Exhibitor presentations

Xperience Area in South Halls 3/4 - Free & Open to All

Tue 3 June14:30 ~ 15:15

Ingenious design

Presented by ITOKI

A talk session featuring Hirotaka Tako, ITOKI Chief Creative Director, and Jin Kuramoto, JIN KURAMOTO STUDIO CEO.
Both active at the forefront of product design, the two experts will offer their perspectives on “design for creative work.”

Hirotaka Tako: ITOKI Chief Creative Director

Hirotaka Tako is a Japanese Creative Director who was born in 1971.
He worked at TOTO before joining Sony in 2003. He was stationed at Sony Design Center Europe in London and contributed to the development and design of products for the European market and participated in Milan Salone exhibitions. Since returning to Japan, he has been in charge of comprehensive creative direction for home entertainment categories such as TVs, design R&D.
From 2019 he led Design Center Europe as Creative Director and Head of the Center. After returned to Japan, he has joined ITOKI as Chief Creative Director from March in 2025.

Jin Kuramoto: JIN KURAMOTO STUDIO CEO

Jin Kuramoto is a Japanese designer who was born in 1976 on a small island in the countryside. He established JIN KURAMOTO STUDIO INC. in 2008 and designs a wide range of products including furniture, home appliances and everyday items. He values the process of repeated trial and error, touching materials, listening to their voice, prototyping in a studio full of inspiration, and making what he calls ‘positive accidents’. His work has won numerous international awards, including the Red Dot Award ‘Best of the Best’, and the iF Product Design Award.

Wed 4 June12:30 ~ 13:15

A New Era of Office Design: Investing in Comfort and Fostering for Conversation
Creating Spaces Where Connection and Engagement Can Thrive

Presented by SHOTENKENCHIKU

Koji Aoki

Junpei Oka

Naoki Yasumoto

Kengo Hashimoto

Speakers: Koji AokiSenior Manager Creative Design Sec. Workplace Division, KOKUYO CO., LTD.; Junpei OkaChief Designer, ITOKI CORPORATION; Naoki YasumotoChief Creative Director TANSEISHA Co., Ltd.; Kengo HashimotoOut of Home Business Manager, Nestle Japan Limited

Moderator: Kenichi ShiotaEditor-in-chief Monthly Magazine “SHOTENKENCHIKU”

Wed 4 June13:30 ~ 14:15

KOKUYO's 100 Challenge Stories:
How we create innovative things with our experimental culture

Presented by KOKUYO

Since its founding, KOKUYO has continuously transformed the workspace and workstyle of Japan. At the heart of this lies a unique experimental culture driven by the principle of “trying first and failing first.” In this seminar, Yojiro Kinoshita and young talent Ryoma Maeda will introduce, for the first time, KOKUYO’s 100 Creatives and the birth stories behind them.

YOJIRO KINOSHITA: 1M project, Product development department, Global workplace business division, Kokuyo Co., Ltd.

Joined Kokuyo Co., Ltd. in 1990. Led innovations in office chair development through a design-engineering approach based on ergonomics and ethnography.
Received Awards : iF Design Award Gold, Red Dot Design Award Best of the Best, and Good Design Award Gold.

RYOMA MAEDA: 1M project, Product development department, Global workplace business division, Kokuyo Co., Ltd.

Joined Kokuyo Co., Ltd. in 2017. Specialized in office chair development and design, with additional responsibilities in interior planning and design.Received Awards :iF Design Award, Red Dot Design Award, Good Design Award Gold, and JIDA Museum Selection.

Wed 4 June14:30 ~ 15:15

Envisioning Tomorrow by Hand — Places of Belonging Shaped through Imagination and Observation

Presented by OKAMURA

Tetsuo Kobori

Shinichi Taketa

Ryo Igarashi

Ayumi Mineno

Moderator: Shinichi Taketa Freelance Announcer

Speakers: Tetsuo Kobori Principal Architect, Tetsuo Kobori Architects; Ryo Igarashi General Manager, Advanced Seating Design Center, OKAMURA CORPORATION; Ayumi Mineno Researcher, Work Design Institute, OKAMURA CORPORATION

Thu 5 June13:30 ~ 14:15

From Intention to Impact:
Creating Workspaces That Care for People and Planet

Presented by Humanscale

Jane Abernethy: Chief Sustainability Officer Humanscale

Joined Humanscale as a designer in 2007, later becoming the industry’s first – and still only – Chief Sustainability Officer. Has spoken at leading international platforms including the United Nations, the World Ocean Summit, and Greenbuild. Currently serves as Vice Chair of Sustainability at BIFMA (the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association). Within Humanscale, has led numerous initiatives, including the company’s participation in the Living Product Challenge (LPC) – considered to set the most rigorous standards for sustainable manufacturing in the industry.