Design studio Nendo's founder Oki Sato has announced that he will hand over leadership of the company to managing director Akihiro Ito, while the role of chief designer "will be entrusted to talented young designers".

The change in leadership, which was announced in a post on Nendo's Instagram page, marks a significant moment at the company, which was founded over two decades ago.

According to Sato, he took the decision to hand over leadership to Nendo's managing director and co-founder Ito to enable the company to continue to grow.

"As we have reflected on how Nendo can continue to grow, evolve, and expand its horizons, I have come to believe that now is the time for a significant transformation," he said in the statement.

"I will be passing on the leadership of Nendo to Akihiro Ito, who has shared both the challenges and successes of this journey for many years."

Sato to remain "closely involved" in creative work

Sato, who was also Nendo's creative director, did not name a new chief designer but seemed to reveal that it will be shared by multiple people.

"At the same time, the role of chief designer will be entrusted to talented young designers who will help shape the future of Nendo," Sato said.

However, Sato, who founded Nendo in 2002, will remain involved in the company's creative direction.

"While I am stepping away from my leadership role, I will remain closely involved in our creative work, supporting Nendo's projects from a position even closer to the process of making and designing," he said.

"This new chapter represents a significant challenge for us," he continued. "At the same time, I am confident that the diverse perspectives and values of this new generation will open up possibilities for Nendo beyond anything I could imagine alone."

Studio behind some of the most high-profile recent projects in Japan

Sato has previously spoken of the difficulties facing young designers today, including when it comes to sustainability demands, which he believes we need designers to tackle.

"It is much harder than when I started out, but this is something that we all need to solve together and we need to enjoy this process as well," he told Dezeen in a 2024 interview.

"What is most important is that it's not just about reusing things, like making a new table using waste materials; it has to have a second life," he added.

"I think we need more designers in the world now because there are more problems that we need to solve, and we need to collaborate."

The designer has been behind some of the most high-profile Japanese designs in the past 10 years, including a spherical cauldron with a hydrogen flame for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, minimalist in-flight amenities for Japan Airlines and a sliceable trophy for Japan's athletics association.

Outside of Japan, the studio designed the latest generation of France's high-speed TGV trains together with Arep.

Notable recent architecture projects from Nendo include the intertwined Hand in Hand cottages in Karuizawa, designed to look like they're holding hands, and an archive and guest house made from stacked concrete box culverts.

The main image is by Daisuke Yoshinari.