HARA DESIGN INSTITUTE

On Thursday, April 4, MUJI HOTEL GINZA opened on floors six through ten of MUJI GINZA. This is the first MUJI HOTEL in Japan, and the third worldwide, after MUJI HOTEL SHENZHEN and MUJI HOTEL BEIJING in China.

MUJI HOTEL offers accommodation where you can enjoy MUJI during your stay. Based on an "anti-gorgeous, anti-cheap" design concept, it connects guests with the local area in a space conducive to a good night's sleep, providing a place for travelers to refresh both body and mind at a price that is just right.

Hara Design Institute handled the art direction for the entire hotel, designing every point of contact with guests, from the concept for the hotel, the interior and exterior signage, and the website, to the user interface for the tablet apps and controls for the room facilities, the charging station/cable management box, and even the nameplates and business cards for the hotel staff.

https://hotel.muji.com/ginza/en/

We designed the websites for two very special hotels in Kirishima, Kagoshima Prefecture--the TENKU resort and Wasure no Sato GAJOEN at Myoken Onsen.

TENKU consists of only five villas, situated in vast grounds of 60 hectares. It provides a quiet, out-of-the-ordinary experience, completely immersed in the natural surroundings. We used 3D map animations and a concept movie to communicate the vast scale and distinctive proposition of this luxury resort.

GAJOEN is an inn with the air of a traditional community, created by relocating rural architecture. Along with the thatched buildings, there are onsen baths hewn out of solid rock, and the inn serves cuisine of the land of Satsuma, prepared using local vegetables. The almost-forgotten scene of the Japanese countryside is somehow familiar and reassuring.

Both hotels provide an out-of-the-ordinary experience. They are the product of the philosophy and ideas of TENKU and GAJOEN owner Tateo Tajima, who is still working today on his unfinished paradise.

TENKU
https://tenkunomori.net/en/

Wasure no sato GAJOEN
https://gajoen.jp/en/

On the first basement level of MUJI GINZA, MUJI Diner specializes in bringing out the original, natural flavors of the ingredients in the food it serves. In order to encourage people walking in the Ginza area to visit the restaurant, we came up with the idea of installing this sign at the street-level entrance. MUJI GINZA is the company's global flagship store, but the sign reaches out directly to local customers. With the rising steam evoking images of food being freshly cooked, the sign and its handwritten description of the meal of the day act as a warm invitation to passersby to come inside.

We used illustrations by Hiroki Taniguchi to present a comprehensive depiction of the opening of MUJI GINZA, treating it as the relocation of the global flagship store from Yurakucho to Ginza. The detailed store layout also stimulates interest in the newly opened MUJI HOTEL. The illustrations are used widely in digital signage on trains and web banner ads. Promotion focusing on key MUJI products is being rolled out mainly through ads on trains, buses, and other transportation systems and signage.

https://shop.muji.com/jp/ginza/en/

Chinese painting attained an unprecedented level of maturity during the Northern Song period, with one of the foremost works being Li Gonglin's depiction of five horses. Treasured by successive imperial dynasties, this masterpiece was thought lost following the abdication of the Qing emperor, but has recently re-emerged.

Hara Design Institute provided meticulous production design and art direction for this book, which presents Li Gonglin's painting in its entirety at actual size.

http://www.hatorishoten-articles.com/fivehorses.html

Hara Design Institute handled the design of YOSUI BOX Remastered, a 27 CD and DVD set celebrating the 50th anniversary of Yosui Inoue's debut. In addition to 24 studio albums, the set includes two live albums and a DVD of commercials that include Inoue performances.

Kenya Hara belongs to the generation that grew up influenced by Yosui Inoue, He approached this project with more-than-usual reverence.

After touring the world, this is the 7th exhibition for "Architecture for Dogs".
It is an exhibition to think about architecture through the concept of "dogs," who are destined to live with humans. It is now open at Japan House Sao Paulo from January 19th 2019 (Sat.) to April 7th 2019 (Sun.).

A total of 15 art pieces are being exhibited, including a new piece by FGMF Arquitetos, an up-and-coming architect firm based in Sao Paulo. Prototype models of various patterns of "D-Tunnel", designed by Kenya Hara, is showcased as well.
At the exhibit, visitors can submit their own ideas, and they are posted on AFD's website and social media.

More than 4,000 people visited on the 2nd day of the exhibition. Please stop by when you are in Sao Paulo. Please see details below.

http://architecturefordogs.com

New visuals for GINZA SIX will be revealed in early September 2018 in the underground passage connecting the shopping complex with Ginza Station, and on the Ginza Station platforms.

Based on a mushroom motif, the visuals have a mysterious attraction that draws people to them. Instead of conveying a specific message, they gently communicate the high-class and unstressed atmosphere of GINZA SIX, naturally and memorably boosting friendly feelings toward the complex.
The letter G appears six times in each mushroom graphic as a simile for GSIX.

The Minamiza Theater in Kyoto reopens in November 2018.
To mark this new start, we created a new symbol mark and logotype for the theater. The symbol mark uses the "Minami" character in a clear, pared-down form, morphed into a shape that resembles the iconic exterior of the theater. Its color, the symbol color, is the crimson that is used prominently in the new interior. Inspired by the symbolic and condensed aesthetics of Kabuki, we created this in a crest-like form to provide a powerful visual. The "Kyo to" phrase alongside the logo invokes both the theater's location in present-day Kyoto and its development in conjunction with the old capital ("Kyo"), communicating Minamiza's commitment to continue playing a role in the ongoing history of the city of its birth. The mark and logo are used on shopping bags, furoshiki wrapping cloths and versatile tenugui cloths. When the theater reopens, they will become an essential element of a visit to Kyoto.

Following its successful shows at Japan House São Paulo and Japan House Los Angeles, the TAKEO PAPER SHOW "SUBTLE" exhibition is now on show at Japan House London, the third and final Japan House location.
In London, the exhibits from São Paulo and Los Angeles are complemented by Shishiodoshi, which was created by Kenya Hara in 2007 for the "water" exhibition at 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT in Tokyo.
To mark the opening of the exhibition, Hara delivered standing-room-only lectures at Japan House on December 12 and at the Royal College of Art on December 13.
TAKEO PAPER SHOW "SUBTLE: Delicate or Infinitesimal" runs until Monday December 24, 2018 at Japan House London.

TAKEO PAPER SHOW "SUBTLE: Delicate or Infinitesimal" Exhibition

Gallery
13 November - 24 December 2018

OPENING HOURS:
Monday to Saturday 10:00-20:00
Thursdays late opening hours 10:00-21:00 until Christmas
Sundays & Bank Holidays 12:00-18:00
Monday 24 December 10:00-18:00

Admission Free