His father is Yanagi Sōetsu, founder of the Japanese folk crafts mingei movement, which celebrated the beauty of everyday objects, and the Japanese Folk Crafts Museum (Nihon Mingeikan).

Yanagi was influenced by Le Corbusier as well as by Charlotte Perriand, whom he translated for when she was in Tokyo during the early 1940s.

When he created a new product, he made the first versions over and over by hand, seeking new forms that took shape from both new and old ideas.

[citation needed] After World War II, Yanagi designed a wide range of products: furniture, three-wheeled vehicles, Olympic cauldrons, pedestrian overpasses, etc.

One of the most famous pieces of furniture is his Butterfly Stool[7] which won a gold prize at the Milan Triennial XI.