CULTURE SNACK by KOKUYO Co., Ltd. (Japan)

CULTURE SNACK was a public event held by KOKUYO in the Shinagawa area of Tokyo's business district for four days from 11/27~11/30/2024. The concept was “Redesigning 100 hours in the business district". We opened the ground level of the office building to the city, invited a total of about 250 POPUP food stalls and marche, and converted a part of the office into a park-like place to stay while scattering public furniture.

In Japan, the vitality of office districts is declining due to the decline in the working population and the spread of hybrid work styles. By redefining the business district as a place that nurtures the culture of the city, rather than just a place for commuting and work, we hope to transform it into a bright and energetic place where people can feel attached to. The name “CULTURE SNACK” reflects our hope that people will enjoy the city's culture as if it were a snack.

The POPUP food stalls and marché were run by workers and residents of the area. Exhibitors were publicly solicited several months before the event. More than 150 different POPUPs were exhibited, including a sweets shoppe by sales employees, a bouldering wall project by members of the facilities management staff, and a sauna by sauna-loving employees. Visitors experienced what they presented, and new collaborations and connections were born. We hope that this movement will be the catalyst for fostering an exciting culture in the business district.

For 100 hours during the period, we dotted the ground level of the office with holiday park-like activities and furniture. We were able to create a place where people could feel a sense of human richness and change of time in the gaps between the busy business districts where time passes so quickly. The large table in the center of the park was filled with workers on their way to work and families, each working, eating, and spending their time freely.

The POPUP food stalls and the marché are fixtures that can be moved and changed, and by freely changing their arrangement over the course of the four days, we aimed to create a place where people can circulate according to the time of day. The graphics scattered throughout the area are artwork depicting workers discovering new selves and breaking out of their shells. The light, pop colors push back a new movement born in a gray, homogenous business district.

CULTURE SNACK is a 4-day event, but we plan to continue this activity in the future, so that this landscape will permeate the daily life of the city.

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Website: https://www.kokuyo.com/