is a creative director born in Tokyo. She graduated from the School of Arts, Letters and Sciences,

Waseda University , abbreviated as , is a private university, private research university in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as the ''Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō'' by Ōkuma Shigenobu, the school was formally renamed Waseda University in 1902. The university has numerou ...

, Tokyo, Japan. She is member of the Advisory Board for

Muji (), or is a Japanese retail company which sells a wide variety of household and consumer goods. Muji's design philosophy is minimalist, and it places an emphasis on recycling, reducing production and packaging waste, and a no-logo or "no-bran ...

(“Mujirushi Ryōhin”) since its founding and Professor Emeritus at

Musashino Art University or is a private university in Kodaira, Western Tokyo, founded in 1962 with roots going back to 1929. It is known as one of the leading art universities in Japan. History In October 1929, was founded. In December 1948, it became , and in ...

in Tokyo. She is the founder and president of Kitchen Inc., an all-women studio that planned and produced design-related projects (since 1976). She is founder and president of Sagacho Exhibit Space, an alternative space for arts in Saga, Koto-ku, Tokyo (1983–2000). She is editor and author of books including ''Issey Miyake, East Meets West'' (Heibonsha, 1978); ''Kukan no Aura'' (Aura of Space) (Hakusuisha, 1993); ''Fashion: Fashion as a Form of Polyhedron'' (Musashino Art University Press, 2004); ''Japanese Coloring'' (Libro, 1981); and ''Japan Design'' (Libro, 1984). Major awards include the 1985

Mainichi Design Prize The , originally the ''New Japan Design Competition'', is an annual award given to outstanding Japanese designers. The award, founded in 1952, is sponsored by Japanese newspaper ''Mainichi Shimbun''. It is considered Japan's most prestigious award ...

and the 1995 Japan Award for the Promotion of Art and Culture. In September 2012, she curated the exhibition "Ikko Tanaka and Future/Past/East/West of Design" at 21_21 Design Sight in Tokyo. In March 2022, her works will be displayed in an exhibition, "Alternative! Kazuko Koike Exhibition -- Soft-Power Movement of Art & Design".

Works

Editing/Writing Work

* The Heibon Weekly "Weekly Fashion", a magazine (1959) * Fashion News from Hanae Mori, a tabloid (1966) * SO-EN, a magazine (1966-77)

Translation Work

* Through the Flower: My Struggle as a Woman Artist by Judy Chicago (1979, Parco Publishing) * Eileen Gray: Architect/Designer (1991, Libro Port/2017, Misuzu Shobo)

Honours

* Juzo Itami Award (2022) *

Person of Cultural Merit is an official Japanese recognition and honor which is awarded annually to select people who have made outstanding cultural contributions. This distinction is intended to play a role as a part of a system of support measures for the promotion of ...

(2022)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Koike, Kazuko Japanese designers 1936 births Living people Waseda University alumni Persons of Cultural Merit Juzo Itami Award winners