The Japanese term zakka very loosely translates as 'stuff'. Or, to refine this within its common context, 'sundries' or 'miscellaneous goods'.
If, in Western parlance, this evokes a higgledy-piggledy bric-a-brac store, then think again. In Japanese, the first part of the compound – zatsu – may mean 'things that cannot be categorised', but the term is loaded with socio-cultural significance; things considered zakka being referential to the evolution of Japanese lifestyles and how new foreign customs and items – often considered kitsch in origin – are assimilated and amalgamated into the country's cultural identity. It's a particular commercial phenomenon currently being explored in a new exhibition at Tokyo's 21_21 Design Sight: 'Zakka: Goods and Things'.
Until around 50 years ago, zakkya stores largely stocked utilitarian household items – particularly for cooking and cleaning; now, their remit has exploded, encompassing almost any item an individual could want to express their own personal tastes (consistent aesthetics and functional uses be damned). It's a sensory, almost spiritual predilection. As Tadao Kushimatsu, an analyst at the Hakuhodo Inc. advertising agency, said in a 2011 New York Times article, 'Cute is not enough. To qualify as a zakka, a product must be attractive, sensitive, laden with subtexts'.
The survey at 21_21 Design Sight is broad, with the show encompassing a range of explorations of the theme, including: 'Matsunoya Sundries Peddler', an installation depicting a Meiji-era peddler given a modern product overhaul; 'Zatsu Mandala', an exploration of the elements of Japanese culture embodied in zakka; a Dutch-made 'Hook Carpet', constructed of zakka; 'A Never Ending Loop of Thoughts', which examines 'ideal lifestyles' from the viewpoint of Hidenori Ikeda and 'lifestyle adventurer' Saiko Ito; and much more, from videos and drawings through expositions and talks. There's even a dedicated zakka store, as well as a number of time-limited pop-up shops.
'It may be that zakka resonates with people as a symbol of a small measure of happiness built upon a familiarity deriving from their integral status in our everyday lives, the comfort they offer, and the careful attention that has gone into their manufacture,' explains lauded product designer and exhibition team member Naoto Fukasawa. 'Regardless of how useful they are in our actual lives, people are drawn to zakka and feel the urge to make them part of their own lives…. The purpose of this exhibition is to focus on the aesthetics of zakka as things that appeal to us, and to share our thoughts on their allure.'
More soulful than mere materialism and richer than ascetic minimalism, zakka, it would appear, is a superlative, singular take on self-definition.
A chronology of zakka and Japanese lifestyles, by Ryuto Miyake – from an exhibit that explores the roots of zakka in the context of historical developments in Japa
From the exhibtion: Mayumi Kawahara's 'Zatsu Mandala' illustration – an exploration of distinctive elements of Japanese culture
If, in Western parlance, zakka evokes a higgledy-piggledy bric-a-brac store, then think again; in Japanese, the term is loaded with socio-cultural significance. Pictured: 'Matsunoya Sundries Peddler', an installation depicting a Meiji-era peddler given a modern product overhaul, by Matsunoya and Norihiko Terayam
'A Never Ending Loop of Thoughts' examines 'ideal lifestyles' from the viewpoint of Hidenori Ikeda and 'lifestyle adventurer' Saiko Ito
The broad exhibition factors installations, videos, drawings, expositions and talks. Pictured: still from 'Documentary Film of 12 Exhibitors', by Rui Shimamoto and Woomin Hyun (CGM), which delves into the organisers' curatorial process
A 'Hook Carpet', constructed of zakka by the Dutch studio We Make Carpets
Kenmei Nagaoka and D&DEPARTMENT's 'A Convenience Store' gathers 'Daily necessities – things in the possession of which there were more than one, more than necessary, and that were not being used' to form a mock-shop
Until around 50 years ago, zakkya stores largely stocked utilitarian household items – particularly for cooking and cleaning; now, their remit has exploded, encompassing almost any item an individual could want to express their own personal tastes (consistent aesthetics and functional uses be damned)
It's a sensory, almost spiritual predilection – embracing products often considered kitsch in origin
INFORMATION
'Zakka: Goods and Things' is on view until 5 June. For more information, visit 21_21 Design Sight's website
ADDRESS
21_21 Design Sight
Tokyo Midtown Garden
9-7-6 Akasaka
Minato-ku, Tokyo
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