naoya iwama installs floating hello kitty exhibition in tokyo
image © atsushi nakamichi/nacasa & partners

 

 

 

the globally recognizable hello kitty character has made her way inside tokyo’s fukoku life building in the form as an exhibition within the company’s entrance hall. for the project, fukoku life insurance teamed up with sanrio to produce 62 unique graphics that illustrate her in costumes that represent each branch of the company across japan. each version of hello kitty is shown wearing an ensemble that combines the specific history, people and characteristics of each area, and is suspended at eye-level for visitors to enjoy.
hello kitty museum tokyo designboom
floating frame at eye level
image © atsushi nakamichi/nacasa & partners

 

 

 

designed by naoya iwama, the exhibition space itself is simple, with little use of interior decoration in order to draw attention to each design. visitors enter through a ‘noren’ (japanese split curtain) and are immediately greeted with the hello kitty visual frames, which float above the ground showing an abstract map of japan. simultaneously, the floor graphic acts as traffic lines to encourage a directional flow of movement.

hello kitty museum tokyo designboom
abstract map of japan where the frames float above its region
image © atsushi nakamichi/nacasa & partners
hello kitty museum tokyo designboommovement through the exhibition
image © atsushi nakamichi/nacasa & partnershello kitty museum tokyo designboom
image © atsushi nakamichi/nacasa & partners 

hello kitty museum tokyo designboom
image © atsushi nakamichi/nacasa & partnershello kitty museum tokyo designboom

the noren at the entrance to the exhibition hall
image © atsushi nakamichi/nacasa & partners

hello kitty museum tokyo designboomexhibition from the exterior
image © atsushi nakamichi/nacasa & partnershello kitty museum tokyo designboom
example of the frames where hello kitty is shown in area specific outfit
image © atsushi nakamichi/nacasa & partners hello kitty museum tokyo designboom
1:50 floorplan of the exhibit

 

 

project info:

 

venue: fukoku seimei building entrance hall, 2-2-2, uchisaiwai-cho, chiyoda-ku, tokyo 100-0011, japan
duration: december 8, 2014 – june 30, 2015
client: fukoku mutual life insurance company
designer: naoya iwama / hakuhodo product’s inc.
photographer: atsushi nakamichi / nacasa & partners