[Kyogen] A spot with glittering family crest designs has opened in Kuramae, Tokyo

Kyogen applies digital technology to the art of drawing “family crests” and is involved in product design as well as spatial production for stores, hotels, restaurants, and other facilities. An original family crest design created for the new Kuramae JP Terrace facility in Kuramae, Tokyo, was unveiled this spring.

The Kuramae JP Terrace, a large-scale complex built as a place of exchange where diverse uses are connected, consists of an office building, a residential building, and a logistics building, and is equipped with a post office, a nursery school, a store (bakery), a rooftop garden, and other facilities for community-based use.
The Kyogen crest can be seen at the “Kuramae-no Komichi,” an entrance with a warehouse motif, located on the west side of the residential building site on a pathway through the site. The name “Kuramae” comes from the fact that the Edo Shogunate’s rice storehouse (Asakusa Okura) was located in this area, and Kyogen’s crest design was inspired by the history of Kuramae, with three different designs created by Shoryu Hatoba, a Monsho-uwaeshi, an artisan who hand-paints family crests on kimono.

The family crest that shines on the front of the warehouse reads “Hosowa ni Okura Shubinomatsu”. The pine tree was the tree which the Toshigami-sama, the New Year’s deity, descended upon, and was regarded as a symbol of longevity because of its vitality, always green even when exposed to snow and frost. This family crest is an auspicious symbol of this plan, combining the topography of the Asakusa Okura with the pine tree at the end, which resembles the branches of a pine tree.
In addition, Kyogen’s original artwork “Mon x Studs” is displayed at the entrances of the rental apartments and the residential building for the elderly, and a framed Mon-Mandala artwork is displayed in front of the elevators of the residential building.

The path is also a lush green space for relaxation, and a newly drawn old map of the site’s surroundings is placed on the wall to provide visitors with a glimpse into the history of Kuramae.

Why not stop by when you are in the neighborhood or on a day off with good weather?

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[Kuramae JP Terrace]
A large-scale complex by Japan Post Real Estate Co., Ltd.
It mainly consists of the “JP Lion Building (office building)”, “residential building” and “logistics building”.
It is also equipped with a post office, nursery school, and stores for the convenience of local residents, and as a facility rooted in the community, it contributes to enhancing the attractiveness of Kuramae, a town where downtown culture and new culture coexist.

Location: 1-3-28 Kuramae, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Completion of construction: March 31, 2023
Maximum height: 90 m
Scale: 23 floors above ground

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[Works]

Mon/Old Map: Shoryu Hatoba
Artwork by: Shoryu Hatoba and Yohji Hatoba

■Kuramon
Production: Harada Sakan

■”Mon x Studs”
Paint: Benjamin Moore

■MON-MANDALA art frame
Handmade Hosho paper: Living National Treasure Ichibei Iwano
Dyeing and printing: Shunichi Kida, Qbic

■Old Maps
Production: Taisei Corporation
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Kyogen

■Business website:
http://www.kyogen-kamon.com/

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@HatobaShoryu

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