"281 Wine Bottles to the Winery!?" Kobe Shinkocho's Pavements Transform into an Exciting "Experiential Route" as You Walk | Pavement Sign Design through Industry-Academia Collaboration Begins on March 27th.

Felissimo, in cooperation with Aquament Co., Ltd., which operates the átoa aquarium, will begin guiding a "Pavement Sign Design" to enhance the circulation of the Kobe waterfront area starting Friday, March 27, 2026. Under the supervision of Associate Professor Takagi of Otemae University, playful pavement signs such as "281 wine bottles to the winery" and "45 seconds for a penguin to swim to the átoa aquarium entrance" have been installed on the streets. The design was handled by Mr. Hosokawa of Bowl Co., Ltd., who was responsible for the area design of New Seaport. The aim is to transform the New Seaport area into a place where people can enjoy walking around and where "happiness is born just by walking."

Public sidewalks in the district planning area as a "canvas"

The Kobe waterfront area has various facilities such as "átoa" and "Felissimo Chocolate Museum." The intention is not just to "move" between these facilities, but to make walking enjoyable and conversation lively by drawing unique humor on the ground, such as "how many seconds a penguin swims to the destination." Furthermore, by letting people know that facilities other than their destination are also part of the New Seaport area through the signs, the project aims to improve the overall circulation of the area.

The installation location for this project is a road (sidewalk) as a district facility developed based on the Kobe City "Shinkocho West District Plan." In recent years, efforts have been made to create "comfortable and walkable" road spaces through open cafes and parklets under the "Hokomichi" pedestrian convenience promotion system. However, this project targets the pavement itself for design. A square-based design was adopted, considering compatibility with existing pavement blocks. This also aims to ensure design flexibility when the target facilities are expanded in the future.

This initiative, which permanently deploys pavement signs for the purpose of improving scenery and promoting circulation, is unprecedented. It is a new method of walkable urban development that strategically utilizes public resources "underfoot" within the framework of urban planning.

Unique distance indicators beyond "○ minutes on foot"

Instead of the common "○ minutes on foot" notation, unique distance indicators that leverage the characteristics of each facility are used, such as "45 seconds for a penguin to swim to the átoa aquarium entrance" and "281 wine bottles to the f winery." These mechanisms allow people to intuitively imagine the distance and make them want to experience it by actually walking. The pavement signs minimize text information and are designed to be intuitively enjoyable for everyone from children to tourists.

The five target facilities are as follows:

・ f winery

・ felissimo chocolate museum

・ AQUARIUM×ART átoa

・ GLION ARENA KOBE

・ TOOTH TOOTH MART FOOD HALL&NIGHT FES

Transforming the city from the "ground up" through industry-academia collaboration

In this project, Associate Professor Takagi of Otemae University's Faculty of Architecture & Art supervised the design. Furthermore, students from the same university participated in on-site mockup tests (verification using full-scale models). By combining specialized design and architectural knowledge with the students' perspectives, a unique walking route utilizing the "ground" as pavement has been designed, which is rare in Japan. The fact that a private company and a university jointly undertook the entire process from research and verification to implementation is also a feature of this project.

Project Overview

・ Start Date of Operation: Friday, March 27, 2026

・ Installation Location: Pavement in the Shinkocho area, Kobe City

・ Joint Operators: Aquament Co., Ltd., Felissimo Co., Ltd.

・ Cooperation/Supervision: Mr. Hosokawa/Mr. Hayashi of Bowl Co., Ltd. (design), Associate Professor Takagi of Otemae University (supervision), volunteer students from Otemae University (demonstration experiment)

◆Happiness where we are all happy together "FELISSIMO": Established in May 1965. It is a direct marketing company that sells its own planned products such as fashion and miscellaneous goods through its own media such as catalogs and websites. It also promotes projects in cooperation with various regions, such as the operation of Kobe Port Tower, and is advancing initiatives that contribute to regional revitalization. Everyone can be a creator of happiness and a giver. Everyone can be a recipient of happiness. With "happiness where we are all happy together" as its core value, it conducts business activities aiming for the simultaneous realization of "business viability, originality, and sociality."

Felissimo celebrated its 60th anniversary on May 8, 2025.

― Company Profile ―

Company Name: Felissimo Co., Ltd.

Head Office Location: 7-1 Shinkocho, Chuo-ku, Kobe City, 650-0041

Representative: Kazuhiko Yazaki, President and Representative Director

Established: May 1965 Securities Code: Tokyo Stock Exchange Standard 3396

Business Activities: Direct marketing business that sells self-developed products to consumers nationwide through catalogs and websites.

◆Website＞＞ https://feli.jp/s/pr240301/1/

◆What is "Felissimo Subscription"? How to enjoy it＞＞ https://feli.jp/s/pr240301/2/

◆X＞＞ https://twitter.com/FELISSIMO_SANTA

◆Instagram＞＞ https://www.instagram.com/felissimo_official/

◆Felissimo's Social Activities＞＞ https://feli.jp/s/pr240301/4/

◆Fund Activities aiming for a happy society together with everyone＞＞ https://feli.jp/s/pr240301/5/