MUJI
Encyclopedia
or is a Japan
ese retail company which sells a wide variety of household and consumer goods.
Muji is distinguished by its design minimalism
, emphasis on recycling
, avoidance of waste in production and packaging, and no-logo or "no-brand
" policy.
The name Muji is derived from the first part of Mujirushi Ryōhin, translated as No Brand Quality Goods on Muji's European website.
Muji sells more than 7,000 products. It is positioned as a "reasonably priced" brand, keeping the retail prices of products "lower than usual" by the materials it selects, streamlining its manufacturing processes, and minimising packaging.
, Ltd. in December 1980. The Mujirushi Ryōhin product range was developed to offer cheap good quality products and were marketed using the slogan “Lower priced for a reason.” Products were wrapped in clear cellophane, plain brown paper labels and red writing. Mujirushi Ryōhin's drive to cut retail prices for consumers saw the company cutting waste by for example selling U-shaped spaghetti
, the left-over part that is cut off to sell straight spaghetti.
In 1983 the first directly operated Mujirushi Ryōhin store opened. In 1985 Mujirushi Ryōhin started overseas production and procurement, started to place direct factory orders in 1986 and in 1987 Muji started to develop material globally.
In 1989 Ryohin Keikaku Ltd became the manufacturer and retailer for all Mujirushi Ryōhin products and operations. Including planning, development, production, distribution and sale.
In 1991 Mujirushi Ryōhin opened its first international store in London
, UK
.
In 1995 shares in “Muji Tsunan Campsite” were registered as over-the-counter shares of Japan Securities Dealers Association. In 1998 Ryōhin Keikaku listed on the second section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange
. From 2001 onwards it was listed on the first section.
The brand name "Muji" appears to have been used since around 1999.
In addition to its large and small retail outlets in Japan
, Ryohin Keikaku has three factory outlets at Osaka
, Gotenba and Fukuoka
.
In Japan Ryohin Keikaku has directly operated 212 stores and supplies 127 outlets, as of end February 2010.
International retail outlets as of December 2010 include UK (13), France
(7), Italy
(6), Germany
(5), Ireland
(1), Sweden
(7), Norway
(6), Spain
(4), Turkey
(2), US
(4), Hong Kong
(9), Singapore
(4), South Korea
(8) China
(26), Taiwan
(19), Thailand
(8), Indonesia
(1), Poland
(1), Portugal
(1) and the Philippines
(4).
In New York
Muji supplies products to a design store at the Museum of Modern Art
and maintains a flagship store. Ryohin Keikaku has 285 stores in Japan, employing around 3400 employees.
) means that little money is spent on advertisement or classical marketing, and Muji's success is attributed to word of mouth, a simple shopping experience and the anti-brand movement. Muji's no-brand strategy also means its products are attractive to customers who prefer unbranded products for purely aesthetic reasons.
Muji has released a t-shirt with a rubber square on the chest for customer to design their own logo or message.
-style".
Muji product design, and brand
identity, is based around the selection of materials, a streamlined manufacturing
processes, and minimal packaging. Muji products have a limited colour range and are displayed on shelves with minimal packaging, displaying only functional product information and a price tag.
In its design Muji also follows environmental guidelines, seeking to "restrict the use of substances that may have a significant impact on people or the environment" and "reduce waste by standardising modules, facilitating disassembly and by reducing packaging".
The Muji design process resists technology and prototypes are produced with paper
rather than computer
s, so as not to encourage unnecessary detail. The manufacturing process is determined by the consumer's use of the product, which in turn is a design priority. Finishes, lines and forms are minimised for manufacturing ease.
There are, however, some designers who made their involvement public. The notable are Naoto Fukasawa
, Jasper Morrison
, James Irvine
, and Konstantin Grcic.
Muji participates in design collaborations with other companies. In 2001 Muji and Nissan Motors
produced the Muji Car 1000. This fuel efficient, low-emission and low-cost limited edition, aimed to incorporate recycled materials wherever possible and had limited polish. Following Muji's no-brand strategy the car had no logos.
One notable exception is collaboration with Thonet, the oldest German furniture maker. In 2008, Muji and Thonet announced they cooperated to produce two lines of minimalist furniture. The first was bentwood chairs designed by James Irvine
and a homage to famous No. 14 chair
of Thonet. The second was steel tubular chairs and desks designed by Konstantin Grcic. Roland Ohnacker, managing director of Thonet, stated that the aim was "to help 18 to 35 year-olds enter the Thonet brand world". From Spring 2009, these furniture are available at selected Muji stores.
. Tanaka is credited with developing the Muji concept together with Kazuko Koike (marketing consultant), and Takashi Sugimoto (interior designer). Tanaka articulated the Muji vision and appearance, and he provided ideas and prototypes that visualized the design strategy. In 2001 Kenya Hara
, an internationally recognized graphic designer and curator, took over as art director. He stated that:
Kenya Hara
has been credited as key figure in further developing Muji. Hara has a background in graphic design, hence had experience in designing packaging and corporate identities, but beyond that he is credited with significantly moulding the Muji brand and design identity. In an interview in 2005 Hara stated that "Everything in the world has become an object of interest for me. Everything is designed." Hara has published books on design philosophy, most recently "Designing Design".
Sam Hecht
, Creative Director of Muji Europe, is quoted as saying "The human is not the centre of everything, but on the same level of everything."
in Germany
.
In 2006 Muji held its first international design competition, “Muji Award 01”. In 2007 Chen Jiaojiao published a book on Muji design and brand entitled "Brands A-Z: Muji".
's 2003 novel Pattern Recognition
, being allergic to brands and corporate logos, wears clothing from Muji.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese retail company which sells a wide variety of household and consumer goods.
Muji is distinguished by its design minimalism
Minimalism
Minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is set out to expose the essence, essentials or identity of a subject through eliminating all non-essential forms, features or concepts...
, emphasis on recycling
Recycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
, avoidance of waste in production and packaging, and no-logo or "no-brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
" policy.
The name Muji is derived from the first part of Mujirushi Ryōhin, translated as No Brand Quality Goods on Muji's European website.
Products and businesses
Muji started with 40 products. Muji products range from stationery, and clothing for men and women, to food items and major kitchen appliances. Its primary business includes Café Muji, Meal Muji, Muji Campsite, florist and home furnishing; the company has recently taken steps into housing construction.Muji sells more than 7,000 products. It is positioned as a "reasonably priced" brand, keeping the retail prices of products "lower than usual" by the materials it selects, streamlining its manufacturing processes, and minimising packaging.
History
Mujirushi (no-brand) Ryōhin (quality goods) began as a product brand of the supermarket chain The SeiyuThe Seiyu
is a Japanese company, the official head of the Seiyu Group.-External links:...
, Ltd. in December 1980. The Mujirushi Ryōhin product range was developed to offer cheap good quality products and were marketed using the slogan “Lower priced for a reason.” Products were wrapped in clear cellophane, plain brown paper labels and red writing. Mujirushi Ryōhin's drive to cut retail prices for consumers saw the company cutting waste by for example selling U-shaped spaghetti
Spaghetti
Spaghetti is a long, thin, cylindrical pasta of Italian origin. Spaghetti is made of semolina or flour and water. Italian dried spaghetti is made from durum wheat semolina, but outside of Italy it may be made with other kinds of flour...
, the left-over part that is cut off to sell straight spaghetti.
In 1983 the first directly operated Mujirushi Ryōhin store opened. In 1985 Mujirushi Ryōhin started overseas production and procurement, started to place direct factory orders in 1986 and in 1987 Muji started to develop material globally.
In 1989 Ryohin Keikaku Ltd became the manufacturer and retailer for all Mujirushi Ryōhin products and operations. Including planning, development, production, distribution and sale.
In 1991 Mujirushi Ryōhin opened its first international store in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
In 1995 shares in “Muji Tsunan Campsite” were registered as over-the-counter shares of Japan Securities Dealers Association. In 1998 Ryōhin Keikaku listed on the second section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange
Tokyo Stock Exchange
The , called or TSE for short, is located in Tokyo, Japan and is the third largest stock exchange in the world by aggregate market capitalization of its listed companies...
. From 2001 onwards it was listed on the first section.
The brand name "Muji" appears to have been used since around 1999.
Countries of operation
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Ryohin Keikaku has three factory outlets at Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Gotenba and Fukuoka
Fukuoka, Fukuoka
is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
.
In Japan Ryohin Keikaku has directly operated 212 stores and supplies 127 outlets, as of end February 2010.
International retail outlets as of December 2010 include UK (13), France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(7), Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(6), Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(5), Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
(1), Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
(7), Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
(6), Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
(4), Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
(2), US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(4), Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
(9), Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
(4), South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
(8) China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
(26), Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
(19), Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
(8), Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
(1), Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
(1), Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
(1) and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
(4).
In New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Muji supplies products to a design store at the Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
and maintains a flagship store. Ryohin Keikaku has 285 stores in Japan, employing around 3400 employees.
No-brand brand
Muji's no-brand strategy (generic brandGeneric brand
Generic brands of consumer products are distinguished by the absence of a brand name. It is often inaccurate to describe these products as "lacking a brand name", as they usually are branded, albeit with either the brand of the store in which they are sold or a lesser-known brand name which may...
) means that little money is spent on advertisement or classical marketing, and Muji's success is attributed to word of mouth, a simple shopping experience and the anti-brand movement. Muji's no-brand strategy also means its products are attractive to customers who prefer unbranded products for purely aesthetic reasons.
Muji has released a t-shirt with a rubber square on the chest for customer to design their own logo or message.
Design
Muji is known for its distinctive design, which is continued throughout its more than 7,000 products. Commentators have described Muji's design style as having mundanity, being "no-frills", being "minimalist porn" and as "BauhausBauhaus
', commonly known simply as Bauhaus, was a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts, and was famous for the approach to design that it publicized and taught. It operated from 1919 to 1933. At that time the German term stood for "School of Building".The Bauhaus school was founded by...
-style".
Muji product design, and brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
identity, is based around the selection of materials, a streamlined manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
processes, and minimal packaging. Muji products have a limited colour range and are displayed on shelves with minimal packaging, displaying only functional product information and a price tag.
Design approach and production
On its corporate website Ryohin Keikaku Ltd rationalises these principles in terms of producing high quality products at "lower than usual" retail prices, true to the original Muji marketing slogan "lower priced for a reason". On its Catalogue website Muji states that "at the heart of Muji design is the Japanese concept of 'Kanketsu', the concept of simplicity", aiming to "bring a quiet sense of calm into strenuous everyday lives." In an interview Hiroyoshi Azami, President of Muji USA, describes Muji's design culture as centred around designing "simple" products that are basic and necessary.In its design Muji also follows environmental guidelines, seeking to "restrict the use of substances that may have a significant impact on people or the environment" and "reduce waste by standardising modules, facilitating disassembly and by reducing packaging".
The Muji design process resists technology and prototypes are produced with paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
rather than computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
s, so as not to encourage unnecessary detail. The manufacturing process is determined by the consumer's use of the product, which in turn is a design priority. Finishes, lines and forms are minimised for manufacturing ease.
Designers
Muji products are not attributed to individual designers. Muji has stated that some of its products have been the works of famous international designers, although it does not disclose which ones.There are, however, some designers who made their involvement public. The notable are Naoto Fukasawa
Naoto Fukasawa
is a Japanese industrial designer, born in Yamanashi Prefecture in 1956. He graduated from Tama Art University in 1980. After having acted as the head of the American company IDEO's Tokyo office, he established Naoto Fukasawa Design in 2003...
, Jasper Morrison
Jasper Morrison
Jasper Morrison is an English product and furniture designer.Morrison was born in London, England. He was educated at Bryanston School. He received a Bachelor of Design degree from Kingston Polytechnic Design School in 1982 and a Masters degree in Design from the Royal College of Art, London, in...
, James Irvine
James Irvine (designer)
James Irvine is a London-born designer working in Milan, where he moved in 1984. He obtained his Bachelor's degree from the Kingston Polytechnic Design school and his Master's from the Royal College of Art. In 1999 he specially designed a body for the Mercedes-Benz O530 Citaro bus for the city of...
, and Konstantin Grcic.
Muji participates in design collaborations with other companies. In 2001 Muji and Nissan Motors
Nissan Motors
, usually shortened to Nissan , is a multinational automaker headquartered in Japan. It was a core member of the Nissan Group, but has become more independent after its restructuring under Carlos Ghosn ....
produced the Muji Car 1000. This fuel efficient, low-emission and low-cost limited edition, aimed to incorporate recycled materials wherever possible and had limited polish. Following Muji's no-brand strategy the car had no logos.
Manufacturers
As well as its designers, ordinarily Muji keeps its manufacturers private.One notable exception is collaboration with Thonet, the oldest German furniture maker. In 2008, Muji and Thonet announced they cooperated to produce two lines of minimalist furniture. The first was bentwood chairs designed by James Irvine
James Irvine (designer)
James Irvine is a London-born designer working in Milan, where he moved in 1984. He obtained his Bachelor's degree from the Kingston Polytechnic Design school and his Master's from the Royal College of Art. In 1999 he specially designed a body for the Mercedes-Benz O530 Citaro bus for the city of...
and a homage to famous No. 14 chair
No. 14 chair
The No. 14 chair is the most famous chair made by the Thonet chair company. Also known as the bistro chair, it was designed by Michael Thonet in the 19th century using a unique steam-bending technology, known as bentwood, that required years to perfect. With its affordable price and simple design,...
of Thonet. The second was steel tubular chairs and desks designed by Konstantin Grcic. Roland Ohnacker, managing director of Thonet, stated that the aim was "to help 18 to 35 year-olds enter the Thonet brand world". From Spring 2009, these furniture are available at selected Muji stores.
Directors
The first art director of Muji was Ikko TanakaIkko Tanaka
Ikko Tanaka was a well-known Japanese graphic designer.The characteristic of his designs is a blending of deeply rooted Japanese traditions with western modernism to produce contemporary visual expression....
. Tanaka is credited with developing the Muji concept together with Kazuko Koike (marketing consultant), and Takashi Sugimoto (interior designer). Tanaka articulated the Muji vision and appearance, and he provided ideas and prototypes that visualized the design strategy. In 2001 Kenya Hara
Kenya Hara
Kenya Hara is a Japanese graphic designer and curator. Hara is art director of Muji since 2001 and designed the opening and closing ceremony programs of the Nagano Winter Olympic Games 1998....
, an internationally recognized graphic designer and curator, took over as art director. He stated that:
"I found that the company was at a standstill with the original idea, 'No design', which was advocated at its inception. They also had more than 250 outlets and sold more than 5,000 items, including products that deviated from the initial Muji concept or were low cost, but of substandard quality."
Kenya Hara
Kenya Hara
Kenya Hara is a Japanese graphic designer and curator. Hara is art director of Muji since 2001 and designed the opening and closing ceremony programs of the Nagano Winter Olympic Games 1998....
has been credited as key figure in further developing Muji. Hara has a background in graphic design, hence had experience in designing packaging and corporate identities, but beyond that he is credited with significantly moulding the Muji brand and design identity. In an interview in 2005 Hara stated that "Everything in the world has become an object of interest for me. Everything is designed." Hara has published books on design philosophy, most recently "Designing Design".
Sam Hecht
Sam Hecht
Sam Hecht, born in London 1969, British industrial designer. Sam Hecht and Kim Colin are retained designers of Muji.Sam Hecht and Kim Colin founded Industrial Facility in 2002, a design studio based in London...
, Creative Director of Muji Europe, is quoted as saying "The human is not the centre of everything, but on the same level of everything."
Design Awards and Competition
In 2005 Muji was awarded five gold product design awards by the International Forum DesignInternational Forum Design
iF International Forum Design GmbH is a Hanover-based organization providing design-related services. International Forum Design was launched in 2001 as the operative business arm of design promotion company iF Industrie Forum Design Hannover e.V....
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
In 2006 Muji held its first international design competition, “Muji Award 01”. In 2007 Chen Jiaojiao published a book on Muji design and brand entitled "Brands A-Z: Muji".
Following
The Berlin correspondent for the New York Times reports that the Japanese call Muji-fans “Mujirers”. Muji's international stores and The Muji Catalogue mainly retail Muji home consumer goods, furniture and clothing, while Muji in Japan has sells in a wide range of sectors, including food, bicycles, camp sites, phones, yoga, florists, cafes, and concept houses.In popular culture
The protagonist of William GibsonWilliam Gibson
William Gibson is an American-Canadian science fiction author.William Gibson may also refer to:-Association football:*Will Gibson , Scottish footballer...
's 2003 novel Pattern Recognition
Pattern Recognition (novel)
Pattern Recognition is a novel by science fiction writer William Gibson published in 2003. Set in August and September 2002, the story follows Cayce Pollard, a 32-year-old marketing consultant who has a psychological sensitivity to corporate symbols...
, being allergic to brands and corporate logos, wears clothing from Muji.
External links
- www.muji.us USA site
- Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd. Corporate site
- www.muji.net Japanese site
- www.muji.com Global site
- "Museum Quality" -(New York Times article on Muji in MoMa)
- William GibsonWilliam GibsonWilliam Gibson is an American-Canadian science fiction author.William Gibson may also refer to:-Association football:*Will Gibson , Scottish footballer...
's essay on Muji, "Modern boys and mobile girls" - Interview with Shoji Ito, Design and Art director of MUJI