Tokyo Seeds
I was invited to a design residency hosted by East Japan Railway to consult on ways to activate neighborhood stations at stops along the popular Yamanote loop through central Tokyo.
As one of six international designers, I spent two weeks researching and ideating, and presented my proposals to an audience of employees at the train company. Yes, it felt like a season of MTV’s Real World.
My assigned station—Nippori—is nestled at the junction of three distinct neighborhoods: the historic “Fabric Town,” the art school neighborhood with experimental galleries, and a quiet residential area with micro hotels, cute restaurants, and traditional craft stores tucked between homes and public bathhouses.
I proposed a series of activations that engaged local and international artists, train company employees, and visitors, in an effort to reimagine the tourist/local binary as a guest/host relationship.
Skills: creative consulting, place-based research, neighborhood immersion, design thinking, urban activation, social engagement, presentation design, pitch delivery, public speaking
Client: East Japan Railway Company
Collaborator: Pip Lu from O.OO, Taiwan
Host: Agency Hamayak, TOKYO SEEDS
Contact:
nicolelavelle@gmail.com