Exploring the stranger's perspective
New value and context for the city

​​Yukako Ishikawa

Urban Experience Designer Co-Chairman, for Cities General Incorporated Association

#Curiosity, #Curiosity

Yukako Ishikawa of “for Cites”, a design studio for urban experiences, stays in cities and towns in Japan and abroad to conduct research, workshops, and zine production. She also provides community-led talks on topics...

Music played by an orchestra named K5
A conductor that guides unique pieces

Ola Rune

Co Founder of Claesson Koivisto Rune

#ClaessonKoivistoRune, #Curiosity, #Curiosity, #Curiosity, #Curiosity, #Curiosity, #Curiosity, #Curiosity, #Curiosity, #Curiosity

The Swedish design unit Claesson Koivisto Rune consists of Marten Claesson, Eero Koivisto, and Ola Rune. Also known as "CKR", the trio is active internationally in the fields of architecture and interior design. Durin...

Identity guided by curiosity
Expressing the essence of an island through the tip of a brush

Daichiro Shinjo

Artist

Being on an island, surrounded by sea, the act of "moving" becomes a connection to the outside world. The isolation of an island, however, also allows for a unique culture and tradition. Daichiro Shinjo is an artist f...

The garden of K5
A space made with plants of the four seasons

Kei Amano

Yard Works

#K5

Kei Amano is a gardener, creating spaces using only plants as his medium. He is well known for his originality and sense of style. "The Soil" in Yamanashi Prefecture, is his home base where he plots and plans projects...

Inside Out.
Essence and functional beauty in the details

Daisuke Obana

N. HOOLYWOOD Designer

In order to understand the design and uniform style of UNITED ARROWS & SONS, which was recently adopted for K5's uniforms, we interviewed designer Daisuke Obana and asked him about his past and future relationship wit...

HEART of the living dead
Half-human, half-zombie.

Seiichi Saito

President of Panoramatiks (formerly known as Rhizomatiks Architecture)

When it comes to cities, Seiichi Saito’s approach uses a mixture of architectural perspective and creative thinking. He tackles issues head-on, pulling the invisible threads of the world around him to create a clearer...

Does the chair or the space come first?
Gridlines drawn from the tabletop of culture

Yusuke Seki

Architectural Designer

Architect Yusuke Seki was in high school when the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake struck, forcing him to bear witness to the crumbling city. During the reconstruction, his perceptions were reshaped as he made new conne...

In Search of the Urban Context

Akihiro Matsui

Kontext Editor in Chief

During the process of creating K5 with my friends, we would visit Nihonbashi Kabuto-cho often. Over time, I fell in love with this city.