Office Chair
Manufactured by Kotobuki Co.
Japan, 1950s
Leather, metal

Measurements
46,5 × 40,5 × 76,5h cm
18,3 × 16 × 30,1h in
Seat height: 45 cm / 17,7 in

Provenance
Private collection, Japan

Details
Manufacturer’s stamped

Notes
An iconic example of postwar Japanese office furniture

About Kotobuki Co.
Kotobuki Co. represents a lineage of Japanese industrial and manufacturing expertise that spans decades of craftsmanship, precision, and collaboration with notable designers. The name Kotobuki is associated with several Japanese companies rooted in a tradition of quality manufacturing — from precision metalwork and components to specialty seating and design‑oriented products made in Japan (often under the principle of Monozukuri, the craft of making things with care and technical excellence).

One of the most established branches, Kotobuki & Co., Ltd., was founded in 1967 in Kawagoe, Japan, and has built a reputation as an advanced OEM/ODM supplier, especially in the writing instruments and related industries. The company integrates product planning, prototyping, development, and manufacturing under one roof, offering high adaptability and quality — from idea to finished product. Its philosophy emphasizes development capabilities, tailored customer proposals, and reliable production standards that reflect the high expectations of Japanese precision manufacturing.

Another historic facet of the Kotobuki name can be seen in companies like Kotobuki Seating, which trace their origins even earlier (back to 1914) and have played a role in public seating production for theatres, auditoriums, and stadiums across Japan and beyond. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, this group began producing fiber‑reinforced plastic (FRP) chairs, including early seating installations designed by influential architects and designers — for example, chairs designed by Kenzo Tange for the Imabari City Hall, which were among the first large‑scale applications of molded FRP products in Japan.

This period — the rapid postwar growth of Japan’s industrial design culture — saw furniture and product designers such as Isamu Kenmochi, Sori Yanagi, Riki Watanabe and others working with innovative materials like FRP and plywood, often partnering with manufacturing specialists like Kotobuki to realize both experimental and functional pieces. Although Kenzo Tange is best known worldwide as a pioneering architect, his work in the 1950s and 1960s extended into furniture and interior elements, contributing to Japan’s modernist design language that blended architectural vision with product form.

Today, companies bearing the Kotobuki name continue to embody Japan’s dual heritage of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary industrial innovation — producing both specialized components and globally recognized products. Their work reflects a broader narrative of Japanese design: meticulous production processes, collaborations across disciplines, and a commitment to quality that makes “Made in Japan” a mark of both cultural and technical significance.

About Kenzo Tange
Kenzo Tange (1913–2005) was a pioneering Japanese architect and urban planner whose work bridged traditional Japanese aesthetics with modernist principles. Born in Osaka in 1913, Tange studied architecture at the University of Tokyo, where he was influenced by both the International Style and the enduring elegance of traditional Japanese design. His career spanned more than six decades, during which he played a central role in shaping postwar Japanese architecture and urbanism.
Tange first gained international recognition for his design of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park (1949–1955), a project that demonstrated his ability to merge symbolic meaning with modernist form. This work established him as a leading voice in postwar reconstruction, emphasizing clarity, order, and a balance between monumentality and human scale. Other notable projects include the Yoyogi National Gymnasium for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, renowned for its innovative suspension roof structure, the St. Mary’s Cathedral in Tokyo (1964–1967), and numerous urban masterplans including Tama New Town and the Okinawa Urban Plan.
Tange was also influential in furniture and interior design, collaborating with manufacturers such as Tendo Mokko to create minimalist, sculptural pieces that complemented his architectural projects. His furniture designs often reinterpret traditional Japanese forms through modern materials and techniques, emphasizing proportion, simplicity, and functionality. Among his earliest furniture works is the series designed for the Sumi Memorial Hall in Bisai (1957), including tables, chairs, and armchairs crafted in molded wood with a clean, minimal aesthetic.
Throughout his career, Tange received numerous awards, including the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1987, and his work remains a touchstone for architects exploring the integration of cultural heritage, modernist ideals, and innovative engineering. He passed away in 2005, leaving a legacy that continues to influence both architecture and design globally.