​The moment I picked it up, I felt a weighty feeling in my arms. Surprisingly, I had to use much more muscles than expected to keep holding it. I put my hand on its guard and pulled out the sword from the scabbard. Then its shiny blade emerged in front of my eyes. Though it had its edge rounded for safety, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of tension for whatever reason. Then my thoughts flashed back to my childhood when I practiced kendo (Japanese art of fencing). I held the sword at middle posture and slowly wielded the blade. The feelings I obtained from those movements were completely different from those I experienced as a child. Many things, including the gravity center balance and the movement of my muscles, were so different that I could hardly imagine I would be able to have a good command of it. I had seen people skillfully wielding a sword in some movies, but when I tried out one by myself, I had to admit there was a huge gap between the image and the reality. I tried to get a knack for gripping the sword but to no avail. I put the sword back in place, feeling admiration for old-time swordsmen who were able to handle such difficult stuffs.

It’s easy to see pictures and movies through the eyes. But if viewers remember the senses gained through their bodies and combine their visual experiences with those physical senses, I think their interpretations of visual images would have different effects. Designers make use of various elements and approaches in creating ideas for tools used by humans. My experience with the sword gave me a clue on the use of bodily feelings as a means for approaching design.

Shogo Kinoshita

Product Design Dept.

Unit Leader