Nagano's Suwa region, which was named "The Switzerland of the East"
A project which has been working together with Suwa City in Nagano Prefecture since 2016 to discover and transmit the appeal of Suwa's world-class precision machining technology. It expands the initiative to discover new values and opportunities for use for the technology, and to convey the charm of Suwa's craftsmanship with creative power.
Using Suwa's techniques, they have launched hackathons to modify mini 4WDs, and undertake various projects aimed at regional revitalization, including collecting applications and uses for "Light Face", a light canvas which is 11mm thick.
About Suwa City
After the Second World War, the Suwa region in Nagano Prefecture flourished as a center for the manufacture of clocks, cameras and music boxes, and was named the "The Switzerland of the East." In the 2000s, aiming to transform the industrial structure, it capitalized on micro-processing techniques cultivated by the manufacture of precision equipment, and shifted toward the manufacture of high precision industrial machinery and automobile-related parts in response to the needs of industry.
With businesses possessing the top processing technology in the world standing side by side in the same city, the DNA of those techniques and "craftsmanship" continues to be passed down even now.
About the SUWA design project
A project which transmits the potential and appeal of Suwa City's high precision machining technology through matching and joint development between manufacturing businesses in Nagano Prefecture's Suwa City and businesses and creators in urban areas. This year, a factory visit will be conducted together with personnel from new businesses related to development, with a theme of "mini 4WDs." Following this, we will create mini 4WDs using precision technology at a hackathon, and spread Suwa City's high-level precision machining technology widely.
