Author Description

Japan’s expertise in technology, design and engineering is responsible for some of the most advanced and desirable consumer products in the world. Names such as Sony, Sharp, Honda, Yamaha and Canon have acquired legendary status in contemporary culture. Detail examines and celebrates the manufactured precision and technical virtuosity of mass-produced Japanese products – products we use or see everyday, but whose complexity of invention we only partly understand and appreciate. The book explores key themes such as artificial intelligence and robotics, showing the latest products – from Honda’s ASIMO humanoid robot and Sony’s Aibo dog to Epson’s micro-robots. Miniaturization is another important strand of Japanese product design: as cameras, watches and communications devices are becoming ever smaller, their technological functions are increasing to a level unimaginable ten, or even five, years ago. Detail shows how Japanese manufacturers constantly strive to invent new forms and to perfect existing technologies. Also revealed in this book are the qualities found in traditional Japanese aesthetics – minimalism, elegance, simplicity, symmetry, workmanship and clearly-expressed function – and their evolution into modern, highly technical, mass-produced products. In addition, a brief cultural and historical background of how Japan came to dominate the development of high-quality mass-manufacturing is offered.