Award Announcement

Taketombo won the 2019 Good Design Award

Taketombo Corporation is honored to receive the prestigious 2019 Good Design Award, organized by the Japan Institute of Design Promotion, under the New Business Design category.

The world is obsessed with speed and productivity. When investment falls mainly in technology — AI, VR, AR, robotics — a young social innovation entrepreneur was inspired to venture into cultural sustainability.

Taketombo prompts modern-day designers to take a pause and evaluate the value perception of the objects they design and produce. Collaborating with rural craft towns and heritage artisans, this social enterprise initiates social innovation activities in rural Japan and engages overseas creators to re-energize declining towns through culture travel and design incubation initiatives.

The jury's evaluation

“A really thoughtful and well-delivered enterprise that has already been proven in the market.”

“The overall vision is ambitious and the international links bring a unique angle to this craft revival activity. In addition, the product samples shown are delightful and deliver on the promise.”

Good Design Award Jury · 審査員

From the founder

“I am incredibly humbled by the recognition from JIDP's Good Design Award. There is never a boring day in Japan being a creative social entrepreneur of diverse background. And it is my distinct creative and cultural background that I believe will bring unique insight and experience to my audience, while ‘politely disrupting and provoking’ the craft world in Japan. I would like to share this award with the great people and my ‘ouen’ committee in Tokyo, who relentlessly lent me a hand when I was physically and mentally stranded during this journey. Looking forward to more exciting projects ahead.”

Mikki Tam · Founder, Taketombo Corp

About the Good Design Award

The Good Design Award is a movement aimed at enriching our lives and society through design. Since its foundation in 1957, it has been commonly known together with the “G Mark”, the symbol of winning the award.

The Good Design Award has recognized various objects surrounding us, including industrial goods, architecture, software, systems and services. No matter whether tangible or intangible, the Good Design Award will take it as design, evaluate and honor its quality, as long as it is created to fulfill certain ideals or purposes.

It is Japan's only comprehensive design evaluation and promotion program, launched by the Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization — today's Japan Institute of Design Promotion — in 1988, based on the Good Design Selection System established by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in 1957.

View the awarded entry ↗
The following year 2020 iF Design Award → 2020年 iF デザインアワード