HARA DESIGN INSTITUTE

Kenya Hara was chosen as the recipient of the Jan Lenica Award for 2020, a prize established by the National Museum in Poznań in Poland. In commemoration of Hara receiving the award, the museum is holding a solo exhibition by Hara entitled Make the Future Better Than Today.

The exhibition is a retrospective covering the main elements of Hara's work from the beginning of the 1990s to the present day. It includes his early poster projects, many of his art direction projects associated with MUJI, and records of exhibitions that he has curated, along with book design, package design, and other works.

Exhibits also include a new poster series called FUZZY created expressly for this exhibition. Hara explains that the many strange faces in his drawings for the new posters are like angry messages for today's world, emerging from deep in his heart. Their three-dimensional rendering and subtle movements create a silent conversation with the viewer.

Make the Future Better Than Today
Dates: March 24 - July 30, 2023
Venue: National Museum in Poznań (Aleje Marcinkowskiego 9, 61-745 Poznań, Poland)
Website: https://mnp.art.pl/en

Works by the late Hiroki Taniguchi will be gathered together and sold at this event.

We are holding a buyers club event for works by Hiroki Taniguchi at POLYLOGUE on the 13th floor of Nippon Design Center. Works on canvas are not framed, and are displayed as is. The event is being held for people who value the art of Hiroki Taniguchi in order to give them a chance to own original works by the artist. We encourage you to take this opportunity to gain an overview of the magnificent art of Hiroki Taniguchi, and to take home a part of its essence.
--Kenya Hara

Dates: February 21 - 28, 2023
Hours: 11:00 - 18:00 (until 16:00 on the last day)

All exhibited works are available to be purchased by credit card (no cash), on a first-come-first-served basis. Works can be taken home on the spot. Shipment with payment on delivery is also an option. The venue is POLYLOGUE on the 13th floor of Nippon Design Center.

https://www.ndc.co.jp/about/access/

We created the visuals and video announcing Warm Innerwear, functional winter underwear made of cotton that absorbs moisture and generates heat. Warm Innerwear is branded Attaka-men in the Japanese market.

T-shirts and other innerwear items are depicted with a gradation of warm colors in order to evoke the natural warmth that gradually spreads throughout the body when using natural material. We gave it clear symbolism that conveys the impression, name, and launch of Warm Innerwear products in 0.1 seconds. We also created a movie in which the items of clothing move in a delightful way. These were shown on the web and social networks, as well as in digital signage on trains and on six screens at Shibuya Crossing in front of the train station.

Warm Innerwear comes in three levels of warmth and a variety of designs. As we gauge the degree to which brand awareness has spread, we are creating and publishing videos that share with customers the appeal of different Warm Innerwear products.

The Hara Design Institute was responsible for all stages of the new MUJI aroma fragrance products to be released in China in December, from product development through to promotion.

The promotion involves placing the products in environments that evoke the clean air of a clear blue coast, an urban nightscape, or a mossy forest, bringing to mind the quiet enjoyment the products evoke.

The Hara Design Institute was responsible for all stages of the new MUJI aroma fragrance products to be released in China in December, from product development through to promotion.

The forms of the double-glazed aroma diffuser, the dome-shaped candle and the crucible-shaped candle emerged through exploration of the rationalized shapes of the utensils used in science labs. Practicality is inherent to the clean curves of their design.
Whether the products are in use or not, they fit easily into your room and enhance the space.

The Design Museum Japan exhibition organized by NHK, the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, features video on Okayama Prefecture narrated by Kenya Hara.

With a 30 percent share of the global market, the Nakashima Propeller Co., Ltd in Tamashima, Okayama Prefecture, vies for top or second slot among the world's propeller manufacturers.
The exhibition brings a design perspective to the beauty of form that results from a close examination of a propeller's rationality.

After closing in Tokyo, the exhibition tours to Japan House São Paulo, Los Angeles, and London.

NHK's Design Museum Japan - Collecting and Connecting Japanese Design
Venue: Special Exhibition Gallery 1E, The National Art Center, Tokyo (free entry)
Dates: 30 November to 19 December, 2022
Opening hours: 10:00-18:00
Entry permitted up to 30 minutes before closing time
Museum closed: Tuesdays
Enquiries: Hallo Dial 050-5541-8600
Website: https://www.nact.jp/exhibition_special/2022/dmj/

MUJI video commercials feature talking products

In these videos the products themselves talk about the reasoning and intent behind the materials, manufacturing methods and shapes they incorporate, making their appeal directly discernible.

There are five talking videos, featuring face lotions, towels and storage boxes.

MUJI YouTube channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/MUJIglobal/videos

SUWARI, a line of chairs designed to fit in well with traditional Japanese-style rooms, was launched on August 11, 2022. The line-up was developed jointly by Hida Sangyo and Hara Kenya.

The chairs went on sale at Hida Sangyo's directly-managed shops and online store. They will also be rolled out to shops operated by Hida Sangyo's partners. The chairs can be viewed on the website, and can now be seen in the shops, too.

The full SUWARI range will also be on display at the NDC entrance from August 22, providing an opportunity to try out each of the chairs.

Hida Sangyo website
https://hidasangyo.com/products/series/suwari/

A new awamori brand, ZAKIMI, was launched on August 8, 2022. ZAKIMI was created from a concept by Kenya Hara, in conjunction with Yaesen Shuzo, an awamori distiller on Ishigaki Island.

ZAKIMI makes full use of Yaesen Shuzo's special expertise in the production of matured awamori (kusu) to create a brand with a distinctive character that incorporates Ishigaki's natural features and culture.

The brand launched with three matured awamori products.
Yuku: An eight year old kusu
Kao: A blend of ten year old kusu with a ten year old cask-matured spirit
Typhoon: A thirty year old kusu

As a collaborator in this project, Hara Design Institute handles the overall design strategy for the brand, including designing the bottles, packaging, graphics, website, and promotional videos.

ZAKIMI brand website
https://zakimi.yaesen.com/

We handled the main visuals and tabloids announcing the new store, which has the largest sales floor area of any MUJI store in the world.

Based on graphics depicting healthy people, we created two types of visuals with a different focus to their message. For situations around town and online that only get a quick glance, the graphics conveyed the store's diversity of services, going far beyond home, food, and clothing. For the tabloids, which people are able to read and study at leisure, we communicated the store's concept and philosophy.

This approach comprehensively covered the appeal of MUJI Hiroshima Alpark, demonstrating its depth and breadth along with its approach of assisting with all facets of life, rather than just addressing people's retail shopping needs.