Kazuo Kawasaki was born in 1949, Fukui Prefecture. He is a design director and doctor of medical science. After graduating from Kanazawa College of Arts, he started working at Toshiba where he worked on developing and branding Audio Aurex, a revolutionary new audio system at that time. In 1979, he went freelance and two years later he moved his business base to his home town, Fukui. Since then, he has worked on a wide range of product designs including knives, LCD TVs, eyeglasses and artificial hearts. He has made significant advances in all of these fields.
He was the jury chair for the Japan Good Design Award from 2001 to 2003. He is currently a professor at Communication Design Center and Frontier Research Center at Graduate School of Engineering Osaka University. He is also a professor of Medical Center for Translational Research at Osaka University Hospital.
Mr. Kazuo believes that the designer is a professional that imbues idealism into a physical object. He incorporates many varied fields including mathematics, science, technology and art and builds reality hardheadedly and precisely.
Design is a dream. Here is at least one design director in Japan who earnestly believes that the power of design can change the world.
“If I have to accept an artificial heart into my body, I would like it to be painless and look cool”, said the designer, Kazuo Kawasaki, who sought functional progress and an aesthetic sense for an artificial heart even it resides inside the body and is invisible from the outside.
It was the technology of the stereolithography system that made his vision become real. Stereolithography allows for the creation of three-dimensional (3-D) objects, in this case using resin, from CAD data. Even complicated shapes like those that can be seen in Trompe-l'œil, or trick art, can be turned accurately into a real object.
Fusion is one of key words to describe the tendency of recent high-end technology developments. By fusing ideas and technologies from different fields, it becomes possible to break though the walls of limitation. Artificial hearts are seen as a new technology, an alternative to heart transplants, and their development is being advanced from areas beyond the medical field in a way that has not seen before. It is an exciting development that attracts lots of anticipation for the future.
Shinminato Hojozu Hachimangu Shrine is located in Imizu City, Toyama Prefecture. The shrine was established in 746, when the poet Ootomo-no-Yakamochi, who was then an officer of the Ecchu area, was given blessings by the Usa Hachimangu Shrine in Toyomae to build a shrine.
Behind the site of the shrine is a monument commemorating one of Ootomo-no-Yakamochi's poems, which is about Nago Inlet, and is included in the classic book 'Manyoushu'. 'Because the eastern wind blows hard, the waves of the Nago Inlet beat the shore, just as my heart aches and beats for security and love.' Nago Inlet can be seen from the shrine, allowing the viewer to experience the poet’s passion and emotion. The shrine also includes a monument to Matsuo Basho, who became famous for his book 'Osu no Hosomichi'.
The Houjyouzu Hachiman Festival takes place every October 1st with a parade of floats. Thirteen gorgeous floats are pulled through the city, looking like mountains of flowers by day, and a grand sight by night when lit up.
It is believed that the rosary existed before the birth of Buddha. In religious Brahman texts, it states that Tamonten (Vaisravana), Benzaiten (Sarasvati) and Bonten (Brahma) had an object called 'renju'. It is also believed that the 'renju' is the original form of the Buddhist rosary.
In ancient times a king is recorded as consulting Buddha for political measure. Consequently Buddha told the king to create a rosary and wear it. As told, the king made a wooden rosary not only for himself but for his men also. Later the people concentrated together for happiness. As a result, the rosary brought welfare and the people were happy.
Buddhist rosaries are made of crystal, a material known to clean everything, such as spirit and body. It is also said that crystal leads to tranquility and peace. These rosaries may remove misfortune from the owner.