DiscoverCraft makers and the evidence for their practice
Portrait of Osamu Saruyama.
Portrait of Osamu Saruyama. · Photo by Keisuke Osumi (interview, panorama-index.jp, Oct 2014) · Headshot source page for Osamu Saruyama · Headshot image for Osamu Saruyama
Classification
ceramics, metal, wood

猿山修

All makers

Osamu Saruyama

Saruyama went to a four-year university (the faculty of law, by his account) and left within days, then worked in restaurants and apparel shops, briefly at a blouse maker, and at an advertising agency where he learned graphic production. He set up the design office Guillemets and, at 26, a combined office and shop in Nishi-Ogikubo that became the antique shop Saruyama; it later moved to the Azabu area and closed in 2019. He has done band work and stage art since around high school and composes music for theatre. [1, 4, 19]

Profile

Background

Osamu Saruyama did not train as a traditional craft maker. After leaving university he moved through restaurant and apparel work, joined a blouse manufacturer, then learned graphic-production practice at an advertising agency. Even earlier he had been involved in bands and stage art; theater and music composition have remained part of his work. He became independent young and established the Guillemets layout/design office.

He opened a combined office/shop in Nishi-Ogikubo. Old furniture acquired for interior-design jobs and anonymous antiques collected as visual references quickly drew more interest than his graphic work, and the space evolved into 古道具さる山 and later the Motoazabu shop さる山. From 1996 until its 2019 closure, the shop combined old ceramics, industrial goods, contemporary tableware, music, graphics and daily use.

He approaches a spoon, incense burner, bag or piece of furniture as a layout problem informed by old objects and works with specialist makers such as metalworkers and potters.

Work over time

  1. Studio Open Began Guillemets Layout Studio, the graphic, product and spatial design office. [18]
  2. Music composition Began composing and performing for theatre, film and exhibitions. [18]
  3. Studio Open Kogei Seika dates the shop さる山 in Nishi-Ogikubo from this year; the OIL MAGAZINE profile instead gives 1996 and Motoazabu. · Nishi-Ogikubo, Japan [19, 21]
  4. Relocation Kogei Seika says the shop moved to Azabu-Juban this year. [19]
  5. Collaboration Composer and performer for the theatre company ARICA. [18]
  6. Studio Close The shop さる山 closed; the Guillemets design office continued. [19, 21]
  7. Collaboration Designed the logo and lighting fixtures for 十二, a project of gallery es quart's Suzuki Sadanori and metalworker Sasagase Kou, for an exhibition at 51% Store in Toyama. [25]

Evidence and sources

References

  1. gallery's eye × panorama Special Interview — Osamu Saruyama Retrieved 2026-09-28
  2. Sacoche angle 135 — OIL MAGAZINE
  3. Backpack angle 135 — OIL MAGAZINE
  4. Vol.16 猿山修（デザイナー）猿山修がデザインするもの／前編 — OIL MAGAZINE (CLASKA, 27 Nov 2021) Retrieved 2026-09-28
  5. 「猿山修の仕事」展 — 杉工場 (exhibition announcement) Retrieved 2026-09-28
  6. saruyama — address & opening hours, archived 4 May 2006 (guillemets.net) Retrieved 2026-09-28
  7. guillemets.net home, archived 30 April 2006 Retrieved 2026-09-28
  8. guillemets layout studio + saruyama (homepage) Retrieved 2026-09-28
  9. 月光値千金 "Get Out and Get Under the Moon" exhibition — antiques — guillemets layout studio + saruyama (24 Sept 2026) Retrieved 2026-09-28
  10. Osamu Saruyama 猿山修 (@conoide_saruyama) on Instagram Retrieved 2026-09-28
  11. contact — guillemets layout studio + saruyama Retrieved 2026-09-28
  12. Headshot source page for Osamu Saruyama Retrieved 2026-10-01
  13. Headshot image for Osamu Saruyama Retrieved 2026-10-01
  14. Kouro — Guillemets
  15. ryo cutlery — Guillemets
  16. 居酒：古器と書画 — Kogei Seika
  17. 居酒 blog context — Kogei Seika
  18. さる山スタイル2 / Saruyama Style 2 — Kogei Seika
  19. Kogei Seika vol.16 — The Shop Saruyama and his work
  20. 猿山修 / Osamu Saruyama — CLASKA
  21. 猿山修がデザインするもの／後編 — OIL MAGAZINE
  22. CLASKA exhibition archive mirror — Guillemets
  23. Osamu Saruyama — Time & Style
  24. Guillemets online shop
  25. 十二（トオアマリフタツ）@51% Store — guillemets layout studio + saruyama (26 Aug 2026) Retrieved 2026-10-02
  26. 「猿山修工作展」＠小器藝廊（台北）展示風景 — guillemets layout studio + saruyama (17 Jan 2018) Retrieved 2026-10-02
  27. 濱中史朗展 "alternative white" Shiro HAMANAKA exhibition — guillemets layout studio + saruyama (22 Dec 2017) Retrieved 2026-10-02
  28. 竹俣 勇壱さんインタビュー (のくらし) Retrieved 2026-10-02
  29. ceramic works for table - guillemets+saruyama Retrieved 2026-10-02
  30. ryo salad - guillemets+saruyama Retrieved 2026-10-02