"Designed by Nature Clarinets" Wins Prestigious German Red Dot Award in the Design Concept Discipline
Prototype Clarinets that Utilize the Diversity and Distinctiveness of Natural Wood
Hamamatsu, Japan ― Yamaha Corporation announces that the prototype "Designed by Nature Clarinet" series of "KINTSUGI," "SHIRATA (Sapwood)," "FUMOKU (Grain)," and "IRIKAWA (Bark)" has won the German "Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2025."
The Red Dot Design Award is a German design competition hosted by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen. Highly respected around the world, it comprises three disciplines: Product Design, Brands & Communication Design, and Design Concept. The Design Concept discipline was established to celebrate new design concepts and innovations at various stages of development as precursors to tomorrow's great products.
"I am truly honored and delighted to receive this award," said Manabu Kawada, senior general manager of Yamaha Design Laboratory. "This is the fourth such selection in total for Yamaha, following the "&Y (Andy)" electrically power-assisted wheelchair that plays music (co-produced with Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.) in 2017 along with the "Upcycling Guitar" electric guitar concept models and the "e-plegona" experiential installation (co-produced with Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.) in 2024. I believe that if the concept behind this year's winning models gains acceptance in the marketplace and enters widespread use, it will promote effective utilization of wood resources throughout the musical instrument industry and lead to more sustainable instrument production."
"Designed by Nature Clarinets"
From left "FUMOKU," "SHIRATA," upper right "IRIKAWA," lower right "KINTSUGI"
"Designed by Nature Clarinet" series of "KINTSUGI," "SHIRATA (Sapwood)," "FUMOKU (Grain)," and "IRIKAWA (Bark)" are prototype clarinets crafted to highlight the unique characteristics that nature creates. For the "Designed by Nature Clarinets," Yamaha has deliberately used wood that would not typically be used in production processes where uniformity is required.
These unique clarinets have been produced by leveraging the natural diversity of wood, including the cracks, chips, and holes that occur during the wood's growth process.
"KINTSUGI" makes use of a traditional Japanese repair technique, "kintsugi," in which gold is used to restore and decorate certain sections. "SHIRATA," "FUMOKU," and "IRIKAWA" are all unique clarinets that highlight the naturally derived characteristics of sapwood ("shirata" in Japanese), figured grains ("fumoku"), and bark pockets ("irikawa").*
The wood utilized in the making of these clarinets comes from the rare Grenadilla trees of Africa, which takes from 70 to 100 years to mature enough to be used in musical instruments. Through the production of the "Designed by Nature Clarinets," Yamaha has explored ways to effectively utilize these finite natural materials while focusing on the wood's uniqueness to bring out the distinctive qualities of each piece. Additionally, we have been conducting research aimed at the effective use of resources, as well as research on molded-wood technology using wood chips and laminated wood made from general-purpose wood. We have also been engaged in the development of new materials to replace conventional solid wood.
"Designed by Nature Clarinets"
From left "KINTSUGI", "FUMOKU", "SHIRATA", "IRIKAWA"
* Shirata (Sapwood): Outer part of the wood close to the bark
Fumoku (Grain): Grain reflecting the environment where a tree grew
Irikawa (Bark): Outside part of a tree that sometimes happens to stay within the trunk as a tree grows
Related Links
Yamaha Design Official Website
Red Dot Design Award Official Website
Exhibition at "Japanese principles: design and resources"