ISAN Value UP Open Talk: Explore World-Class Design Cases from 3 FabCafes in Japan

Speakers

• Kotaro Iwaoka

  Founding member of FabCafe, President and CEO of Hidakuma

  Kotaro Iwaoka is the CEO of Hidakuma. In 2011, Kotaro joined the creative company Loftwork, Inc. with the idea of creating the world’s first cafe equipped with digital fabrication machines, “”FabCafe””. In 2012, he opened the first FabCafe in Tokyo, where he worked as the Creative and Operations Director. In 2015, Kotaro contributed to the launch of Hida no Mori de Kuma ga Odoru (“”Hidakuma””), a project aimed at promoting the woods and craftsmanship of Hida, Japan. In 2016 helped open FabCafe Hida and has served as the CEO of Hidakuma since 2019.

  Kotaro Iwaoka is the CEO of Hidakuma. In 2011, Kotaro joined the creative company Loftwork, Inc. with the idea of creating the world’s first cafe equipped with digital fabrication machines, “”FabCafe””. In 2012, he opened the first FabCafe in Tokyo, where he worked as the Creative and Operations Director. In 2015, Kotaro contributed to the launch of Hida no Mori de Kuma ga Odoru (“”Hidakuma””), a project aimed at promoting the woods and craftsmanship of Hida, Japan. In 2016 helped open FabCafe Hida and has served as the CEO of Hidakuma since 2019.

• Nami Urano

  SPCS / Loftwork Inc.

  After graduating from university, Nami joined Loftwork, where she was involved in planning and organizing business events at the Shibuya office, as well as managing industry-academia collaboration communities between Japanese companies and overseas universities. In 2020, she helped launch and manage the COUNTERPOINT residency program at FabCafe Kyoto. She is also actively engaged in articulating the activities of FabCafe’s global network and cultivating a foundation for inter-location collaboration. Since 2022, she has been responsible for launching and managing SPCS (“Species”), a community that explores the uncontrollability of nature. Her formative experiences include studying social security systems in university, learning about Denmark’s folk high schools, living in a kibbutz in Israel, and co-hosting a fermentation club with chef Momoyo Morimoto. These experiences have sparked her interest in creating chaos within spaces, cultivating environments that embrace complexity and spontaneity.

  After graduating from university, Nami joined Loftwork, where she was involved in planning and organizing business events at the Shibuya office, as well as managing industry-academia collaboration communities between Japanese companies and overseas universities. In 2020, she helped launch and manage the COUNTERPOINT residency program at FabCafe Kyoto. She is also actively engaged in articulating the activities of FabCafe’s global network and cultivating a foundation for inter-location collaboration. Since 2022, she has been responsible for launching and managing SPCS (“Species”), a community that explores the uncontrollability of nature. Her formative experiences include studying social security systems in university, learning about Denmark’s folk high schools, living in a kibbutz in Israel, and co-hosting a fermentation club with chef Momoyo Morimoto. These experiences have sparked her interest in creating chaos within spaces, cultivating environments that embrace complexity and spontaneity.

• Tsuyoshi Yagi

  CEO of DOSO Inc., Founder of SARUYA Hostel, Designer, Artist

  Born in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Graduated from L’École Nationale Supérieure d’art de Dijon. After returning from France in 2009, he worked as a graphic designer in Tokyo, established SARUYA HOSTEL in Fujiyoshida in 2015, and currently runs the SARUYA Artist-in-Residence program.

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  Born in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Graduated from L’École Nationale Supérieure d’art de Dijon. After returning from France in 2009, he worked as a graphic designer in Tokyo, established SARUYA HOSTEL in Fujiyoshida in 2015, and currently runs the SARUYA Artist-in-Residence program.

Organizers