TOKYO
SEEDS
PROJECT2018

Using the strategic idea “Let’s fall in love with Ikebukuro” as the basis for the proposal,we’ve arrived at a long term town development vision activated with the phrase “Like-Bukuro”.
This idea is visually demonstrated in the campaign identity “LIKEBUKURO” with an additional letter “L” placed in front of “Ikebukuro”, accompanied by a tailored Tone-of-voice approach.
The proposed creative utilize the high traffic, highly visible outlets at the station.

Wandering around the neighbourhoods that surround the Ikebukuro station, I was struck by a sense of isolation. It appeared there were hardly any spaces to fostertogetherness and community building. My proposal was for JR East to view the secommunities as an extension of the Ikebukuro Station and to take the JR Eastmandate of enriching lives as well as the Suica Technology out of the stations and into these communities. I proposed that they take over some of the abandonedbuildings and fill them with the vast resources at JR Easts disposal, turning the buildings into communal spaces: Engawa, Ochakko, Ichibi, Omoide.

When I came to Japan for the first time, I was a tourist. I saw the things you are supposed to see, but it was a bit of an isolating experience. On my trip for TOKYOSEEDS, it was totally different. I had been invited, I had a host, I was a guest, and I had a transformative experience immersed in the omotenashi of My proposal for JR East suggests that we can rethink the local-tourist binary as more of a guest-host relationship. This abstract concept manifests in Nippori station and itssurrounding neighborhoods in tangible forms like: a staff vacation for Nippori stationJR employees, to learn more about the neighborhoods and become hoststhemselves. An artist residency for international textile artists on the Fabric Street, who would be connected to art student interns and invited to do pop-up shops and installations in the train station; a cultural textiles hub called QUILT HOUSE toconnect visitors with artisans and elders with youth; and a re-branding of NipporiStation to “Fabric Station” to mark it as a gateway to the Yanasen neighborhood, a rich quilt of cultural and artistic energy.

JR has already done many things in different areas,and it looks perfect from the outside. When aseemingly perfect big company like JR invited me for this project, I was very surprised, so I decided to think out of the box to come up with wild ideas that JR has never done before. I am proposing an idea that JR can become a pioneer, and that idea is a reality TV show.

Although perhaps not as iconic as Shibuya and Shinjuku, to us Hamamatsuchō is a distinctlocation because it connects visitors to 'other' places, and 'other' views of Tokyo. For example inaddition to being connected to the national rail system and to Haneda Airport, Hamamatsuchōstation is a 15 minute walk to the Takeshiba coastline and ferry port which offers day trips to theunspoiled islands of Oshima and Toshima. In this way Hamamatsuchō connects land, sea and air. Building on this idea of connection,Hamamatsuchō is also a place that offers unique views of Tokyo. For example visitors can enjoy cityscape views from the Observation Deck at the World Trade Centre, glimpse traditional Edo culture at the Kyu-Shiba-rikyu Gardens and enjoy beautiful views of Tokyo Bay and the Rainbow Bridge. The idea of Hamamatsuchō as a place to connect to more was something we wanted to further explore.