We weave a new future from materials made using the same production methods that have remained unchanged for 130 years.

HANPU! OKAYAMA PROJECT ~Creating Canvas Designs with Creators from Okayama" is a design competition that aims to connect creators and sellers in the region and throughout Japan using canvas, a traditional material from Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, as its subject matter. A total of 123 works were submitted by nearly 100 creators to create the future of canvas as a material.

Judging from a flexible perspective that goes beyond product design

All of the works gathered were of high quality expression. For this year's competition, we asked people who do not specialize in products to serve as judges and evaluate designs with new ideas. The heated judging session included not only unanimous decisions, but also works that were especially highly evaluated based on the expertise of the jury members.

It was not easy to come to a conclusion because there were so many excellent designs, but the judges' perspectives and ideas were mixed in the judging: "Is it well thought out that it is made of canvas? The judging was a mixture of different perspectives and ideas. In the end, five entries were selected based on the characteristics of the canvas material, its impact on potential sales, and above all, the novel ideas that surprised the judges.

General comments on the project

Fumio Nanjo, Director, Mori Art Museum

Japan is said to be a manufacturing powerhouse, but I really think it is just the beginning. Local regions will create a variety of things. They will create things that are unique. This will lead to the creation of things that cannot be found in Tokyo. When these things spread throughout the country, I think Japan will become a very unique country. Gradually, tourists from overseas, for example, will not come to Tokyo, but will instead visit Okayama and say, "Let's go to Okayama," or "Let's go to XXX. I am sure that this will happen. Just as Japan once formed a mature culture during the Edo period, I believe that Japan will form its own unique world. I hope we can make Japan like that from now on.

Naoki Ito (CEO, PARTY / Professor, Kyoto University of Art and Design)

I think about these ideas every day, so I can't look at them objectively. I end up thinking, "What would I think if it were me? There are a lot of ideas that make me jealous and think, "I didn't know I could do that! I thought those ideas were wonderful. Some of the works were so good that I thought, "Oh, my God! I think the future of canvas will become even more interesting if this contest can be a catalyst for change. I would like to continue to support this contest.

Tomu Kawada (eldest of the three AR brothers)

I think there were some works that were selected and some that were not, but all of them had interesting points of view, and I think the difference was whether or not they really thought about whether or not they should be fabrics. I think it would be interesting to take this opportunity to think about this kind of tactile design as if it were homework. I think it would be interesting to take this opportunity to think about it as if it were homework. I also thought I should think about it carefully.

The five winning entries will be exhibited at the AEON MALL Okayama in the next fiscal year after prototype production.