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M+, Hong Kong, © Kikkoman Corporation
Kenji Ekuan 榮久庵憲司
GK Design Group GK設計集團
Kikkoman soy sauce container 龜甲萬醬油瓶
1961
Ekuan Kenji and GK Design Group created the iconic Kikkoman soy sauce dispenser in 1961. Ekuan founded GK Design Group in 1957, and the firm was influential in raising public appreciation for industrial design, both in Japan and abroad. The distinctive dispenser is shaped like a drop with a wide base and tapered neck, a form that recalls sake vessels. The transparent glass body is comfortable to hold and the red polystyrene plastic cap makes it easy to pour the contents. The spout, angled both inward and outward, ensures a level of control that prevents soy sauce from dripping down the sides of the bottle. The design was developed over three years and nearly one hundred prototypes, an artisanal approach to the industrial process that introduced a craft-like sensibility to a mass-produced object. In the context of the booming economy and growing consumer culture of post-war Japan, the small bottle replaced larger containers, which were often kept in the kitchen, streamlining mealtimes for busy families and contributing to a transformation of domestic life. The bottle’s silhouette has become synonymous with the Kikkoman brand. Kikkoman continues to produce the bottle; the company has sold hundreds of millions, and it is found in homes and restaurants around the world.
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