CAINZ Collaborates with Tokyo University of Science's Nishida Lab to Commercialize Student-Designed Custom-Cut Furniture for Offices

CAINZ Corporation (Headquarters: Honjo City, Saitama Prefecture; President and CEO: Masayuki Takaya) announced the development of custom-cut furniture that combines usability and design in office spaces through an industry-academia collaboration project with the Tsukasa Nishida Laboratory at the Tokyo University of Science. Sales will begin on April 22, 2026, on CAINZ's custom-cut furniture platform, 'CAINZ DIY MARKET.' Under the brand concept of 'Lifestyle DIY,' CAINZ aims to make each individual's 'lifestyle' enjoyable through creativity and ingenuity, providing valuable products and services every day at affordable prices. This initiative is a practical industry-academia collaboration project where students aspiring to be active in the fields of manufacturing and design in the future tackle issues simulating the real world and experience the process up to commercialization. By utilizing the 'Creators Design' scheme in the 'CAINZ DIY MARKET,' CAINZ provided consistent support from planning to commercialization and sales. The project was realized as an initiative expected to create new sympathy by fusing the Tsukasa Nishida Laboratory, which deeply pursues multifaceted thinking and architectural creation and conducts practical activities numerous times beyond just research, with the DIY-originated idea of 'creating one's own lifestyle' by CAINZ, which operates the 'CAINZ DIY MARKET.' A project based on practical classes with student ideas as the starting point and commercialization as the goal In this project, as part of the design research of the seminar at the Tsukasa Nishida Laboratory of the Tokyo University of Science, which studies architecture from all aspects with a theme centered on 'architectural design,' CAINZ presented a task setting commercialization on the 'CAINZ DIY MARKET' as the goal. The participating students, as 'eggs of creators,' are working on design planning and drafting utilizing digital fabrication while being conscious of the actual market and usage scenes. The theme was 'Animals Living in the Office.' With the aim of solving the issue that the animal-motif 'CAINZOO' series developed in the service tends to lean towards design and decoration, the students were challenged to create a product design with a twist, emphasizing usability and functionality in the office. The lectures were held in a total of three sessions on April 8, April 22, and May 13, 2025. In the final session, Naohiro Kitagawa, General Manager of the Omoshiro Business Division, and Mitsuyoshi Tabako, Manager of the Community Platform Department of the Omoshiro Business Division, who are in charge of this business at CAINZ, also participated to provide critiques and judging. Students presenting (Photographed on May 13, 2025) Students presenting (Photographed on May 13, 2025) Students presenting (Photographed on May 13, 2025) Students presenting (Photographed on May 13, 2025) Students presenting (Photographed on May 13, 2025) Works of each group presented (Photographed on May 13, 2025) After the final critique, the following products from a total of 6 teams were commercialized and added as a lineup of the 'CAINZ DIY MARKET.' - Child Umbrellasaurus (Umbrella stand) What pops up on a rainy day is... a dinosaur carrying an umbrella on its back. Today, too, it will quietly keep your umbrella. Even on a slightly gloomy rainy day, having the sauruses around might make you a little happier. It is a compact size that stores about 15 umbrellas on its back. If you lay a waterproof mat or artificial grass to match the atmosphere of the place where you put it, you can rest assured that the floor will not get wet. It comes with an ingeniously designed insertion rod that makes it easy to hook folding umbrellas as well. What's more, assembly is a simple 3 steps! It is a user-friendly design that even children can complete without hesitation. Product name: Child Umbrellasaurus (Umbrella stand) Price: 7,480 yen (tax included) Size: Width 81.3 x Depth 32.9 x Height 50 cm Release date: April 22, 2026 Product URL: https://img.cainz.com/diy-market/item.html?jan=4550596248189 - Parent Umbrellasaurus (Umbrella stand) What pops up on a rainy day is... a dinosaur carrying an umbrella on its back. In the corner of the entrance, today, too, it will quietly keep your umbrella. Even on a slightly gloomy rainy day, having the sauruses around might make you a little happier. It securely stores about 30 umbrellas on its back. If you lay a waterproof mat or artificial grass to match the atmosphere of the place where you put it, you can rest assured that the floor will not get wet. It comes with an ingeniously designed insertion rod that makes it easy to hook folding umbrellas as well. What's more, assembly is a simple 3 steps! It is a user-friendly design that even children can complete without hesitation. Product name: Parent Umbrellasaurus (Umbrella stand) Price: [Price details truncated in source]