is a Japanese industrial designer. He is the owner of the Ken Okuyama Design company. Okuyama formerly worked for

Pininfarina Pininfarina S.p.A. (; ; short for Pininfarina Società per Azioni) is an Italian automotive design, car design firm and coachbuilder, with headquarters in Cambiano, Turin, Italy. The company was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930. On 14 ...

, designing and supervising projects such as the

Enzo Ferrari Enzo Anselmo Giuseppe Maria Ferrari (; ; 18 February 1898 – 14 August 1988) was an Italian racing driver and entrepreneur, the founder of Scuderia Ferrari in Grand Prix motor racing, and subsequently of the Ferrari automobile marque. Under h ...

and Ferrari P4/5.

Career

Okuyama graduated in 1986 from the

Art Center College of Design The ArtCenter College of Design is a private art college in Pasadena, California. It was incorporated in 1930 as a degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for students of both the visual arts and design. ...

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commerci ...

. For the next three years he was a visiting professor at Tohoku University of Art and Design. In 1991, he returned to teach part-time at the Art Center College of Design. Between 2000 and 2004, he was Chair of the Transportation Design Department at the college, but in 2004 he was offered a job at Pininfarina. Okuyama worked for

General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...

and

Porsche Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in luxury, high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Th ...

, helping design the new generation of the

Porsche 911 The Porsche 911 model series (pronounced ''Nine Eleven'' or in ) is a family of German two-door, high performance Rear-engine design, rear-engine sports cars, introduced in September 1964 by Porsche, Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. Now in it ...

(aka 996) as well as the Boxster. Before moving to Pininfarina, he worked for General Motors in the Advanced Concepts Center in California. There he worked on the design for the fourth generation Chevrolet Camaro among other projects. On 10 May 2004, Ken Okuyama began work as Creative Director at Pininfarina. He had been working with Pininfarina before, supervising the design of the

. As Creative Director Ken oversaw projects including the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, Ferrari 456M GT,

Ferrari California The Ferrari California (Type F149) is a Grand tourer, grand touring, high performance sports car created by the Italian automobile manufacturer Ferrari. It is a two-door 2+2 (car body style), 2+2 Retractable hardtop, hard top convertible. When ori ...

, Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, Ferrari Rossa (Concept car), Mitsubishi Colt CZC,

Maserati Birdcage 75th The Maserati Birdcage 75th is a functional concept car designed and developed by a Pininfarina design team led by Lowie Vermeersch, including Jason Castriota and Giuseppe Randazzo under the direction of Ken Okuyama. It was first introduced at the G ...

, Maserati Quattroporte V and Ferrari P4/5. In 2006, Okuyama left Pininfarina and set up his own design firm, Newton Design Lab. In late 2007, Okuyama launched the ''Ken Okuyama Eyes collection'', an eyewear collection manufactured in Japan. In 2008, Ken Okuyama presented his first concept car under his own name, the K.O. 7 Spider, a

carbon fiber reinforced polymer Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers ( Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon comp ...

and unpainted

aluminium Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...

two-seater. The K.O. 7 was unveiled at the

Geneva Motor Show The Geneva International Motor Show was an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show was hosted at the Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The Salon was organised b ...

in March 2008. Ken Okuyama has cooperated with the luxury watch producer

TAG Heuer TAG Heuer S.A., founded Heuer AG ( ) is a Swiss luxury watchmaker. Founded in 1860 by Edouard Heuer in St-Imier, Switzerland, it was acquired by Techniques d'Avant Garde (TAG) in 1985, which purchased a majority stake in the company, forming ' ...

, having fitted the TAG Heuer Grand Carrera at the dashboard of the car. The interior of the concept car was inspired by the design of the TAG Heuer watch. In 2008, Ken Okuyama's design studio produced the first 20 models of the K.O. 7 Spider, already pre-sold to an "inner circle" of the designer's fans. It was followed by the production of 99 cars in 2009 and 99 more in 2010. In 2016, Ken Okuyama revealed the Kode 57 as an additional member to the limited-edition family, as only five units would be produced. Forbes Magazine stated "Enzo Ferrari Designer Stuns Monterey With Breathtaking Kode 57 Supercar". On Oct 1, 2022 Okuyama was arrested by Japanese police for speeding. He narrowly avoided spending months in prison after being caught driving an Enzo 55 mph (88 km/h) over the speed limit.

Projects

Cars

* Pininfarina Metrocubo (Concept car) *

Honda NSX (first generation) The first generation Honda NSX (''New Sportscar eXperimental''), marketed in North America and Hong Kong as the Acura NSX, is a 2-seater, Mid-engine design, mid-engine sports car that was manufactured by Honda in Japan from 1990 until 2006. De ...

* Mitsubishi Colt CZC * KEN OKUYAMA DESIGN・Kode7 * KEN OKUYAMA DESIGN・Kode7 clubman * KEN OKUYAMA DESIGN・Kode7 SeriesII * KEN OKUYAMA DESIGN・Kode8 * KEN OKUYAMA DESIGN・Kode9 * KEN OKUYAMA DESIGN・Kode9 Spyder * KEN OKUYAMA DESIGN・Kode57 Enji * KEN OKUYAMA DESIGN・Kode61 Birdcage * KEN OKUYAMA DESIGN・Kode0 * Ferrari 456M GT * Ferrari Rossa (Concept car) *

Ferrari Enzo The Ferrari Enzo (Type F140), officially marketed as Enzo Ferrari, is a mid-engine sports car manufactured by Italian automobile manufacturer Ferrari and named after the company's founder, Enzo Ferrari. It was developed in 2002 using Formula ...

* Ferrari 612 Scaglietti * Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano * Ferrari P4/5 (Concept car) *

* Maserati Quattroporte V *

(Concept car) File:Ken okuyama design kode7 131127.JPG, Kode7 File:Ken okuyama design kode7clubman 131127.JPG, Kode7 Clubman File:Ken okuyama design kode9naname 131127.JPG, Kode9 File:Kode57 front 20160819 162707.jpg, Kode57 Enji File:Kode57 20160819 134448.jpg, Kode57 Enji Rear File:Kode61 Birdcage at Pebble Beach Concours 2023.jpg, Kode61 Birdcage

Railway vehicles

* JR East

E6 Series Shinkansen The is a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed train type operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) on ''Komachi (train), Komachi'' "mini-shinkansen" services on the Tōhoku Shinkansen and Akita Shinkansen from Tokyo to since 16 March 2013. A ...

, introduced in March 2013 * JR East E7 Series Shinkansen, introduced in March 2014 * Rebuilt

KiHa 141 series The is a diesel multiple unit (DMU) train type operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) on the Sassho Line in Japan since 1990. The cars were rebuilt from former 50 series locomotive-hauled coaches. Variants A total of 44 cars were ...

coaches for the JR East ''

SL Ginga The was a steam-hauled "Joyful Train" ( excursion train) operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) primarily on the Kamaishi Line in the north-east Tohoku Region of Japan from April 2014 to June 2023. The train consisted of restored ...

excursion train An excursion train is a chartered train run for a special event or purpose. Examples are trains to major sporting event, trains run for railfans or tourists, and special trains operated by the railway company for employees and prominent custo ...

, introduced on the

Kamaishi Line The is a rural railway line in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Hanamaki Station in the city of Hanamaki with Kamaishi Station in the city of Kamaishi. History The precursor to the ...

in April 2014 * Revised colour scheme for JR East

E3 Series Shinkansen The is a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed train type built for ''Komachi (train), Komachi'' services which commenced on 3 June 1997, coinciding with the opening of the new Akita Shinkansen "mini-shinkansen" line, a regular Narrow-gauge railway, ...

fleet used on '' Tsubasa'' services from April 2014 * JR East E3 series ''Toreiyu'' excursion train, entering service on the

Yamagata Shinkansen The is a Mini-shinkansen route in Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It provides service between Tokyo and Shinjō in Yamagata Prefecture over the tracks of the Tohoku Shinkansen and the Ōu Main Line. The term Yamagata ...

from July 2014 *

E235 series The is a DC electric multiple unit (EMU) commuter and suburban train type operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The commuter variant was introduced on Yamanote Line services in November 2015, and the suburban variant entered servic ...

commuter trains for the

Yamanote Line The Yamanote Line () is a railway Circle route, loop service in Tokyo, Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It is one of Tokyo's busiest and most important lines, connecting most of Tokyo's major stations and urban centres ...

in Tokyo * JR East

E353 series The is a DC Tilting train, tilting electric multiple unit (EMU) train operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Japan on limited express services on the Chūō Main Line since December 2017. A pre-series train, consisting of one ...

''Super Azusa'' trains entering service in 2015 * HB-E300 series 4-car hybrid DMU set for use on '' Resort Shirakami - Buna'' services in the north of Japan from July 2016 * JR East E001 series ''Train Suite Shiki-shima'' luxury cruise train *

Tobu 500 series The Tobu 500 series (), branded , is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by the private railway operator Tobu Railway on limited express services in Japan since 21 April 2017. 11 three-car sets (33 vehicles in total) have been b ...

limited express trains entering service in spring 2017 * New trains for the

Kobe Municipal Subway The is a rapid transit system in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Like other large Japanese cities, Kobe's subway system is heavily complemented by suburban rail. In addition, two people mover lines also serve the Kobe area: the Port Island Line ...

Seishin-Yamate Line The , also known by its nickname of "Midori no U-Line" (), is one of the two lines of the Kobe Municipal Subway. It links the central districts to the east and western suburbs of Kobe. The line color is green. Service pattern The line has a r ...

, entering service in fiscal 2018 * Osaka Metro 400 series, entering service in April 2023 * JR East

E8 Series Shinkansen The is a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed train type for ''Tsubasa (train), Tsubasa'' services. In revenue service since 16 March 2024, it will progressively replace the E3 Series Shinkansen, E3 series from 2024 onwards, raising the top speed of ...

, entering service in 2024 File:E6-E5-Coupling in omiya 20130320.jpg, An E6 series shinkansen set in March 2013 File:Series-E7-F19.jpg, An E7 series shinkansen set in February 2021 File:SLginga-kiha141.JPG, The rebuilt KiHa 141 series cars for the ''SL Ginga'' excursion trainset in May 2014 File:E3-700 R18 Toreiyu 1 20140719.jpg, The E3 series ''Toreiyu'' excursion trainset in July 2014 File:Series-E235-0 9.jpg, The first E235 series trainset in May 2021 File:Series-E353-S116.jpg, A E353 series trainset in November 2020 File:JR East E001 Train Suite Shiki-shima Kōzu 2016 0907.jpg, The E001 series ''Train Suite Shiki-shima'' cruise train on delivery in September 2016 File:JR East EV-E301 Series BEMU 101.JPG, A EV301 series set in April 2014

Other projects

* OHCO M.8LE (limited edition) massage chair. * OHCO M.8 massage chair * OHCO M.DX massage chair * OHCO R.6 massage chair Ken Okuyama designed the M-series and R-series massage chairs with a swing door in partnership with Furniture for Life an Inc. 5000 company based in Boulder, Colorado. File:OHCOM8LEMassageChair.jpg, OHCO M.8LE Massage Chair File:Ken okuyama design Yanmar yt01 131127.JPG,

Yanmar is a Japanese diesel engine, heavy machinery and agricultural machinery manufacturer founded in Osaka, Japan, in 1912. Yanmar manufactures and sells engines used in a wide range of applications, including seagoing vessels, pleasure boats, cons ...

YT01 * Gundam G40 (Industrial Design Ver.) (HG)

Awards

The following were awarded to either Ken Okuyama, car, or other project he worked with others to design: *The Pininfarina Metrocubo won ''The Best Interior Design of the Year Award'' in 1999. *The Ferrari Rossa, designed by Okuyama, won ''The Best Concept Car of The Year'' award in 2000. *The

won the ''Best Concept'' prize at the Editors Choice Awards by Autoweek. *The Maserati Birdcage 75th won the ''

Louis Vuitton Louis Vuitton Malletier SAS, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ...

Classic Concept Award'' which Pininfarina gave to Okuyama. *The prestigious Hall of Fame award “La Bella Macchina” was given to Ken Okuyama at Concorso Italiano on August 20, 2016. *201
Consumer Electronics Show Innovation Honor
awarded in the Fitness, Sports, and Biotech Category for the OHCO M.8 * 2019 ePDA (European Product Design Award) for the OHCO M.8 * 2019 Pinnacle Award in Furniture for the OHCO M.8 * 2020 Good Design award for the OHCO M.8

References

External links

*
Yamagata Koubou websiteOHCO Massage Chairs websiteOfficial Australian OHCO Massage Chairs distributor
{{DEFAULTSORT:Okuyama 1959 births ArtCenter College of Design people Japanese automobile designers Japanese expatriates in Italy Living people People from Yamagata Prefecture Pininfarina people Ferrari people