Design director Koichi Yanagimoto, who passed away suddenly at the age of 46 in March 2016. During his life, he also contributed to OPENERS with his column, “How to see design” Many were likely astonished by his vast knowledge. An exhibition held in 2017 has now been compiled into a single commemorative book. The content offers a comprehensive look at his activities as an “archivist.”

Born in 1969, Koichi Yanagimoto first worked as a company employee before launching his own label, "Glyph.," in 2002, initiating his own product development and publishing ventures. He later became involved in product development and brand strategy for major corporations, including KDDI's retail service business and Asahi Beer's Tokyo Olympics project.

He was also known as a collector of diverse genres, and his collections, along with his extensive knowledge, were showcased in various media. While anticipation for his future endeavors grew, he passed away suddenly in 2016 at the age of 46.

In 2017, an exhibition titled "Koichi Yanagimoto Exhibition: "Archivist – What Yanagimoto-san Left Us"" was held, viewing Yanagimoto as an archivist (a person who collects, organizes, and identifies the value of things to create archives and develop them for the future). The exhibition, which allowed visitors to directly handle the material files stored in his home, garnered significant attention.

This book is a record of that exhibition. In addition to exhibition photos, it features newly photographed images of his collections. It also includes contributions from those who were close to Yanagimoto during his life, as well as his lecture, "The Theory of Personal Archival Editing." We invite you to explore Koichi Yanagimoto's unique perspective and legacy through this opportunity.