About
MAKING a case for heritage Japanese materials.
Kyoto Research Institute is dedicated to the study of Japan’s rich natural resources and traditional techniques that craft what we call "heritage materials."
Our mission is to research, educate, and inspire practical application of these materials in everyday living.
In exploring the cultural and ecological significance of these materials, our global community leverage these learnings toward more responsible business practices and lifestyle choices, no matter the area of specialty. This is why we create educational mediums based on our research, to inspire how we may integrate these materials in-real-life.
Our work is not about innovation—it is about rediscovery. By looking to local traditions of the past, we arm ourselves with better tools to navigate some of the most pressing issues today, and build a more thoughtful and sustainable collective future.
CREATE EDUCATIONAL MEDIUMS
Kyoto Research Institute transforms research into mediums that promote tangible engagement.
Publishing: books and other printed matter to educate and inspire
Programs: curriculum for schools and businesses to promote interactive learning
Products: practical products and art pieces merging functionality with cultural significance
Production: multi-media content creation to reach a spectrum of learning styles
Places: curated spaces and exhibitions to deliver heritage materials through a sensory experience
STUDY HERITAGE MATERIALS
We combine findings from anthropological fieldwork with expert insights.
Our studies take place within hyper-local communities, where we conduct ethnographic research, observe regional ecology, document generational knowledge, and examine historical texts. We then work with highly-specialized experts to establish metrics to measure and validate our findings, and prove its value as a modern sustainable material.
ANTHROPOLOGICAL FIELDWORK
Build relationships
Gain access
Receive trusted introductions
FOUNDATION
DISCOVERY
Interviews and other multi-media recording
Sampling of materials
Learning and practicing techniques
Transcription
Identify historical texts, art, and artifacts for additional context
Cross-reference adjacent studies
INTERPRETATION
SUSTAINABILITY CATEGORIES
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Climate, biodiversity, agriculture, foraging, forestry, energy, air, wildlife, waterways
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Policy making, taxation, cash flow, government grants, innovation, portfolio management, labor
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Education, infrastructure, community, humanitarian, communications, artistic expression
OUR TEAM
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Sawane Kato
Assistant Associate
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Misa Murata
Research Associate
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Momoko Nakamura
Founding Partner
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Toshiaki Nakano
Partner
Kyoto Research Institute was founded under the direction of Momoko Nakamura. Her interest in fieldwork across the archipelago is rooted in over 20 years of communicating and educating on cookery culture and the food system. The Institute’s research now extends beyond food, exploring a wide spectrum of the materials that create Japanese living, and shares these learnings in the form of educational programming, products, publishing, and places.
THE EXPERTS
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Toyoki Iwao
Marine Biology
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Kazuma Matsuki
Tsuchikabe Earthen Walls
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Riku Matsuzaki
Kyoto-style Indigo
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Masako Nakagami
Pottery
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Kyoko Yoneda
Regional Tea Revitalization
All of our research is performed in conjunction with experts in the area of study. With their help we are able to experiment together, discuss very real challenges and possibilities, and access more intel in the field to continue to gather the most comprehensive and responsible story possible.
CASE STUDY
HERITAGE MATERIAL-INFORMED DESIGN
LOGO
The logo is an evolution from hanko carver, to graphic designer, to hanga artist.
In Japanese, research is kenkyu 研究. Made up of two characters which allude to mastering the art of polishing. The first character 研 (polish) is derived from the classical character 幵. And this is where we take our inspiration. Ultimately, the logo to the right, is no longer a character or word. It is meaningless yet meaningful. It is a nod to the earth’s strata, folk craft, ancestral storytelling, the microseasonal calendar, and the mountains and sea that make up this archipelago. It is also an ode to the techniques that take natural resources and make them into heritage materials.
COLORS
The colors are sourced from the DIC Color Guide of the Traditional Japanese Palette. Each offers greater context to the socio-political climate, terroir, and sensibilities across time.
DIC N-960 Sumiiro
HEX #1C1C1E
DIC N-959 Kuriiro
HEX #2F2417
DIC N-815 Hiwairo
HEX #756616
DIC N-952 Nibiiro
HEX #726557
DIC N-962 Kunugi
HEX #A37160
DIC N-780 Usukouiro
HEX #DFD0B5
DIC N-881 Asagiiro
HEX #0C7C94
SUMIIRO The color of calligraphy ink in traditional Japanese paintings. While the Chinese ink has a blue undertone, the Japanese ink has a brown undertone.
KURIIRO Chestnut, hazel, and the like that contain a large amount of tannin, produces this black color with brown hues in the botanical dyeing process.
HIWAIRO An austere yet refined color that was used frequently from the Momoyama Period (1568-) through the Edo Period (-1868) as a product of the proliferation of tea ceremony.
NIBIIRO A historic color of Japan, it is a grey with green and brown undertones.
KUNUGI The color of textiles worn by commoners. Brown did not exist until after the Heian Period (794 - 1185). Instead, easily accessible nuts and tree bark were used to achieve this hue.
USUKOUIRO The lightest hue produced by steeped clove tree to dye textiles. A slight scent is paired with the color.
ASAGIIRO A traditional color of Japan, named after a slight blue hue mingling with a Japanese leek. It is an ode to the color that appears for a split second during the indigo dyeing process.
Contact
info@kyotoresearchinstitute.com