PARSLEY - Milan Design Week 2026

Overview

Decorating our lives

Yamaha Corporation is a Japanese company that makes and sells a wide variety of musical instruments and audio equipment. As we industrialize musical instruments, which were once precious works of art, treasures of humanity with a history that stretches back to ancient times, we are striving to pay homage to that culture and tradition while leveraging new ideas and techniques to give them a modern interpretation and enhance their value. One theme that constantly confronts us in this process is that of ornamentation. Although it would be difficult to say that musical instruments make our life more convenient, music brings fulfillment by adding color and richness to everyday life, and in that sense one could say that both music and musical instruments decorate our existence.

What is ornamentation, and what does it mean to us? Is it decorative? Are there such things as functional and non-functional ornamentation? Is ornamentation a tradition or a trend? Is it frivolous? Is removing ornamentation to create a minimalist appearance itself another act of ornamentation? Is ornamentation only visual beauty? Who defines what beauty is and is it actually something we should define? What exactly is its allure?

Reflecting on ornamentation again reveals a variety of different perspectives, and there are aspects that cannot be explained by logic alone or understood completely by others. A person’s interpretation of ornamentation may offer a glimpse of their true nature—or that may just be a fleeting illusion that changes with their mood or circumstances. Perhaps, in ornamentation we find something that stirs the senses; an expression of sensitivity that leads to joy, beauty, confidence, and then maybe, to new discoveries.

Although there may be no single answer to these questions, I find myself thinking about ornamentation constantly. These works trace the journeys of individual designers who have contemplated ornamentation from a variety of different perspectives. With the utmost sincerity--and with delight and anticipation--I hope that music and musical instruments will continue to decorate our lives, nourish our souls, and adorn our existence with richness and diversity.

Exhibition Concept

You may be surprised to hear that in Japan, parsley is often used as a garnish. For the members of our group who had been pondering the particular value and significance of ornamentation and adornment, the sight of a sprig of parsley on a dish was a curiously captivating presence that seemed to imply something. Parsley is perceived and appreciated in different ways by different people and cultures. It is an essential ingredient in some cuisines, while in others its aroma, bitterness, and fresh green appearance are used to balance a dish. In still others, parsley is nothing more than a simple garnish. This diversity of roles seems to mirror that of ornamentation in our lives. The simple, silent presence of the parsley at our dinner party seemed to be an eloquent expression of its multifaceted value. We are sure that ornamentation, too, has a special value and significance. Perhaps, in that sense, it is like parsley.

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