Abstract
Japan, as the birthplace of Kansei Engineering (KE), has played a pivotal role in shaping this field, building a solid research foundation and accumulating extensive scholarly experience. A substantial body of valuable Japanese-language studies has been published in academic conferences and journals in Japan. However, current English-language review articles in KE rarely include these Japanese works. To address this gap, this study provides a preliminary attempt to compile and analyse Japanese publications that propose new concepts, theories, models, and frameworks within KE. The review highlights distinctive perspectives developed by Japanese scholars, revealing contextual and situational sensitivity, collective and social understanding, relational and multi-scalar dynamics, and cultural and value-based orientation. Based on these insights, the study introduces the concept of Field Kansei Engineering (FKE), which focuses on modulating the nested affective fields co-created by humans, artifacts, and environments, and highlights the systemic interdependence, reflexivity, and social meaning of Kansei.
Keywords
Kansei engineering, affective design, relational design, situated experience
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2141
Citation
Dong, L., Zhang, H., and Chen, C. (2026) Revisiting Kansei Engineering through Japanese scholarship: Toward Field Kansei Engineering, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2141
Creative Commons License
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Included in
Revisiting Kansei Engineering through Japanese scholarship: Toward Field Kansei Engineering
Japan, as the birthplace of Kansei Engineering (KE), has played a pivotal role in shaping this field, building a solid research foundation and accumulating extensive scholarly experience. A substantial body of valuable Japanese-language studies has been published in academic conferences and journals in Japan. However, current English-language review articles in KE rarely include these Japanese works. To address this gap, this study provides a preliminary attempt to compile and analyse Japanese publications that propose new concepts, theories, models, and frameworks within KE. The review highlights distinctive perspectives developed by Japanese scholars, revealing contextual and situational sensitivity, collective and social understanding, relational and multi-scalar dynamics, and cultural and value-based orientation. Based on these insights, the study introduces the concept of Field Kansei Engineering (FKE), which focuses on modulating the nested affective fields co-created by humans, artifacts, and environments, and highlights the systemic interdependence, reflexivity, and social meaning of Kansei.