In 1980, MUJI was established in Japan as an antithesis to consumer society, where capitalism and its logic were over-prioritized. Suggesting “good products” from a “no-brand” point of view, our action showing living aesthetics has grown on a global scale to achieve our concept of a “pleasant life”: now we cover everything from products and ideas to people and social systems. We feel as if we were a young seedling now grown into a tree, becoming a part of the forest, and eventually of the earth itself.

For this exhibition, we have picked 15 verbs, each related to our products and activities, from our recent book “MUJI IS” to celebrate MUJI’s 40th anniversary in 2020. So, why don’t we walk into the forest of MUJI verbs along with this book?

引く・省くHiku・Habuku (Subtract) /いかすIkasu (Utilize) /飾らないKazaranai (Simplify) /学ぶManabu (Study) /問うTou (Question) /受け継ぐUketsugu (Inherit) /まとめるMatomeru (Bundle) /整えるTotonoeru (Organize) /寄り添うYorisou (Support) /気づくKizuku (Notice) /ゆだねるYudaneru (Entrust) /繰り返すKurikaesu (Repeat) /合わせるAwaseru (Combine) /見立てるMitateru (Imagine) /試みるKokoromiru (Experiment)

MUJI will accompany people throughout their lives with these verbs. Our ideas and actions will evolve further, as they always have done, with people all over the world.

ATELIER MUJI GINZA

MTA New York Subway

The No. 7 Subway is the main conduit to and from Hudson Yards. It connects to Times Square and beyond from an eye-catching new station, located steps from the east lobby across Hudson Park. 

MTA Bus Lines

The M34-SBS, M12 & M11 bus lines stop near the building.

Rail

Penn Station is just 2 blocks east between West 31st and West 33rd Streets and 7th and 8th Avenues. MTA Subway: A, C, E, 1, 2, and 3 Rail: Amtrak, LIRR, New Jersey Transit, PATH Buses: M4, M5, M6, M7, M34 and Q42

Ferry

The Midtown ferry terminal is at West 39th Street and the West Side Highway.

Taxi / Black Car 

The best places for taxi pick up and drop off are by 10 Hudson Yards (10th Avenue and West 30th Street), 30 Hudson Yards (10th Avenue and West 33rd Street) as well as 55 Hudson Yards (West 34th Street and 11th Avenue).

Bike

Hudson River Park along the West Side Highway offers the best approach for bikers, north or south. The nearest CitiBike station is at the Northwest corner of West 34th Street and 11th Avenue. Daily bike storage is available on site.

MUJI. While our name was initially written with four Japanese characters reminiscent of a traditional 4-character phrase, today, the name MUJI is recognized in Europe, Asia, and around the world. Why? Simply put, MUJI offers an array of objects that are useful for daily living, supporting a more simple, pleasant life.

MUJI began with 40 products. In 2020, in honour of MUJI’s 40th anniversary, we began researching the reason behind the more than 7,000 MUJI products that have been developed over the years, creating a MUJI archive. We considered several ways to classify the products for the archive, such as a linear timeline or by product category. In the end, we decided to focus on the motives behind each product’s development and have arranged this book accordingly.
Each item created by MUJI can be organized in terms of the verb that represents the thought process behind its creation. There is a reason behind every product that is created by MUJI, and that reason can be explained with a verb. We felt that by using verbs to express how the thoughts and ideas of the creators are transferred to the user, an overall image of MUJI would emerge.
This book is a collection of MUJI products, organized around fifteen verbs. We hope that you will be inspired to see how a single item can be tied to several verbs, or how these verbs are leading us to the beginnings of a better society.

Kazuko Koike
MUJI Laboratory for Living