Driven by passion, we leverage diverse strengths to create spaces that transcend boundaries.

Yuri Nakagawa continues to run at the forefront of spatial design, driven by her own passions. She is expanding her scope from exhibition design for cultural facilities to landscape design that deals with real nature. With overwhelming passion and a forward-looking professional perspective, she discusses her journey and her vision for future spatial design.

Always put yourself in the customer's shoes. Use your hands and feet to create experiential value that appeals to all five senses.

Nakagawa belongs to the Inanobe Room, which handles numerous spatial design projects, mainly for cultural facilities. Currently, Nakagawa is in charge of exhibition design related to nature and environmental education, such as zoos and aquariums.

"Our team works with government officials, curators, and zookeepers to develop the facility's message and the exhibition experience. We're a young team, and there's a lively and fun atmosphere with lots of animal plush toys on the desks. I myself love animals, so I'm happy to be entrusted with many facilities aimed at raising awareness about zoos and animals. Our room's theme is 'Museum + α,' so we're also involved to a small extent in the area of outdoor spaces, which Nomura Co., Ltd. hasn't dealt with much before."

Nakagawa has certain values that he cherishes when creating spaces.

"What I value most in my work is using my hands and feet. I believe that you can't create a space that resonates with people unless you go to the 'site' and see and feel it for yourself. Especially with themes related to living things and nature, I base my work on the charm I feel from the actual environment and experiences that move me to appreciate the preciousness of life, so that it can reach the hearts of visitors. Furthermore, such experiences allow me to stand on the same level as clients with specialized expertise. By incorporating my own feelings into the work, I can continue to work with my hands until I reach a level that I am truly satisfied with. Many of the members of our group like to think from the upstream, like 'I wish this facility could be like this,' so we are shaping our ideas by working across the fields of planning and design."

While I work with passion and dedication, I never forget to maintain professional standards when interacting with customers.

"Cultural facility projects involve working with people from different fields of expertise, such as government officials and facility operators. That's why we're always trying to imagine how our clients would perceive things and searching for the best way to express them. Of course, we aim to produce the best output, but we also try to anticipate potential concerns, such as 'they might have this question,' and prepare materials that are intuitively understandable. I believe that such meticulous considerations are essential when working towards the same goal as our clients."

Towards spatial design that can bring all genres to life. Leveraging a wide range of skills and working hard on-site.

Nakagawa joined Nomura Co., Ltd. in 2017. He reflects on his journey from his early childhood love of making things to choosing the path of spatial design.

"Honestly, when I was a student, I couldn't find anything I was truly passionate about. However, I've always loved creating things with my hands. So, I decided to trust my passion and went to art school. There, I studied both two-dimensional and three-dimensional art comprehensively, and I began to think that a job that would allow me to be involved in all genres rather than being limited to a specific field would be ideal. It was around that time that I learned about the profession of spatial designer through an internship at another company in the same industry. I decided to join Nomura Co., Ltd., a major player in the industry, because I felt that it was a large company with an environment where I could challenge myself in various ways."

He says that his experience of studying a wide range of subjects without being tied to a specific field during his university years is proving to be extremely useful in his current work.

"When people think of Nomura Co., Ltd., they often get the impression that many of our members have studied architecture, but I myself don't have an architectural background. Instead, I excel at considering multifaceted approaches from various perspectives, such as video, graphics, and branding. Rather than fixing a space to one correct answer and building it from there, I can present many options for ideas, such as 'there's this way of showing it,' or 'that way of expressing it'. I feel that having such a wide range of ideas at my disposal is a great strength when it comes to involving various specialists and creating new things."

While I utilize a variety of approaches, there was one experience that helped me acquire the fundamentals of being a professional. That was the renovation project for Aqua World Ibaraki Oarai Aquarium, which I worked on in my second year at the company.

"I worked on this project with a senior designer, and it was a truly enriching experience. What impressed me most was their courageous approach to tackling things they had never done before. From the lighting design for the aquariums to the production of the dolphin show, which were all trial and error processes, they repeatedly conducted on-site tests and solved problems by thoroughly understanding the characteristics of the creatures... Their passion earned them the client's trust more and more."

Towards the end of production, I was on-site to work on furniture, specimens, graphic layouts, and video adjustments, and I remember running around with the craftsmen, including myself. I realized that designers don't just sit in front of a computer drawing blueprints. I learned firsthand the sincere attitude of a true professional who never compromises until the very end, and who keeps getting their hands dirty to leave behind something great."

Visited 13 facilities in 5 countries. Gained insights into "communication methods" beyond the scope of a designer.

Nakagawa was involved in the "Future Zoo" project, an internal company initiative aimed at exploring the possibility of entering the zoo sector, following their experience in aquariums.

"This development project was driven primarily by the designers. Over three years, I personally visited 13 facilities in five countries, including Europe and Australia. I explored exhibition trends and developments in zoos overseas, and handled everything from making appointments with local staff to arranging interpreters. I had anxieties about whether it would actually lead to results, but this inspection led to many new connections with partner companies and industry professionals both domestically and internationally, which Nomura Co., Ltd. hadn't had before. I think one of the good things about our company is that it supports individual enthusiasm and challenges."

The knowledge and connections I gained overseas proved to be a great asset when shaping my next project.

"At the 'Amami Rabbit Museum Quru Guru,' we proposed the idea to our visitors based on overseas examples. From an animal welfare perspective, an open treatment room was difficult to realize in Japan, but by using overseas examples to explain the significance of openness, it was adopted. I realized that new knowledge learned overseas can lead to the creation of new touchpoints with social issues."

The next project I worked on was the renovation of the exhibits at the Chiba City Zoological Park Animal Science Museum - Forest of Life Tropical Rainforest Wonder of Rainforest - which gave me an opportunity to reaffirm my passion for my work.

"It's a place I have fond memories of, having visited it since I was a child. Through my work, I've been thinking about living things and nature, and it's made me realize anew how much I love animals. It was also memorable to work closely with my team members, studying tropical rainforests intensely and complementing each other as we progressed. I even went to the tropical rainforests of Borneo to record ambient sounds, and experiencing that harsh yet rich environment firsthand has been invaluable in creating an immersive space. I was able to build a good relationship with the client while enjoying my work and being completely absorbed in it. I believe that the high quality of the work was possible because my overseas experience and my own passions acted as a 'gear' that brought together many different people."

While accumulating diverse experiences, he also discusses the challenges of being a professional in spatial design.

"It's incredibly rewarding to know that the work I've done will remain in someone's heart. Because we're creating something that will last for 10 or 20 years, there are many things we have to consider, such as ensuring safety and that there are no deficiencies in the equipment. Although there are such challenges, it makes me happy to see children who visit the museum engrossed in the completed exhibits. It reminds me of my own childhood, when I used to visit my favorite animal park, and it warms my heart."

Furthermore, Nakagawa says that his approach to communicating with clients has changed through his work with private companies.

"It was when I was first entrusted with the main design role for the Yawata-ya Iso-goro project. Actually, until then, I wasn't good at explaining my designs in words. But instead of creating designs just to convince others, I tried to create something from scratch that reflected my own genuine feelings and communicate them. And strangely enough, I found myself able to express myself without hesitation. I realized that it's important to weave in genuine feelings while unraveling the client's challenges."

We value the passion we create as a team. With consideration for those around us, let's create an unexpected space together.

Having experienced various projects and steadily progressing step by step, Nakagawa speaks about his future goals, which are based on his passions.

"Going forward, I want to continue to pursue my passions to the fullest while expanding the range of genres I work in. I would be delighted if I could become known as 'Nakagawa, the designer who loves living things.' Recently, after being involved in an outdoor planting plan for a project, I have become strongly drawn to landscape design that deals with real nature. The outdoor domain is also one of the themes that our company has set as a new pillar in its medium-term management plan. I would like to volunteer to be involved in designing outdoor spaces where wild birds and insects can actually thrive. And in the future, I would like to work with people who share the same vision to further embody a well-being relationship between living things and people in the form of spaces."

Nakagawa continues speaking about the unseen future landscape that lies beyond those goals.

"I hope to create a new space with people who share my passion for having the courage to express what they want to do and working together as a team to create a shared space. Being able to look beyond your own area of responsibility and pay attention to those around you is also very important for gaining trust as a professional. I always look forward to the new ideas and perspectives of young people, and I would be happy if we could one day think together about the kind of space that no one has thought of yet."

Driven by her passion, Nakagawa moves forward with meticulous consideration for those around her and a strong sense of professional responsibility. She will continue to work with her hands and feet, shaping new experiences that will captivate people.

* The information provided is current as of June 2026.