Teruhiro Yanagihara Studio (TYS) is an inter-disciplinary collective, based in Kobe (Japan) and Arles (France).
TYS is dedicated to borderless design. It seamlessly integrates creative spheres, from products, interiors, textiles and graphic design to art direction and brand identity. Emotional narratives and experimental innovation are balanced with meticulous material research and a timeless modern aesthetic – whether crafting a tea cup, a scent or a restaurant.
TYS projects transcend boundaries and surpass surface beauty, unravelling sensory dialogues with craftsmanship, locality, nature, colour, imperfection, mythology, function and the blurred edges of what lies in-between. Its creations are not confined to the tangible: invisible design elements add unseen spatial layers that deepen emotional connection and sharpen human experience.
Collaboration and community are key. TYS is open geographically as well as conceptually, with a unique fluidity of perspective (team members are based in Japan, France, UK, The Netherlands). Added to the creative mix is an organic network of overseas collaborators – artists, chefs, designers, artisans, winemakers, illustrators, farmers, photographers.
Japanese designer Teruhiro Yanagihara launched the studio in 2002. Inspired by the idea of transcending conventional creative paradigms and moved by the intuitive warmth of Scandinavian living, Yanagihara aims to elevate human experiences of the quotidian through emotional dialogues and timeless attention to detail. TYS clients include Kvadrat, 1616 / arita japan, Karimoku New Standard, Skagerak, Offecct, Mame Kurogouchi and Kimura Glass, among others.
TYS also runs Vague – housed in historic structures in Kobe and Arles – which connects the creative dots between Japan and the rest of the world. The spatial expression of TYS’ design philosophies, Vague – meaning “wave” in French – is an in-between space for creativity and a laboratory for experimental ideas. Flowing with the organic momentum of a wave, it’s home to a fluid spectrum of collaborative projects, such as exhibitions, food research and residencies.