4 insights from a holiday in Japan

Last December some of the Arkivio team visited Japan and got to experience this inspiring & techno-savvy country that so effortlessly blends the new with the old.

Here are 4 insights from our trip to Japan from a design and spacial point of view.

1. Robotics enters the world of hospitality and food service! 

   With a late flight arrival in Tokyo, we decided to spend a night at a nearby Hotel. To our surprise, we were greeted by a robotic receptionist accompanied by a pair of robot dinosaurs (all wearing Christmas hats!). They artfully led us through the check-in procedure. The dreaded chore of checking in was transformed into a fun, interactive experience for all.

2. The Japanese display their family names outside residences.

   Many of which are beautifully carved into wood and visible when walking the streets. In the recently developed, upmarket areas we saw intricately designed family plaques made from brass, stainless steel and wrought iron. These were often combined with LED lighting to create an impression of prestige and wealth.

3. Shuttered concrete walls run seamlessly from exterior to interiors.

   During our walks, this simple but expertly executed construction technique spoke to our minimalist roots. The shuttered concrete technique was used artfully in many high-end shops, exteriors and interiors, bringing a minimalist approach that had slight imperfectness to it, recalling the Japanese Wabi-Sabi roots of beauty.

4. The most high-tech toilets you've ever seen!

   Equipped with functions to comfort and ease your experience such as seat warming, playing music or the melody of flushing water to hide any embarrassing sounds, seat lids which raise and lower automatically with bidets of every strength.

There was so much to learn from this ancient nation that still leads the world in terms of design and manufacturing. We loved their incredible architecture, meticulous attention to detail, bizarre and delicious foods and can't wait to return again to meet more of the friendliest people in the world!