Dreaming, Finding a Path, and Growing
Living by Following What You Truly Want to Try
In 1999, Nagaoka Kenmei envisioned a store while standing in his bathroom, surrounded by objects that had sparked his curiosity. His idea was a “recycle shop designed by a design office.” He named it DRAWING AND MANUAL AND (D&MA) — meaning it would operate alongside his design studio, Drawing and Manual.
But he didn’t stop at dreaming. He immediately began building this “dream store”: creating scale models, designing the logotype, developing a website for an online shop, and documenting the process in a magazine series. Rather than focusing on profits, he expressed his ideas and slowly discovered what it meant to create something meaningful for society. “If business is about setting goals and running toward them, then D&MA is about nurturing the fluffy, joyful dreams that pop into your head every day.”
The name D&DEPARTMENT didn’t come until 2000—the exact point where the original Japanese edition of this book begins. The previous name, D&MA, was too ambiguous for people to understand what the store was about. After several days of discussion with his team, they settled on a new name.
“Selling necessary things—designed beautifully.” That was the concept, which naturally translated into the idea of a “design department store.” The word “department” also evoked the meaning of “a field or territory,” reflecting their ambition to explore uncharted areas of design and culture.
Nagaoka visited potential shop locations, felt grateful for each staff member’s motivation, cried sincerely when a colleague left after working hard together, and pushed forward even when mocked, declaring that “doing reckless things is part of being young.” This is how the D&DEPARTMENT PROJECT came to life.
Looking back to 1999, when Nagaoka started this journey, the idea of creating “a recycle shop where every item is good design” was remarkably ahead of its time. In an era shaped by industrialization and later by the information age, the world was overflowing with new products. The moment something newer appeared, the previous item—no matter how functional or even unused—was instantly devalued as “used” or “secondhand,” stripped of any worth beyond that.
In such a context, Nagaoka envisioned a system that rejects disposability and elevates the value of secondhand items. This was an idea that could only emerge from someone deeply committed to considering the designer’s role in society. And the D&DEPARTMENT PROJECT, born from that commitment, continues to this day.
The Complete Nagaoka Kenmei Series
With this book, all four titles in the Nagaoka Kenmei series are now available in Korean from Ahn Graphics. You can read them in the order of the Korean release or start with this book, Nagaoka Kenmei’s Way, and follow with Nagaoka Kenmei’s Thoughts, Nagaoka Kenmei and Nippon, and Nagaoka Kenmei’s Eye.
The key message of this book is simple but profound: “Live by following what you truly want to try.” Nagaoka criticizes adults who create superficial versions of “things they want to try” without genuine passion, warning that this mindset is the root cause of the waste that pollutes our environment.
If you read the series in chronological order, you’ll witness how a tiny seed of a dream grew into a lush forest. You’ll see how a heartfelt “I want to try” transforms into tangible reality. As you turn the final pages, a quiet yet powerful sense of inspiration will surely fill your heart.
This book’s core theme is captured in the original Japanese title: Nagaoka Kenmei’s Way. If you focus on this keyword—way—you’ll notice how his approach evolves, how some aspects change, and how others become even stronger over time. All of these, without exception, are part of what forms his unique way.
Ultimately, this is a book that invites you to reflect: Is the way I work, the way I live, still true to the dream I once had? It’s a chance to revisit your own way, guided by the simple yet powerful desire to “try.”
