Designer Kenji Ekuan Dies At 85

Who would ever guess that one man designed an iconic soy sauce bottle and a bullet train?

Kenji Ekuan, the designer of the Kikkoman soy sauce bottle and the Akita shinkansen bullet trains passed away at age 85.

According to the Mainichi Shimbun:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Industrial designer Kenji Ekuan, who crafted a soy sauce dispenser now ubiquitous in Japan and around the world, died of a heart rhythm disorder at a Tokyo hospital early Sunday morning, his office said Monday. He was 85. 

Ekuan in 1957 founded GK Industrial Design Associates, which later became GK Design Group, and in 1961 designed a soy sauce dispenser for Kikkoman Corp. that found enduring success worldwide. 

The Tokyo native was also behind the distinctive shape of the "Komachi" high-speed trains running on the Akita Shinkansen Line, and the Narita Express connecting Narita airport with Tokyo. He also designed motorcycles for Yamaha Motor Co.

I have a Ekuan-designed Kikkoman soy sauce bottle in the kitchen.

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