【Material Caravan Tokyo Event Report】Approximately 600 Visitors! Two Days of Seriously Considering Circularity and Decarbonization in the Construction Industry. 43 Circular and Low-Carbon Building Material Manufacturers Gathered with 13 Major General Contractors and Design Firms.
DesignFuture Japan held "Material Caravan Tokyo" on April 16-17, 2026, gathering around 600 attendees, 43 material manufacturers, and 13 major construction/design firms to promote circular and low-carbon building materials. The event announced the "CLCS" project, a system developed with Takenaka Corporation to compare environmental performance data of over 5,000 materials, aiming to accelerate decarbonization in the construction industry.
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- 📰 Published: May 12, 2026 at 20:00
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This Material Caravan, held at Takenaka Corporation's Tokyo Head Office, fostered dialogue between many visitors and manufacturers.
DesignFuture Japan Inc. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Takeshi Kajii; hereinafter "DesignFuture Japan") announced the successful conclusion of "Material Caravan Tokyo," an exhibition and talk session event held on April 16th (Thursday) and 17th (Friday), 2026, for two days at Takenaka Corporation's Tokyo Head Office. The event aimed to promote the circular economy and low-carbon building materials.
Approximately 600 people, mainly from the architecture and interior design industries, attended the event, which closed with great success.
■ Background of the Event
Towards a 46% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and the realization of carbon neutrality by 2050, the construction and interior design industries are increasingly selecting building materials based on environmental performance data.
"CLCS (Co-Creation Project for Circular & Low-Carbon Materials Utilization System)", launched by Takenaka Corporation and DesignFuture Japan, developed a system that collects environmental performance data for over 5,000 building materials, allowing for cross-sectional comparison and consideration. Furthermore, practical experiments are underway with 13 major general contractors, architectural firms, and interior design firms.
This event brought together building material brands participating in CLCS to exhibit cutting-edge environmentally friendly building materials. Talk sessions featuring major general contractors and design firms were also held to exchange opinions on the future of architecture and space design.
Talk session by major general contractors and design firms.
■ Event Highlights and Achievements
1. Exhibition by 43 Circular and Low-Carbon Building Material Manufacturers
The venue featured booths from 43 companies handling cutting-edge building materials that reduce environmental impact through various approaches, such as recycled interior materials made from recycled fibers and paper, wall and floor materials utilizing renewable bio-materials like bamboo and cork, and reused old materials recovered from old houses and demolition sites. Many designers stopped at the exhibits to feel the texture of the materials and confirm their installation image, considering their introduction into specific projects.
2. Talk Sessions by 13 Major General Contractors, Architectural and Design Firms
A total of 8 sessions were held, inviting speakers from 13 leading companies in the industry.
Practical issues and solutions, such as "Examples of Introducing Circular and Low-Carbon Building Materials" and "Balancing Cost and Environmental Performance and Challenges," were presented, offering realistic solutions for implementation rather than mere ideals. Many visitors listened intently to the speakers.
3. Announcement and Demonstration of the New Project "CLCS"
As the highlight of this event, the details of the Co-Creation Project for Circular & Low-Carbon Materials Utilization System "CLCS" were announced in a keynote speech by the heads of Takenaka Corporation and Material Bank.
Additionally, many design and developer professionals experienced the demo at the system's introduction booth, attracting high interest.
■ Comments from CLCS Project Leaders
Genyo Unno, Chief, Environmental Design Group, Design Department, Takenaka Corporation Tokyo Head Office
"Through this event, we were able to gather the resource circulation initiatives that building material manufacturers had been advancing independently and publicly present them as tangible objects to 600 general visitors. Visitors listened with great interest to the passionate explanations of circular and low-carbon building materials. Furthermore, building material manufacturers who listened to the talk event by designers and researchers on a circular society expressed feelings like 'I was impressed that such an era is coming' and 'What we have been doing was not wrong.' I believe the goal of this project, which is to strengthen the ties between building material manufacturers, designers, and researchers and uplift the entire industry, has come closer through this event. We will continue to strive for the widespread adoption of circular and low-carbon building materials."
Takayuki Muto, Executive Officer, Material Bank Japan
"In the era of circularity and low carbon, the way building materials are selected is certainly beginning to change.
At this Material Caravan Tokyo, highly practical discussions unfolded on how to incorporate environmental performance into decision-making at design and construction sites.
CLCS, together with industry members including Takenaka Corporation, aims to ensure this change is not just a temporary phenomenon but leads from proposals to specifications and implementation."
DesignFuture Japan Inc. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Takeshi Kajii; hereinafter "DesignFuture Japan") announced the successful conclusion of "Material Caravan Tokyo," an exhibition and talk session event held on April 16th (Thursday) and 17th (Friday), 2026, for two days at Takenaka Corporation's Tokyo Head Office. The event aimed to promote the circular economy and low-carbon building materials.
Approximately 600 people, mainly from the architecture and interior design industries, attended the event, which closed with great success.
■ Background of the Event
Towards a 46% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and the realization of carbon neutrality by 2050, the construction and interior design industries are increasingly selecting building materials based on environmental performance data.
"CLCS (Co-Creation Project for Circular & Low-Carbon Materials Utilization System)", launched by Takenaka Corporation and DesignFuture Japan, developed a system that collects environmental performance data for over 5,000 building materials, allowing for cross-sectional comparison and consideration. Furthermore, practical experiments are underway with 13 major general contractors, architectural firms, and interior design firms.
This event brought together building material brands participating in CLCS to exhibit cutting-edge environmentally friendly building materials. Talk sessions featuring major general contractors and design firms were also held to exchange opinions on the future of architecture and space design.
Talk session by major general contractors and design firms.
■ Event Highlights and Achievements
1. Exhibition by 43 Circular and Low-Carbon Building Material Manufacturers
The venue featured booths from 43 companies handling cutting-edge building materials that reduce environmental impact through various approaches, such as recycled interior materials made from recycled fibers and paper, wall and floor materials utilizing renewable bio-materials like bamboo and cork, and reused old materials recovered from old houses and demolition sites. Many designers stopped at the exhibits to feel the texture of the materials and confirm their installation image, considering their introduction into specific projects.
2. Talk Sessions by 13 Major General Contractors, Architectural and Design Firms
A total of 8 sessions were held, inviting speakers from 13 leading companies in the industry.
Practical issues and solutions, such as "Examples of Introducing Circular and Low-Carbon Building Materials" and "Balancing Cost and Environmental Performance and Challenges," were presented, offering realistic solutions for implementation rather than mere ideals. Many visitors listened intently to the speakers.
3. Announcement and Demonstration of the New Project "CLCS"
As the highlight of this event, the details of the Co-Creation Project for Circular & Low-Carbon Materials Utilization System "CLCS" were announced in a keynote speech by the heads of Takenaka Corporation and Material Bank.
Additionally, many design and developer professionals experienced the demo at the system's introduction booth, attracting high interest.
■ Comments from CLCS Project Leaders
Genyo Unno, Chief, Environmental Design Group, Design Department, Takenaka Corporation Tokyo Head Office
"Through this event, we were able to gather the resource circulation initiatives that building material manufacturers had been advancing independently and publicly present them as tangible objects to 600 general visitors. Visitors listened with great interest to the passionate explanations of circular and low-carbon building materials. Furthermore, building material manufacturers who listened to the talk event by designers and researchers on a circular society expressed feelings like 'I was impressed that such an era is coming' and 'What we have been doing was not wrong.' I believe the goal of this project, which is to strengthen the ties between building material manufacturers, designers, and researchers and uplift the entire industry, has come closer through this event. We will continue to strive for the widespread adoption of circular and low-carbon building materials."
Takayuki Muto, Executive Officer, Material Bank Japan
"In the era of circularity and low carbon, the way building materials are selected is certainly beginning to change.
At this Material Caravan Tokyo, highly practical discussions unfolded on how to incorporate environmental performance into decision-making at design and construction sites.
CLCS, together with industry members including Takenaka Corporation, aims to ensure this change is not just a temporary phenomenon but leads from proposals to specifications and implementation."