GINZA STREET LAB

Experiments to create a buzz
and build relationships with the
people of Ginza

COMMUNICATION DESIGN
SPACE/VMD/WINDOW DESIGN
SOCIAL

Shiseido Creative and Musashino Art University's Department of Creative Innovation planned and executed the joint industry-university project, “Crafting New Beauty 2021 - Co-creation of Sustainable Beauty Lifestyle” in conjunction with the window art project "Ginza Ecology: Human Activities in Ginza" at Shiseido Ginza Building. The "GINZA STREET LAB" exhibit was held to display the work.
Dates: November 29 — December 17, 2021
Venue: Shiseido Ginza Bldg.

This project is an attempt to pave the way to a brighter future for Ginza by closely examining the “human ecosystem” based on Shiseido’s idea of sustainability and coexistence between people, society and the planet.
In this project, students unfamiliar with Ginza were divided into three groups and observed their designated streets through artistic research and performance techniques. Students spoke with locals and created art using words, sounds, and colors as a medium to discover new values in the everyday life of Ginza.
The project was realized through a co-creation program involving Shiseido’s in-house and external creators, specialists, and Ginza locals.

New Experiences Begin with Dialogue

Group A created “HANASU” — a flower that grows by feeding on people's words. The interactive installation allowed visitors to write on the display — their words becoming a representation of the real Ginza.
The experiment showed that dialogue is the starting point for richer experiences and deeper relationships.

Connecting people through Shiritori.

TEAM B created a Shiritori-style word game that began from the word “Ginza”.
Participant’s answers were then displayed as audio art and graphics, with viewers able to feel the connections between each Ginza-inspired word.
The display gave a glimpse into the history and lifestyles of the people of Ginza.

Red is the Color of Ginza.

TEAM C created the “Doki Doki Red Shop”.
By wandering the city in eye-catching red clothing and hunting for anything red, students realized that the color red plays a leading role in Ginza. At the “Doki Doki Red Shop”, students then displayed the various red items they had found, and shared original stickers with visitors.

Sustainable Beauty Through Photographs and Words

Preserving Ginza’s beauty for the next 100 years.
In addition to work from the three student teams, the exhibition included sessions with experts in art, philosophy, environmental humanities, and design.
In this exhibition, over 100 original Ginza-inspired postcards were displayed and distributed. Each postcard was accompanied by a short piece of copy unrelated to the photograph — including keywords and memorable phrases extracted from students’ “sustainable beauty” essays.

CREDITS

PROJECT DIRECTION

Shiseido Creative Division

MIKA ISHII (Program Facilitator / Guest Researcher of Research Center of Social Creative, Musashino Art University) / KEISUKE HORI (“GINZA ASSEMBLAGE MAP” Art Director) / DAISUKE TAKADA / SACHIKO TAKAMINE

Department of Creative Innovation, Musashino Art University

Professor HIROMI INOKUCHI / SAKURA KOYAMA / FUKA WAKASA / SAYOKO NARUTA

RESEARCH

RESEARCHER Students of Department of Creative Innovation, Musashino Art University

TEAM A SARINA URAYAMA / YOKO KONNO / YUZUKI TALEYAMA / RIKO TSUYUKUBO / LEE SUPIN

TEAM B AKITSU KINOSHITA / ONEI SAI / KOHARU SAKAGAMI / HARU NAYUKI

TEAM C AYANE IWAI / YUKINO ONO / YUUA KOSHIO / MINORI MORIYA

YUI IIDA / MIRIN IKI / YUNO INUI / YUKI KAJINO / TAMAO KIYONO / KANSHIRO KOYAMA / YOSHITO GONDO / HONAMI TOZAWA / YUUNE NAKAZAWA / KANA HAMANO / JUNKO MASUNO / GENTO MARUYAMA / KOUSUKE YAMADA

PARTNER

GINZA RESEARCH PARTNERS

MINORU KURIIWA (BAR MORITA, as of September 2021) / SHIN WATANABE (ICHIBANKAN TAILOR) / YUKIKO KANBE (CHAIRS) / YOSHIYUKI MORIOKA(MORIOKA SHOTEN) / AKIHISA NAKAMURA (NAKAMURA KATSUJI) / SOHEI MATSUZAKI(MATSUZAKI SHOTEN)

PROJECT PARTNERS

KAZUYA SHIMOKAWA (ITOSHOW LAB) / KENISHIRO ITO (SHISEIDO ART HOUSE) / TAKASHI KURATA(Meiji University) / NATSUKI ISHIGAMI (Playwright) / KENJI TOYOTA (Shiseido Beauty Creation Center) / TAKAAKI UBA (Shiseido Creative Lab) / MASATO YOSHIKAWA / NANA UEDA / YUTA YAMAZAKI(BBmedia) / HAKUTEN CREATIVE