Noren Project
For Mitsui Fudosan
Logo (Noren) Design, Planning
COREDO Muromachi Terrace was completed in October 2019 at the intersection of Muromachi 3-chome, Nihonbashi, as a new commercial facility by Mitsui Fudosan. To coincide with the opening, large curtains, noren in Japanese, serving as signboards, were hung at the entrances of Nihonbashi COREDO, COREDO Muromachi Terrace and Mitsui Main Building, all of which are operated by Mitsui Fudosan.
Promotional videos produced in September 2018; eight videos in total (English/French versions) for each season.
Konoe designed and produced a total of five norens in collaboration with Minoru Hakuba, art director of Nakamura Ltd, which specializes in curtain production, and Seiryu Hatoba, a third-generation crest-joer.
Konoe chose the design concept of 'Do' for the curtains.
For example, at the entrance to COREDO Muromachi Terrace, a pentagonal shape that symbolizes the starting point of the Five Routes, was created with a series of nested masu boxes to represent the crowd gathering and entering the building.
The noren was originally a curtain with the store name or other information dyed on it and hung in front of the store. It is an important symbolic component of Japanese culture that does not exist in the West.
The Nihonbashi area during the Edo period (from the exhibition of a facsimile of the "Kiyo-dai Shoran" at Tokyo Metro Mitsukoshimae Station).
In fact, Konoe's first involvement with noren dates back to 2014, when he designed and produced the noren crests for the Nihonbashi Cherry Blossom Festival, which was held from March 20th to April 6th.
Sidewalk in front of COREDO Muromachi, a busy area befitting Nihonbashi.
Back then, the following designs were proposed for COREDO Muromachi, COREDO Nihonbashi, COREDO Muromachi 2, Mitsui Tower and COREDO Muromachi 3.
- Sakae
The traffic of people gathering at the intersection of the five roads was compared to the five noshis (dried dried sea-weeds). The knotting of the noshi is an ancient motif, symbolizing the auspiciousness of prosperity, used for celebratory occasions.
- Bridge
As a symbol of the Nihonbashi bridge, it was turned into an icon in a modern way. The bridge is also a point of interaction, and its fan shape and combination with the arc is a universal motif.
- Raku
Gotsu Masu is a design of five Masu, which have long been used as a good-luck talisman. The image is associated with the entertainment district of Nihonbashi.
- Chic
Merchants in Edo were very disciplined about keeping their word. We designed this chic Edo merchant's character by combining the word 'promise' with the word 'tie'.
- Cherry blossoms
'Knotting cherry blossoms' is another ancient motif. The five petals of the cherry blossom lead to five roads and five buildings. It is als associated with the Edo Sakura Street in Nihonbashi, projecting the seasonal atmosphere of Nihonbashi.
These pictures were taken before and after the noren was hung at the entrance to COREDO Muromachi 2. Do you see how the noren adds a sense of glamour to the building?
Five years later, the new look that will adorn COREDO Muromachi Terrace, which will open in 2019, is a noren that is 6m wide and 4m long.
We hope that when you visit Nihonbashi, you will also take note of the noren that swirls in the wind gracefully.
