KOCHIKAME Museum

KOCHIKAME Museum" is a sightseeing base facility for the Kameari area in Katsushika City, based on the manga "Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Koen-mae Hashutsujo" (Here I come, Katsushika-ku Kameari Koen-mae Hashutsujo).
We were in charge of the concept of the facility, displays, content planning and design, and construction. In addition, we planned and designed the circulation measures around Kameari Station, construction and promotional measures for the opening of the facility. The two teams, CIC (Content Integration Center), a team of experts in IP content*, and the public works facility team, which has expertise in local government tourism base facilities and city planning, took advantage of each other's strengths.

The concept of the project was "The main character builds a facility on his own and then runs away to the town of Kameari! The architecture looks like a stack of comic book frames, with famous scenes popping up interiors and a space that exudes the worldview of the work concept design, creating a sense of existence for the main characters and creating an immersive spatial experience for visitors. Visitors experience a consistent spatial story from the entrance to the exit, as if they are chasing a hero who has escaped. This also contributes to the promotion of the shopping district and local revitalization of Katsushika Ward and the Kameari area.

*This term refers to all content protected by Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs).
For example, games, movies, animation, manga, novels, music, characters, etc. fall under IP content.

It was necessary to create displays centered on IP content, with the awareness that the facility would be a "hub for tourism and urban development" that would attract visitors to the Kameari area as a public facility for Katsushika Ward. In addition, for the licensor, Shueisha, this was the first attempt in their long history to develop a facility with a permanent displays, and they had high expectations for the realization of this facility.

To utilize the IP content, we created a gallery where visitors can experience the world of "Kochikame" through carefully selected reproductions of original drawings and a large screen displaying all 201 volumes of the manga; a game-like experience content that recreates famous scenes from "Kochikame"; the protagonist's room; and an exchange space that provides information on Kameari's history, famous places, and events and serves as a starting point for touring the town.

Furthermore, in order to position the facility as a base for tourism-related urban development, we focused on developing tourist attractions around the facility.

・We created a consistent story that would encourage visitors to explore the town based on their experiences at the facility, and a mechanism to motivate them to do so. Specifically, we installed new photo spots and signage plans, as well as mechanisms for navigating the town that make use of existing bronze statues and manholes.
・We planned promotional activities to maximize the appeal of the IP content and connect the facility with the town, such as introducing the facility's history and recommended information about Kameari through social media.
・By holding a study meeting with local residents, we worked to create an opportunity for the facility to take root in the community and for them to feel attached to it. The working group at the study meeting embodied the ideas by displays the items and creations provided, and incorporated measures such as setting up a bulletin board that local residents could update on their own initiative, so that the facility will continue to function as a permanent local facility even after it opens.

We worked together in a wide range of fields both inside and outside the facility to bring this facility to fruition.

Because we were commissioned to do the entire displays production from design to production, the process went smoothly without any misunderstandings on both sides. In addition, the tour signs could be developed as an extension of displays, creating a sense of unity between the facility and the town.