ECO EDO Nihonbashi 2019

"ECO EDO Nihonbashi" is an event held every summer in the Nihonbashi area where flapper3 is based. In 2019, the theme was "Enjoy the coolness of Edo with all five senses," and flapper3 was primarily in charge of design production.

The works we produced were the "Key Visual" which includes video content, the "Summer Scroll" which depicts a Japanese summer in space with light, sound and video, and the photo slideshow "Exploring Nihonbashi in Yukata supported by Toray" which features original shots of Nihonbashi scenery. We were involved in each of them from the planning stage, and were involved in everything from directing, production and direction.

Key visuals and videos expressing a vibrant city through "flowing water"

The key visual needed to symbolically express the event's theme, "Enjoy the coolness of Edo with all five senses." In creating it, we started by reading and interpreting documents related to Nihonbashi, and came up with a concept with a focus on ukiyo-e, one of the traditional Japanese forms of expression.

When we look at ukiyo-e prints that have Nihonbashi as their subject, we find that many of them depict lively people with bridges and rivers in the background. Therefore, we wanted to express the lively Nihonbashi through artwork centered on the "flow of water," which has supported the culture of Nihonbashi since the Edo period. We also paid particular attention to the use of color, focusing on the delicate gradations that are unique to ukiyo-e prints, and the use of colors that use indigo as a base with gold as accents.

Additionally, goldfish, a staple motif of ECO EDO Nihonbashi, were impressively placed in the flowing water. Flapper3 also incorporated the idea of motion graphics, which they specialize in, into still images, proposing visual expression that evokes the story that precedes and follows them. This proposal also led to the production of a video based on the same concept. It was shown on signage in various locations in Nihonbashi, promoting the overall image of ECO EDO Nihonbashi 2019.

Images, sound, and lighting. Using the entire street to create a "photogenic space"

"Summer Scroll" is a spatial presentation using light, sound and video on the approach to Fukutoku Shrine. With the theme of "a space that makes you want to take photos in a yukata", we were involved in the planning, direction and production with the same concept as the key visual.

The entire space is designed with sound and lighting in a three-dimensional way, creating a cool and fantastical world of "Japanese summer." On the road, a projector is used to project images of various summer motifs such as goldfish, seasonal flowers, and fireworks onto a flowing river.

The content of the video will be changed over the three-month period from July to September. The first half of the event will feature motifs of morning glories and hydrangeas, while the second half will include sound effects such as the sound of bell crickets, designed to give a sense of the "transition of summer."

These images were created with meticulous calculations down to the trajectory of the light emitted by the projector. They were also conscious of making the images photogenic, so that many people could enjoy taking photos. The spot has become a hot topic on Instagram and Twitter as a place where you can easily take photos that make you feel like you're inside a hanging scroll.

Presenting a new photo collection with the theme of "Exploring Nihonbashi in Yukata"

On the signage in the Edo Sakura-dori underground passageway, we showed photos taken by flapper3's Yako Naohiro of spots that "make you want to go in a yukata." Nihonbashi is a place where modern elements coexist with old-fashioned, atmospheric streets. We captured the area in an impressive way and expressed it together with the yukata that has been passed down while keeping up with the times.

A total of 15 photos were released on the day. A map showing the photo spots was also distributed, and a mechanism was created so that visitors could take photos in the same places. Many people came to the event with a map in hand, and it also became an opportunity to promote the new charm of Nihonbashi.