Sketches: Riki Watanabe is a reflective and richly personal volume dedicated to the work and thought of Riki Watanabe, one of the central figures in postwar Japanese design. Combining sketches, project excerpts, and autobiographical texts, the book traces Watanabe’s creative journey from the 1930s through the postwar period, situating his work within broader cultural, social, and industrial contexts.

The publication brings together memoir-style reflections, dialogues on the path of the freelance designer, and critical essays on industrial craft and Shaker furniture. Alongside iconic works such as the Himo Chair, benches, clocks, stools, lighting, furniture, and architectural projects, the book reveals Watanabe’s design philosophy and his role as a pioneer in Japan’s modern design movement. Both documentary and introspective, the volume offers rare insight into the mind and practice of a foundational designer.