Kiyoshi Sakashita

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(1933- )

An important figure in post-Second World War Japanese industrial design, Sakashita has been closely associated with the Sharp Corporation, a leading manufacturer of electrical appliances and office equipment. His role as corporate director and general manager of the company's Design Centre in Osaka has been significant in Sharp's success, particularly the introduction of ‘lifestyle’ products, notions of ‘human touch’, and the implementation of a consistent ‘house style’ across a wide range of the company's products. Having studied industrial design at Tokyo University (1953-7) he joined Sharp as a staff designer and moved through a number of roles including Domestic Appliances Manager (1960-63), Research and Marketing Manager (1963-6), Corporate Design Manager (from 1973), Corporate Director (from 1981), and Corporate Adviser (from 1995). The Design Department at Sharp was initiated in 1957, the year in which Sakashita joined the company. Within 30 years the Design Centre at Osaka had grown to 200 designers producing about 2,000 new models a year. Throughout his career at Sharp he supervized many innovative products, particularly in the sphere of audio-visual equipment. He has also played an important role in the consolidation of the Japanese design profession as a Board member of the Japan Industrial Designers' Association (JIDA, from 1975) and of the Japan Package Design Association (from 1979). He was also an advisor to the Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organisation (from 1980) and the Japan Design Foundation (from 1981).

According to him, 생산성경제성 위주-->자연적 인간중심적 형태, 기능보다는 환경을 고려하는, 어떻게 보다는 무엇을 만드는지가 중요하며, 물질보다 감각을 중시한다. 경제성에서 문화가치로의 전환을 주장한다,