INSIGHTS

2019.10.29

R&D DISCUSSION Vol. 20

Pioneering the future with the power of design
Discovering Young Artists [Part 2]

Toshiki Kiriyama Director

R&D DISCUSSION TOP

Q: Why did Toyama Prefecture establish the first design center in Japan [Photo 1]?

A: There are four research institutes in Toyama Prefecture: pharmaceutical, industrial, textile, and our own design. It was originally the largest industrial area on the Japan Sea coast, and agriculture and fisheries are also thriving, so there are many job opportunities. Although the income level is high, people live modest lives, and there is a culture of saving money for their children's education. The home ownership rate is the highest in the nation (2015 census), and elementary and junior high school students always rank highly in academic achievement tests. With a rich educational environment, Toyama Prefecture is also famous for producing excellent human resources in the business world. In the past, there have been many talented people such as Zenjiro Yasuda of Mizuho Bank (formerly Yasuda Bank), Chuji Aoi of the Marui Group, Matsutaro Shoriki of the Yomiuri Shimbun, and Tokuji Wakasa of All Nippon Airways.

However, what is being said now is that most of the people are not creative like their predecessors, but are improvement and reform type. This may be true for Japan as a whole, but there are few people who are diligent and excellent, but have the unique abilities to innovate in the coming era. Therefore, how much we can increase the number of creative people is a fairly important theme in Toyama Prefecture. Design centers and museums can contribute by taking on the role of "creativity education" that cultivates the ability to think for oneself from childhood.

Toyama Prefecture is also known as a "subsidy model prefecture," and Toyama Prefecture has taken the lead in carrying out national model projects and contributing to the creation of templates. The same is true for regional revitalization, and it has become a model case for traditional industries, which is one of the major themes. In Toyama, industries that have taken root in local culture and customs and flourished in the characteristics of the production area, such as Takaoka copperware [Photo 2] and Ecchu washi paper, are now at a crossroads. For example, there are problems with successors, harsh working conditions, and the inability to procure raw materials. From now on, mechanization and digitization will be necessary, and we are also working on creating archives and how to preserve the "craftsmanship" of 100 years ago for future generations. There are many challenges, but we need to turn them into killer content, revitalize local industries, and strengthen aspects such as design and distribution, which have not been covered until now.

[Photo 1] Toyama Prefectural Design Center, located in an office park in Takaoka City
[Photo 2] Oda Kodouki's copper iced coffee cup (left) and Nagae's die-cast fan (right). Takaoka copperware, which has a history of over 400 years, is a nationally designated traditional craft, and its techniques have also been used in the casting of tin and aluminum. Many copperware manufacturers are now focusing on product design.

Q: Tell us about your latest projects.

A: At the Design Center, we are currently working on a project to brand a souvenir called "Etchu Toyama Kowakeno" [Photo 3]. At one time, Toyama Prefecture had a fiscal deficit of 50 billion yen, and the Design Center was targeted for streamlining and reorganization in the administrative reforms carried out by the current Governor Ryuichi Ishii. So I came up with the idea of the "Etchu Toyama Souvenir Project," which sells Toyama seafood as souvenirs for around 300 to 400 yen. We divided up the seafood that has been produced in a home industry into small packages and asked Takaoka City designer Mayumi Nakayama to design the packages. Sales have been quite good, and we are close to reaching 300 million yen. 18 companies in the prefecture have participated, and the Governor was very pleased with the project. Products that require molds to be made take several years to be commercialized, but food products can be made in as little as six months. In addition, in this day and age, souvenirs need to be in quantities that can be eaten without leaving anything, be reasonably priced so that they can be distributed to everyone, and be able to be ordered online again if the product tastes good. "Waza no Kowake" [Photo 4] is the second part of this souvenir project, and we are expanding the price range to around 3,000 to 7,000 yen. Through these efforts, I am trying to create a project of at least 1 billion yen. If we can earn even 5% in royalties, we can operate the design center on our own without receiving the prefecture's budget. There is no guarantee that the subsidy will continue forever, so we have made the slogan "a self-sustaining design center." The biggest problem in rural areas is that people still have the feeling that "if you lean on a big tree, you can hide in its shade," and are under the illusion that the big tree will continue to exist forever. We are trying to increase the power of rural areas by using design as a method to create various ventures and businesses, revitalizing the region and changing people's awareness.

By the way, when I go to Toyama, I always take a plane. There are two reasons. One is that I love planes (laughs). I'm impatient at heart, so I want to travel in the shortest time possible. The other reason is that currently, ANA flies four round trip flights a day between Haneda Airport and Toyama Airport, and I want to contribute even a little to keep this number up. This is surprisingly important. If the number of flights were to be reduced from four to two, there is a possibility that overseas airlines that currently come to Toyama Airport from Taiwan, Shanghai, Seoul, etc. will not be able to come. The reason is that they currently entrust the maintenance and refueling of aircraft at Toyama Airport to ANA, so if ANA were to withdraw, there would be no one to do the maintenance. Surprisingly, it is not uncommon for people in Toyama to fly from Toyama Airport to Incheon Airport in Seoul and then go to Europe from there. There are regular flights, so it is cheaper and faster to do so.

[Photo 3] The package design was unified using a common label.
"Kawasaki no Kowake" series. Winner of GOOD DESIGN AWARD in 2011.
[Photo 4] Created using Toyama's materials, techniques, and design capabilities
The "Techniques No Kowake" series offers products in uniform packaging.

Q: Design is your weapon because you understand how the world works.

A: I believe that I understand such mechanisms to a certain degree, including through experience. When I try to create something, I can imagine pretty quickly what would be more rational or what would sell, so I can give my opinion on any genre and I like to think about it together. When I was a child, I loved to imagine everything (laughs). I love to create my own dream stories, like the adventures of Tom Sawyer. That's why when I became an adult, I wanted to make them a reality. I've just moved from the phase of imagination to practice, and nothing has changed much for me. In most cases, it takes years to realize my dreams, but I'm a person who never gives up (laughs).

The only way to change the flow is to take action yourself. Just plan and try it yourself. The design center building itself is expanding rapidly, and in 2017, we added a design office building called "Creative Design Hub" to support designers, and this year we added a "Virtual Studio" [Photo 4]. This is a studio space that uses VR technology to verify 3D design data in actual size and three-dimensionally. It can support the development of large-scale designs such as building materials for homes and automotive-related products, which have been difficult to prototype due to cost and time. I have a lot of ideas in my drawer, so I want to make full use of them and not get stuck in my ideas.

[Photo 4] The virtual studio (VR/AR) opened in May 2019. Using VR equipment, 3D data for prototypes and other items can be verified in actual size. The new studio was established as an extension to the Creative Design Hub, which also rents out cutting-edge equipment such as 3D printers and modeling machines.
Back to Part 2

PROFILE

Design Director

Toshiki Kiriyama

Toshiki Kiriyama

Born in Nagano Prefecture in 1952. After working as a researcher in technology development, advertising marketing, and design/architecture editor, he founded the design planning and production company TRUNK Co., Ltd. in 1988. He has been involved in producing exhibitions both in Japan and overseas, and in launching the design information site/web magazine Japan Design Net (JDN). Since 1993, he has been working towards the establishment of the Toyama Prefectural Design Center. He is currently based in Tokyo, Toyama, and Milan, and is involved in direction, brand production, exhibition curation, etc. He is the director of TRUNK Co., Ltd., director of the Toyama Prefectural Design Center, and deputy director of the Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art and Design.

OTHER DISCUSSIONS

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R&D DISCUSSION Vol.52

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R&D DISCUSSION Vol.51

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R&D DISCUSSION Vol.50

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R&D DISCUSSION Vol.49

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Nobuyuki Ueda Professor Emeritus of Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Director of Neo Museum

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.48

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R&D DISCUSSION Vol.47

Light is Life: Humans on the Solar Earth [Part 2]

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R&D DISCUSSION Vol.46

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R&D DISCUSSION Vol45

Building fire-resistant wooden buildings [Part 2]

Noboru Yasui, Architect and Chairman of NPO team Timberize

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.44

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Noboru Yasui, Architect and Chairman of NPO team Timberize

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.43

What is a sign? What is sign design?
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Toshiaki Yashima Information Designer

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.42

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Toshiaki Yashima Information Designer

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.41

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R&D DISCUSSION Vol.40

Data-driven urban development that makes people happy [Part 2]

Taro Hitokoto Director of Neural Pocket Co., Ltd.

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.39

Data-driven urban development that makes people happy [Part 1]

Taro Hitokoto Director of Neural Pocket Co., Ltd.

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.38

Japan's Strategy for Achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2050 [Part 2]

Takuzo Saito Director of the Evaluation and Assessment Department, Housing and Construction Center, Better Living Foundation

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.37

Japan's strategy for achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 [Part 1]

Takuzo Saito Director of the Evaluation and Assessment Department, Housing and Construction Center, Better Living Foundation

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.36

The "extra" required for architecture revealed through regional projects [Part 2]

Yasushi Takeuchi Professor, Tohoku Institute of Technology (-2021), President and CEO, Abisei and Associates Inc. (2022-)

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.35

The "extra" required for architecture revealed through regional projects [Part 1]

Yasushi Takeuchi, Professor, Tohoku Institute of Technology (-2021), President and CEO, Abisei Planning Co., Ltd.

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.34

Before-Before Architecture Theory
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Toru Ajisaka, Professor, Kagoshima University

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.33

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R&D DISCUSSION Vol.32

How to create a "water mass" that attracts adults
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R&D DISCUSSION Vol.31

How to create a "water mass" that attracts adults
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R&D DISCUSSION Vol.30

How to create a "water mass" that attracts adults
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R&D DISCUSSION Vol.29

Wellness and Performance Management
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Takayuki Hirai
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R&D DISCUSSION Vol.28

Wellness and Performance Management
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R&D DISCUSSION Vol.27

A work style that brings about innovation
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Takahiro Sakamoto
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R&D DISCUSSION Vol.26

A work style that brings about innovation
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Takahiro Sakamoto
Representative of SSIN LLC, Advisor of KOKUYO Co., Ltd.'s Work Style Reform Project

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.25

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Masataka Baba Architect

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.24

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Masataka Baba Architect

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.23

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Masataka Baba Architect

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.22

Architecture in Film: Special Effects TV and Comedy Films of the 1960s [Part 2]

Tatsuo Iso  Architectural Journalist

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.21

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Tatsuo Iso  Architectural Journalist

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.20

Pioneering the future with the power of design
Discovering Young Artists [Part 2]

Toshiki Kiriyama Director

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.19

Pioneering the future with the power of design
Discovering Young Artists [Part 2]

Toshiki Kiriyama Director

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.18

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Toshiki Kiriyama Director

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.17

The present and future of theater space
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R&D DISCUSSION Vol.16

The present and future of theater space
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Masaji Ito + Kenji Maruyama Theater Workshop Co., Ltd.

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.15

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R&D DISCUSSION Vol.14

How to create public spaces with 100% occupancy rate
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Yuko Yamashita Yamashita, Network creator, Hiroba-nist

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.13

Designing "social fluctuations"
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Shoji Okabe
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R&D DISCUSSION Vol.12

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R&D DISCUSSION Vol.11

A workplace that fosters innovation
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R&D DISCUSSION Vol.10

A workplace that fosters innovation
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R&D DISCUSSION Vol.09

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R&D DISCUSSION Vol.08

Environmentally friendly architecture and healthy spaces drive the economy
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R&D DISCUSSION Vol.07

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R&D DISCUSSION Vol.06

The centripetal force of a single sketch that depicts a scene from the future [Part 2]

Tetsuo Fukuda Industrial Designer

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Tetsuo Fukuda Industrial Designer

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.04

Thinking about future redevelopment from postwar "buildings" [Part 2]

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R&D DISCUSSION Vol.03

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R&D DISCUSSION Vol.02

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Kozo Yamada, Director and Advisor, GK Design Group Inc.

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.01

Architecture: Perspectives from Industrial Design [Part 1]

Kozo Yamada, Director and Advisor, GK Design Group Inc.
R&D TOP

Update : 2019.10.29

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