Works#Learning/Co-creation

The Nara Prison Museum by Hoshino Resorts opened in Nara City, Nara Prefecture, as part of a project to preserve and utilize the important cultural property, the former Nara Prison. The concept is "Questions from a beautiful prison." Hoshino Resorts, together with world-renowned creators, explores the history of Japanese penal practices and the society of prisons through the unique space of a prison, offering a new experience that prompts visitors to consider fundamental themes such as "What is freedom?" and challenge their own worldview. The museum consists of a "preservation area" that retains the original state of the Third Dormitory and the guardhouse, and an "exhibition area." The exhibition area is comprised of Building A, which introduces the history of Nara Prison along with the Japanese administrative system in eight exhibition rooms; Building B, which introduces life in the unique society of prison through seven themes: "discipline," "food," "hygiene," "work," "rehabilitation," "money," and "freedom"; Building C, which exhibits works by five artists and prison art by inmates under universal themes such as "crime and punishment" and "time and life"; and Building D, which has a cafe and shop. Our company was responsible for the spatial design and planning of the museum, working in collaboration with various creators and writers to create a space that integrated exhibition information with the spatial experience. We also handled the design and production of exhibition content, including the development of explanatory plans, various reproduction models and sculptures, and the production of videos that convey aspects of prison work.

Our company planned, directed, designed, and constructed the two daytime and nighttime performances of the "Dolphin & Sea Lion Ocean Live" program at Aqua World Ibaraki Oarai Aquarium. For the daytime performance, "WOOOOARAI! - A Story of Encounters Begins Here -", we introduced a new transparent display. The show has been revamped to highlight the dynamism and individuality of the creatures through video effects synchronized with the ocean unfolding before the audience and multi-view footage from live cameras installed throughout the venue. For the nighttime performance, "FLOW A LIFE - The Pulsating Sea of Life -", we have created an immersive video experience that spreads across the entire wall. The integrated video, lighting, and sound effects invite the audience into the ocean, allowing them to experience the world of Oarai's sea where life meets, interacts, and resonates.

In the renovation of the Aisin Com Center History Zone, we revised the exhibition layout, which previously displayed all products in chronological order, and reorganized it under the theme of "Social Challenges and Aisin's Challenges in Each Era." By carefully selecting the exhibited products, we organized the information into a memorable amount for visitors, aiming to create a space that more clearly conveys the company's journey and the trajectory of its challenges. In terms of spatial design, we used the shelves and warehouses inside the factory, which are the basis of manufacturing, as motifs, and developed it as a museum that gives a sense of the industrial site. Furthermore, we have spatialized elements that symbolize the precision processing technology that has supported Aisin's manufacturing, creating an exhibition space in which products, technology, and history can be experienced together. Our company was in charge of everything from planning, design and planning to content design and production, and construction.

The Lake Biwa Museum, a long-established museum deeply rooted in the local community, underwent a partial renovation, using the slogan "A New Aquarium Created by Everyone" and raising support through crowdfunding. The newly installed Biwa Giant Catfish tank further highlights the presence of the catfish as the master of Lake Biwa, and has been revamped with a multifaceted exhibit that includes a deep-water and shallow-water layout and a hands-on comparison of four species of catfish native to Japan. The new Ayu (sweetfish) tank features a tank display that captures a scene from fishing, and the spatial design that traverses the lake's surface and bottom, centering on the interaction between people and fish, conveying the cycle of life in the lake in an experiential way. Our company was in charge of the exhibition design and planning, signage and graphic design, fixture production, content design and production, and exhibition construction.

"Wandaria Yokohama Supported by Umios" is an immersive experience facility planned and operated by DeNA, which opened in "BASEGATE Yokohama Kannai," a large-scale mixed-use complex in front of JR Kannai Station. Our company was in charge of the basic concept, spatial design, and some of the construction of the Wandaria Cafe and Wandaria Shop. Through the unique effects of digital imagery, lush forests and the mysterious deep sea unfold before your eyes, creating an overwhelmingly immersive experience space that facilitates new encounters with living creatures and nature. Furthermore, the immersive experience is further enhanced by linking with a dedicated app. By holding a smartphone over the creatures that appear, you can obtain detailed information or collect them as cards, creating a space that encourages exploration, collection, and learning, expanding visitors' perception and curiosity, and allowing them to re-examine the world from a new perspective.

NGK Collaboration Square DIVERS, a co-creation facility accelerating the transformation of the NGK Group, is a hub where employees can connect with the group's history and values, fostering pride and a spirit of challenge, while combining diverse knowledge from both inside and outside the company to create new value. The facility's name embodies the meanings of "Diversity," "Dive," and "Diver," representing the next generation of challengers. It was planned as a facility where learning, dialogue, and co-creation are continuous, equipped with a space for sharing philosophy and history, event spaces to foster interaction, technology exhibits, an archive of development assets, and a demonstration area. Our company was responsible for planning, design, signage and graphic design, production, and construction.

This is a renewal project for the Ricoh Environmental Business Development Center, which celebrated its 10th anniversary since its opening in 2016. In addition to the design, planning, and construction of the exhibits for the entire tour, our company developed a symbolic logo expressing the new key concept, "Gotemba Hibikikan no Mori," as well as creating signage, developing an operational plan using tablets, and producing digital content. As a co-creation hub that supports visitors in promoting environmental management and accelerating GX, it has evolved into a "practical hub" where solutions to environmental issues are designed and verified together with visitors. Through problem analysis using digital content and experiential programs, the facility supports visitors in enhancing their environmental management and creating new businesses.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Kirin Beer Yokohama Factory, we have partially renovated our visitor facilities. By incorporating the diverse charms hidden within the Kirin Beer company and the Ichiban Shibori product throughout the facility, we have created a place that enhances engagement with the Kirin Beer Yokohama Factory, starting from the interests and concerns of each visitor. The waiting area where visitors spend time before the tour begins has been renovated as "KIRIN HISTORY WALK YOKOHAMA," where visitors can learn about the history of beer and Kirin. The design features bricks that represent the history of the company's founding in Yokohama and is based on a refreshing blue color. To mark this 100th anniversary milestone, we have created content that will not only be enjoyable for general visitors but also contribute to boosting the motivation of our employees. In the "Ichiban Shibori GALLERY," we are disseminating information that deepens affection and familiarity with our flagship product, "Ichiban Shibori." Furthermore, we have installed unique beer-themed photo spots throughout the facility, creating an experience that makes visitors want to capture memories of their visit in photographs. Our company was responsible for planning, design, signage and graphic design, fixture manufacturing, content design, and construction.

This is a renovation plan for the South Wing Exhibition Room on the first floor of the Japan Gallery at the National Museum of Nature and Science, a building designated as an Important Cultural Property. The theme is "The Art of Observing Nature." Focusing on the meticulous observational skills of our ancestors who observed all things, the plan aims to provide visitors with a new perspective when viewing the masterpiece collections in the exhibition room, and to encourage easy viewing by improving the explanatory plans for each section. Care has also been taken to create a space that makes the most of the dignified image of the Important Cultural Property building.

The Yamanashi Strawberry King Museum, a museum created by Shintaro Tsuji (President and CEO of Shintaro Tsuji Memorial Museum Co., Ltd.), the founder and honorary chairman of Sanrio Co., Ltd., introduces the history of Sanrio's early days, which has never been publicly told before. It was established in Yamanashi, Tsuji's hometown, as a gift from Mr. Tsuji and the Sanrio character "Strawberry King" to Sanrio fans, with the wish that "everyone be friends." The facility consists of two log cabins. The "Sanrio History Museum" introduces the history of Sanrio from its birth through various eras using documents, while the "Shintaro Tsuji Memorial Museum" displays the personal history and related items of the founder, Shintaro Tsuji, and recreates his office. Our company was in charge of the overall production of the space (planning and design of architectural renovation, exterior, landscaping, and outdoor signage, as well as planning, design, and construction of exhibition spaces, signage, graphics, and sculptures).

Masataka Taketsuru (founder of Nikka Whisky), who dreamed of creating authentic blended whisky in Japan, imported a "Coffey still" (a continuous distillation machine) from Scotland in 1963 to produce grain whisky for blending. The Coffey still, which had been in operation at the Miyagikyo Distillery for many years, will be retired in 2025 with the replacement of the world's first Japanese-made Coffey still. A part of it has now been moved to the entrance hall and put on display.

OMO7 Yokohama by Hoshino Resorts has opened in BASEGATE Yokohama Kannai, in front of JR Kannai Station, utilizing the former Yokohama City Hall administrative building as a legacy hotel. The hotel's first-floor OMO Base, based on the concept of "Hamaism," features the "Hamaism Collection," an exhibition showcasing Yokohama's culture and history. With the cooperation of the Yokohama City Urban Development Bureau and the Yokohama City Hometown History Foundation, our company was responsible for planning, basic concept, design, production, and construction. "Hamaism" embodies the spirit of Yokohama, cherishing authenticity and preserving the old. In this project, we designed it as a gradient of experiences, from diverse Yokohama culture to the deep memories of its architecture. At the entrance to the exhibition, playful models of Neapolitan spaghetti and ice cream are displayed, along with symbolic placements of Yokohama-born culture such as railways, gas lamps, and Hamatora (Yokohama Traditional). These catchy features stimulate curiosity and draw the viewer's gaze further inside. Furthermore, after exhibits such as the Noge Miyakobashi Shopping Street, which embodies "Not Scrap & Build" (*), the narrative unfolds into a world infused with respect for the renowned architect Togo Murano. Taizan tiles and brass door handles inherited from the former Yokohama City Hall have been reassembled as living pieces. In the design of the fixtures, the lighting plan has been thoroughly considered, and it has been meticulously designed to blend in with the tone of the architecture while making each exhibit stand out in the most beautiful way. *Not Scrap & Build: An approach that preserves and utilizes existing architecture while making the most of it, rather than "Scrap & Build," which involves demolishing old buildings and rebuilding new ones.

OSAKA INNOVATION HUB (OIH) was established in 2013 as a global innovation hub that attracts talent, information, and capital from both Japan and abroad, creating an environment where innovation can be fostered and driving the development of Osaka and the Kansai region. This time, in order to create an environment in which startups and the ecosystem that supports them can grow, the facility has been renovated with the concepts of "gathering," "connecting," and "growing," and in order to expand the facility area and enhance functions to promote interaction and strengthen support for startups, our company was in charge of design, layout, signage and graphic concept design, environmental features, building execution, and exhibit execution.

Since its opening in 1990, the Kagoshima City Science Museum has aimed to foster scientific creativity and improve scientific knowledge by introducing the laws of nature, science and technology, and space in an easy-to-understand manner. In this project, two displays areas have been renovated and renamed "Kagoshima and Space" and "Science in Everyday Life." Aiming to be a science museum rooted in the local community, unique to a regional city, the museum has incorporated many elements that are highly compatible with the region, such as displays that take advantage of Kagoshima's characteristics as it is home to a JAXA rocket launch site, and interactive devices featuring graphics of the local specialty, Sakurajima radish. In order to lower the barrier to entry for science and create a place where curiosity and a spirit of inquiry are naturally fostered, the museum has incorporated many digital technologies as well as analog displays. In "Gravity Challenge," one of the main displays, a character that reflects the movements of visitors appears on a screen and performs track and field events on various planets, creating a highly game-like content in which visitors can experience and learn about the differences in gravity on each planet. Furthermore, we developed an official app linked to displays, introducing a system that allows visitors to acquire over 100 different items online through quizzes and AR experiences. This improved visitor engagement and created an experience that encourages repeat visits, while also strengthening ties with the local community by standardizing its implementation on educational devices distributed throughout the city.

Head Office project is part of Head Office headquarters office planning project for Kasumigaseki Capital, following the 22nd floor, which houses both work and visitor areas, and the 34th floor, which contains work areas for new departments resulting from business expansion and group companies. The 27th floor, with its approximately 2,000 square meter private space, is comprised of two areas: a work area and a co-working area. The 28th floor, on the other hand, is a space that conveys Kasumigaseki Capital's continuous growth and change through spatial experience. Information never becomes outdated; it is constantly updated and reflects the present. While creating a tranquil and high-quality calm, the space begins to move gently as if breathing through changes in light, video, and materials. This space is a "living space" that reflects the unstoppable dynamism of the company, and is a place where visitors can encounter new discoveries and values with each visit. Our company was in charge of design, layout, signage and graphic concept design, environmental features, content design, production, and construction.