Sori Yanagi's kitchen product series began in 1974 with an extensive cutlery collection and has since expanded to include pots, pans, kettles, sieves, bowls, knives, utensils, and cast-iron grills. Often mentioned alongside legendary masters of industrial design such as Charles & Ray Eames and Arne Jacobsen, Yanagi is considered one of Japan's most influential product designers and a pioneer of the post-war industrial design movement in Japan. He is regarded as the father of modern Japanese design and a name synonymous with contemporary Japanese design. Best known for the Butterfly Stool (1956) and for designing the official torches for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and the 1972 Sapporo Olympics, Yanagi's designs draw from his family's history in the Mingei folk art movement and his background in art and architecture. His award-winning kitchen appliances exemplify his ability to translate Japanese forms and sensibilities into the needs and materials of the industrial age. He creates tools that appear and feel light and organic while being highly efficient and durable.