Shikake

Following The Little Book of Hygge, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning and other bestsellers, Shikake introduces the latest example of practical wisdom from abroad: shikakeology, a phenomenon sweeping Japan. Naohiro Matsumura—renowned as the founder of the study of shikake, the Japanese word for “device”—has devised a new approach to design as astonishingly simple in its logic as it is sophisticated in its psychology. For example:

• a staircase painted like piano keys prompts people to exercise

• a symbol of a shrine placed in a public square discourages vandalism

Combining traditional Japanese aesthetics with the lessons of behavioural economics, Matsumura presents a tool kit for literally anyone who wants to create their own mindful designs—and reveals how shikakes can help us address big challenges, including even climate change. Mind-bending yet elegant, Shikake will inspire readers to appreciate—and transform—the analogue world around them.