From Izakaya to the World. Ogi Noren Opens Doors to New Encounters.

Our company supports April Dream, an initiative to make April 1st a day for sharing dreams. This press release is a dream of "THE NORENMAKER."

Born in an Izakaya, Opening to the World. The Origin of THE NORENMAKER / Kento Kawabata.

I grew up as the son of an izakaya owner, a business that has been in my family for three generations.

It wasn't just a place to drink alcohol;

it was a place where people met by chance, conversations sparked, and the atmosphere relaxed.

There were unplanned events and a unique warmth that existed only in that moment.

On the other hand, I knew that some people would stand in front of the shop, yet hesitate to enter and just pass by.

And I myself have experienced standing in front of an interesting shop while traveling,

hesitating to take that final step inside.

Discoveries during my travels

I have traveled alone throughout Japan.

During my journeys, I saw historical sites, tourist spots, restaurants, and souvenir shops.

Many of them had beautiful noren hanging, but I repeatedly saw them with a part of the noren rolled up.

While noren serve to announce that a shop is open, I wondered if they sometimes create a thin barrier between people and the shop.

I thought that rolling them up might be an act to resolve that sense of closure.

These observations became a hint for my later designs.

The impression of the entrance changes encounters

I believe that when people stand at an entrance, they instinctively sense the atmosphere of the place.

Do they want to enter?

Do they feel a little nervous?

Do their feet stop unconsciously?

Before words, somewhere in their subconscious, they are measuring their distance from the place.

If the impression of the entrance could be softened slightly, that encounter might change.

It might become just a little easier to enter.

Could that small difference change the relationship between people and places?

Such thoughts are at the root of my work.

Ogi Noren: A New Form

And from that idea, Ogi Noren was born.

Its semi-circular curve opens up into the space like a fan.

The curve creates a sense of openness at the entrance, reducing the feeling of being closed off.

While maintaining visibility, its soft shape gently softens the impression of the space.

I want to create an entrance that doesn't just stand out, but makes people want to take a step forward.

I entrust this role to this shape.

Noren have played various roles throughout their long history.

And through Ogi Noren, I want to open up opportunities for encounters in spaces.

Gently swaying in the wind, becoming the focal point of the place, catching the eye, and subtly shifting one's mood.

Ogi Noren designs such entrances.

Existence arrives before words

Don't people perceive existence before information?

Before reading explanations or understanding logic, the atmosphere, beauty, or even a sense of incongruity of a place reaches them.

Only then do meaning and background connect.

That's why a single noren hanging at an entrance has power beyond words.

First and foremost, by simply being there, I want it to convey charm at an unconscious level.

In this, I feel the great potential of noren as an entity.

Indigo Dyeing: An Entrance Discovered in Kawasaki

As I continued my activities, I encountered traditional indigo dyeing, which has been passed down in my hometown of Kawasaki.
This encounter further broadened my perspective on culture.

Ogi Noren, which I began creating with the entrance to a space in mind, could it also become an entity that opens one's gaze to the local techniques, history, and culture beyond?
People stop when they see Ogi Noren, then encounter the space, and further encounter the culture that breathes in that land.
I felt a new possibility for noren there.

It can be an entrance to a space, and at the same time, an entrance to culture.
This feeling gradually turned into conviction as I continued my activities.

To Open Culture to Everyday Life

In modern times, information is optimized for individual preferences, and opportunities to learn about fields outside one's interests are decreasing.

Even valuable cultures and techniques have limited reach if they only reach those who are already interested.
That's why I want to open culture not by confining it to special places, but by integrating it into the everyday landscape.

I want to create a state where people can casually encounter culture in their daily lives, even without consciously trying to learn about it.

Culture is not valuable because it is distant, but sometimes it remains in memory precisely because it can be casually touched in daily life.
Through Ogi Noren, I hope to gradually increase such opportunities for encounters.

From Izakaya to the World

I envision a dream where a single noren born in an izakaya eventually connects people and places, opens up to culture, and then reaches out to the world.

Someday, in various towns.
In front of shops.
At inns.
In galleries.
In spaces where people gather.
Ogi Noren will quietly open, stopping someone's steps.
That person, unable to articulate the reason, feels a little curious, a little drawn, and takes just a small step forward.

Beyond that step lies an encounter with the space,
an encounter with people,
and an encounter with culture.

Ogi Noren, born in an izakaya, will make new encounters blossom around the world.
I am seriously committed to making such a future a reality.

THE NORENMAKER Kento Kawabata

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Ogi Noren / THE NORENMAKER

2024: Acquired design rights, launched THE NORENMAKER

Production for various spaces including restaurants, accommodation facilities, and event spaces

2025: Selected for Kyoto Design Award 2025

Received Grand Prize at the 59th Kawasaki City Art Exhibition

2026: Acquired trademark rights

Production examples

https://www.instagram.com/the_norenmaker/