AboutTOKYO SEEDS PROJECT2019
For our third Tokyo Seeds Project, for the 2019 financial year, we invited six designers to tour the Yamanote Line area over a 10-day period from January 15 to 24, 2020.
We narrowed the focus this year, taking our designers on more in-depth tours of more specific areas than previous years. Our designers visited the Ebisu, Shinagawa and Yurakucho areas. Staff from each station were closely involved every step of the way, from deciding on the itineraries to accompanying the designers on their tours. The tours provided as many new discoveries for the station staff as they did for the designers.
2019
designers
teamYURAKUCHO
South Africa
Barry Maitland-Stuart
Singapore
Xinying
teamSHINAGAWA
Ireland
Karl Toomey
New Zealand
Megan Au
teamEBISU
Argentina
Florencia Gavilan
USA
Sarah Baugh
2019
schedule
| Schedule | Program |
|---|---|
| 1/15・16 | Overview (attended by all designers) |
| 1/17・18 | The designers split into three teams for two days, with each team exploring one area around the Yamanote Line in detail. |
| 1/19〜23 | Field research Research and creative work |
| 1/24 | Presentation of findings |
TOKYO SEEDS PROJECT2019
The designers split into three teams for these two days,
with each team exploring one area around the Yamanote Line in detail.
They then presented their findings.
YURAKUCHO
The team met at Yurakucho, along with the director of Yurakucho Station
Located below a railway bridge with a diagonal crossing in front, the station is an iconic sight in itself.
The Star Gallery in Hibiya features the autographs and handprints of numerous celebrities!
The team was shown around Hibiya Midtown.
The area under the bridge that connects Yurakucho with Shimbashi is full of history.
The designers were fascinated to see the surprising sights and depth of history hidden under this bridge.
The Yurakucho Station staff were also amazed—they don't come here often themselves, and the tasteful sights blew them away.
The next stop was Tsukiji-Hongwanji Temple. The weather wasn't very good, but there was still plenty to see inside the majestic building.
The team then enjoyed sea urchin at Tsukiji Market. Xinying was very happy—she loves sea urchin.
This was followed by Japanese rolled omelet (atsuyaki-tamago). It was so big, it could barely fit in the team's mouths!
When the team saw the rows of fish, our designer from South Africa was intrigued by a fish he had never seen before.
The team visited the Kabukiza Gallery, where they learned about the rich world of kabuki theater.
This was one of the most enjoyable moments.
The intricate movements of kabuki impressed everyone.
And of course, their visit ended with a photo together.
Itinerary
1/17
- TOKYO KOTSU KAIKAN
- Hibiya Midtown
- Below the bridge that connecting Yurakucho and Shimbashi
1/18
- Tsukiji Hongwanji Café Tsumugi
- Tsukiji-Hongwanji Temple.
- Tsukiji Market
- Kabukiza
- Kabukiza Gallery
Presentation
Please note that the ideas in this presentation and words here are suggestions by the participating designers.
Implementation of these ideas is not guaranteed.
Find Your Yūrakuchō
Yūrakuchō Station finds itself sitting quite literally between contrasts of time, tradition and trade. From the Kabuki theatres to movie studios, brick koukashitas beneath the railway line to tall, glass office and retail complexes. Being a small station the passengers arrive and immediately exit to their destination without hesitating. As a result, they spend little time discovering the area and remain unaware of its secrets.
We can take advantage of those contrasts to introduce an identity that plays off them and encourages exploration of the area. The donated statue of Daikokuten that sits hidden in the station can be taken from its traditional context and engaged with in a modern way. By creating a prominent space for the god at the centre of a facility that allows people to sit for a moment while they rest or recharge, they will get to witness how older, local generations engage with the statue. Thus we introduce the contrast of young or foreign to the tradition. We further the idea of good fortune, which Daikokuten represents, by using an app activated by the statue that directs users to randomly generated locations within the station’s catchment area. Thus, Daikokuten offers up his traditional good fortune in a modern way.
DESIGNER
Barry Maitland-Stuart
Barry Maitland-Stuart is a designer from Johannesburg, South Africa. He is currently the Creative Director of Garage East, in partnership with Art Director and typographer, Jessica Paulo. The company, phonetically titled after the garage wine makers in France, focuses almost entirely on social and civil society projects rather than product-related work though it does retain corporate clients as well.
Barry specialises in strategy but still spends a large portion of his workday illustrating, writing designing and running (which offers a regular opportunity to cut technology and communication for a set amount of time and process thoughts and ideas).
But, primarily, Barry Maitland-Stuart is a designer.
South Africa
Hello Yūrakuchō
Yurakucho Station was the bridge to iconic destinations with a lack of identity and disconnection between the staff and the visitors. There was an opportunity to reconnect with these destinations by creating meaningful new memories and stories despite the lack of residence in the high-end neighbourhood.
Hello Yurakucho, is primarily an initiative made for the staff to gather as one family to co-create and generate new ideas and aspirations to revitalise the area. As part of Tokyo Moving Round’s vision to offer a glimpse into the future for Yamanote Line, Hello Yurakucho is a start to a long term vision to transform the station into ‘The Bridge to Tomorrow’s Fun’.
DESIGNER
Xinying
Xinying is a creative based in Singapore. She has a driving passion to create, evolve and shape brands that last. As a believer that good design has the power to bring value and meaning to our lives, she pushes her boundaries to reach new heights in every project she undertakes. Xinying has worked on projects for established brands across various sectors such as lifestyle, F&B and government agencies. She is currently a Senior Designer at BLACK, a Singapore-based creative agency.
Singapore
SHINAGAWA
Team Shinagawa at the start of their tour, with Shinagawa Station behind them.
First, the team braved the morning crowds of Shinagawa Station. The sea of people is incredible.
Not many people know that Shinagawa is located by the water.
January 2020 is a time of change in this part of Tokyo, with community development taking place at the Takanawa Gateway Station and the surrounding area.
No trip to the Takanawa area is complete without a visit to Takanawa Shrine, an important spiritual place here.
Our designers learned that breathing in this smoke is effective against various ailments
Omikuji (randomly drawn paper strips that tell your fortune) are an important part of Japanese culture. When the fortune on an omikuji is bad, it's customary to attach it to a tree. There are already plenty on this tree.
This was just one traditional Japanese piece of fun that our designers enjoyed. They had a great time trying everything!
The Aomono Yokocho shopping street has a much more leisurely pace—it's hard to imagine that it's walking distance from the frenetic crowds of Shinagawa Station.
The team ended their day at Honsenji Temple, where they stayed the night. This was an all new experience for the designers.
Mr. Watanabe, who runs Guest House Shinagawa-shuku, told them important parts of the Kita-Shinagawa area's story, which fascinated the designers.
At Shinagawa Historical Museum, the designers were riveted by the richness of the Shinagawa area's history and the sight of the recreated houses.
In the grounds of Shinagawa Shrine is a man-made hill called Shinagawa-Fuji, which offers an incredible view.
The boats at Tennoz Isle—many people would be surprised to know that this waterside area is just walking distance from Shinagawa Station.
This was a complete 180 from the designers' night at the temple, offering a glimpse of modern life in Shinagawa.
Itinerary
1/17
- Sengakuji Temple
- Takanawa Shrine
- Aomono Yokocho shopping street
- Honsenji Temple
1/18
- Shinagawa Historical Museum
- Shinagawa Shrine
- Tennoz Isle
Presentation
Please note that the ideas in this presentation and words here are suggestions by the participating designers.
Implementation of these ideas is not guaranteed.
Shinagawa Flowing
Shinagawa Station is one of Tokyo's busiest stations with over 750,000 passengers everyday. For the most part these passengers move through the station completely unaware of the area's rich history and culture, something we wanted to address. To do this we proposed creating a brand platform called 'Shinagawa Flowing' whose aims were (1) create a stronger sense of identity for the station, (2) celebrate Shinagawa's local community and culture, and (3) make the station commuting experience more enjoyable. Ranging from short to long term our proposals included the creation of a station Happiness programme, the building of a people-powered public sculpture, and an initiative to make Monday mornings more joyful.
DESIGNER
Karl Toomey
Working in the creative industries for over 12 years, Karl Toomey is an Irish designer living in London. During his career he has lead multi-layered creative projects for global brands such as Nike, BBC, Uniqlo and Google. Working across a wide variety of disciples, from interactions and experiences to content and campaigns, his goal is to help each organisation find new opportunities to build more meaningful and generous relationships with their audiences.
Alongside his commercial work Karl has maintained his own creative practice that focuses on using humour and playfulness to engage people with the many ways our world is changing. These projects include books, prototypes, exhibitions and large scale pranks.
Ireland
Megan Au
Megan is a designer from Auckland, New Zealand. Currently at Alt Group, she enjoys working on projects in print and moving mediums across
a variety of industries. She believes in the power of thoughtful design to contribute to business, the cultural landscape and society at large. She holds a Bachelor of Design, Communication Design from AUT. Her work has
been recognised by The Designer’s Institute of New Zealand, Australian Graphic Design Association and The Type Director’s Club.
New Zealand
EBISU
Team Ebisu poses for a photo by the statue of the deity Ebisu.
At the Museum of Yebisu Beer, the team learned about the history of this major beer brand and its close connection with Ebisu Station.
The team were mesmerized by this delicious sight. Just look at the foam!
Vantan Design Institute was kind enough to let the team visit, giving the designers the opportunity to find out about the specialist education these design students are pursuing.
The designers enjoyed a conversation with a student who makes a range of clothing. They also got to hear all about the Ebisu area from people who live there.
The team then stopped off at a grocery store for dinner.
After looking at all their options, they decided to make a Japanese hot pot.
Our team got to experience Ebisu at night!
They also visited a public bath (sento). This was an exciting new experience for the designers.
The team visited a historic fruit and vegetable store that has been in business for generations. We didn't know places like this could still be found in Ebisu!
At GEM by moto, the team sampled delicious Japanese sake. They all said "Kanpai!" (Japanese for "cheers!") before drinking.
At Ebisu Shrine, the team saw portable shrines (omikoshi). These are usually only seen at festivals, and even on an ordinary day like this, they exude the energy of a Japanese festival.
At Urban Farmers Club, the team saw the unusual sight of fields in the middle of the city. Director Kenji Takahashi told the team about how these fields are used for a community initiative.
For dinner, the team enjoyed hand-rolled sushi with Ebisu locals. The designers got to meet some of the people behind Ebisu's creativity, sparking some interesting discussions.
The team all agreed that the visiting designers, their guides and the members of the community were one big Team Ebisu.
Itinerary
1/17
- Museum of Yebisu Beer
- Chinese Dining Masaya
- Vantan Design Institute
- Horaiyu
1/18
- Tokyo Photographic Art Museum
- EBISU Store
- Shibuya Hikawa Shrine
- GEM by moto
Presentation
Please note that the ideas in this presentation and words here are suggestions by the participating designers.
Implementation of these ideas is not guaranteed.
nico nico at Ebisu Station
Ebisu is a hip and creative neighborhood that draws Tokyoites into its restaurants, bars, and shops. Currently there is a perception that the station is a gateway to the neighborhood but not part of the neighborhood itself. How can the station connect train users to the neighborhood? How can the neighborhood feel connected to the station?
We’d like to propose a campaign that will connect people between Ebisu Station and the neighborhood. We'll create joy and happiness through a series of three interactive events that will surprise and delight both visitors, locals and JR employees:
● Pin + Connect: Explore the neighborhood and collect enamel pins.
● Living Archive: Events and exhibitions that combine local creative talent.
● Analog Photobooth: Sharable portraits of train users.
DESIGNER
Florencia Gavilan
I am a Graphic Designer and Illustrator from Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 2017 I graduated from the University of Buenos Aires where I also worked as a sessional teacher in Design. In the meantime I worked in the Graphic Design Studio ""Pulpografía""along two other graphic designers for four years. I also had occasional freelance work which included Editorial illustrations, illustrations for a Children's Book and Brand Identity projects.
I find it very important to regularly produce an amount of personal projects to keep developing my skills. In 2018 my poster for Fernet Branca was awarded 2nd prize in the Arte Unico Poster awards they celebrate every year.
I have an appreciation for the creative process, an eye for detail and a strong sense of pride in work that has been well executed. In my free time I like to read and draw.
Argentina
Sarah Baugh
Sarah Baugh is a graphic designer based in Durango, Colorado. She has 10 years of experience working with agencies, brands, and cultural organizations to tell engaging and meaningful narratives. Along the way she's worked with Wieden+Kennedy, J.Crew, Google, and Nike.
Her personal design practice is often experiential and research-based. She's interested in the way individuals and communities interact with the places they call home. In her free time she enjoys letterpress, hiking in the Rocky Mountains, and exploring small towns and big cities.
USA
2019
TOKYO SEEDS PROJECT SECRETARIAT
- Yuichi Tomohiro（a general incorporated association TSUMUGIYA Representative Director）
- Mikiharu Yabe（Agent Hamyak Inc. ）
- Naoyuki Suzuki（Diagram Co., Ltd.）
- Chika Gukawa（Diagram Co., Ltd.）
- Junichi Takahashi（Photographer）
- Kohji Arai（Photographer）
- Hiroki Yajima（Photographer）
- Dennis Chia（Interpreter coordinator）
- Shiori Nakamura（Interpreter coordinator）
- Chloe Chong（Interpreter coordinator）