NORITSUGU ODA
The very first time Noritsugu Oda sat on a chair was in the classroom of his elementary school. As an adult, he bought the LC4 chaise lounge by Le Corbusier, for what later became the world’s largest private chair collection counting 1.350 chairs. He started working as a professor at the Hokkaido Tokai University School of Art and Technology where he taught The Oda Seminar, where he held his final lecture in 2015. He has collaborated on numerous design exhibitions such as “The Exhibition of 180 Danish Chairs” and “20th Century Design Exhibition - through Chairs” as well as publishing a range of works about Danish chair design. During his career, he has received several awards such as the “Danish Furniture Award” and “The 1st Hans J. Wegner Award” for his impressive research and private collection.
“A good chair asks us to behave well.”
“The chairs designed by Hans J. Wegner hit the sweet spot from the moment you sit on them. I really feel Wegner’s human qualities when I sit in his chairs.”
YOU ARE A CHAIR RESEARCHER, QUITE A NICHE PROFESSION. WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND THAT TITLE?
In Japan, chairs began to appear in ordinary houses around 1955, but when I was born in 1946 just after The Pacific War, there was not even one chair in my house. I remember sitting on a chair in the classroom for the first time when I entered elementary school. The reason why I was so interested in chairs is because, if you look up the word "chair" in the dictionary, it has two meanings: the physical meaning of being the main axis that supports the body, and the very spiritual, abstract meaning of representing status. To represent that status, the head of an organisation is called the "chairman", and when one enters an organisation, one aims for a higher position (seat) in order to become a senior executive or eventually a manager. This deep-seated desire in the human psyche takes shape in chairs. I believe this is the reason why many people are attracted to chairs.
IN WHICH WAYS DO YOU SEE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE DANISH AND THE JAPANESE DESIGN HERITAGE AND EXPRESSION?
In terms of craftsmanship, Danish and Japanese craftsmanship have much in common, especially in terms of aesthetics. Japanese people value modesty and simplicity, which we very much have in common with Scandinavians. Even in the manufacturing process there are commonalities, such as how to make the most of a material’s natural characteristics and how to simplify the form as much as possible. The same can be said for craftsmanship, where highly skilled craftsmen are greatly valued. Going back as far as the period of Japonisme (the predilection for things Japanese that became popular in Europe in the late 19th century), Japanese culture, arts, and traditional crafts also had a great influence on the Scandinavian countries. In this regard, Denmark and Japan have always had a deep mutual affection for one another.
YOU HAVE EXHIBITED YOUR PRIVATE COLLECTION OF WEGNER CHAIRS AND HAVE WRITTEN SEVERAL PUBLICATIONS ON WEGNER. HOW WAS YOUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH WEGNER?
Being “just” a researcher who collects information, I have always told myself not to cross any lines. However, after Mr. Wegner gave me his acknowledgement, he took me to places that were off-limits to the regular interviewer. We even had meals in his home together. I also had the opportunity to ride in the back of Wegner’s car as he drove us to his village, which was a great time for me.
WHAT IS AN OUTSTANDING CHAIR TO YOU?
The chairs designed by Wegner hit the sweet spot from the moment you sit on them. They are truly well-made. At the same time, the proportions are beautiful - functionally beautiful. Wegner’s greatest wish was using machines to make pieces with uniformly consistent proportions and functionality, available to everyone at as affordable a price as possible. In this regard, Wegner had the same aspiration as Børge Mogensen’s “chairs for the people,” and he always took pride in the fact that he was a furniture craftsman before being a designer. When I sit in his chairs, I really feel Wegner’s human qualities. A chair is the item that most readily expresses the artist’s personality and human qualities.
A good chair asks us to behave well.
