Past Contests

Theme

A space that makes you want to go back again

Judging Criteria

1. Ability to grasp the theme

A design that is both stylish and efficient

2. Empathy with the times

Does it fit with modern lifestyles?

3. How to perceive value

The attitude of capturing the value of the world with one's own eyes and communicating it

Recruitment details

A relaxing space that will help you forget the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
An inspiring space that is bubbling with energy.
A space where you can fully immerse yourself in a unique world view.
A space where people can gather and share the same thoughts.
A space that is not only beautiful but also functional and serves its purpose smartly.
Everyone has their own reasons for wanting to return to a certain space.

How do you create a "I want to go again" feeling in people's minds?
Your "I want to go again!" and "I want you to come again!"
We look forward to welcoming you to a space filled with your dreams.

Judges

Alpen Co., Ltd.
And ST HD Co., Ltd.
Creators's NEXT Co., Ltd.
JAMO Associates
JR West SC Development Co., Ltd.
Japan Airport Terminal Co., Ltd.
NIPPON SHUPPAN HANBAI INC.
McDonald's Japan Co., Ltd.
Nomena Co., Ltd.
FOOD & LIFE COMPANIES Co., Ltd.
Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.
United Arrows Co., Ltd.
LINE-INC.
Royal Holdings Co., Ltd.
WORKMAN CO., LTD.
TANSEISHA Co., Ltd.

Winner of both the Grand Prize and the Special Jury Prize.

Title

Dream train

Award Winners

Rena Shibasaki and Kotaro Saeki (The University of Tokyo)

concept

The Dream Train offers a new kind of overnight train experience, where you can stop and stay overnight.
The vehicles utilize old train cars and their furnishings, creating a retro and extraordinary space. Departing from urban areas in the evening, the journey takes you to regions you wouldn't normally visit.
When the train stops, it becomes a lodging place for passengers, travelers, and local residents, and functions as a public bathhouse and market.
If the train departs in the morning, it will make long stops in rural areas with infrequent train service, becoming a place where trains can wait and where people can interact, creating a lively atmosphere in the community.
The destinations and stops vary depending on the day of operation, creating opportunities for new encounters between people and between people and places.

Excellence Award

Title

A town of bookshelves connecting booksellers and readers

Award Winners

Yukako Kobayashi (Tokyo Metropolitan University Graduate School)

concept

A bookstore space that makes the act of choosing a book more casual and special.
By creating separate booths for each bookseller and having them display their recommended books, a unique bookstore is created that can only be found in that specific location within that store.
The combination of these elements provides a spatial experience reminiscent of a city.
Customers visit each booth, listening to recommendations and chatting with booksellers to find their perfect book.
It's like the experience of searching for your favorite shop in a back alley.
We aimed to create a bookstore that customers would want to visit again, through interactions with booksellers and discovering new books.

Student Awards

Title

AthleCook

Award Winners

Group name: AG3
Yusei Endo, Keiichiro Echigo, Ayumu Osawa (Tokyo University of Technology)

concept

Kids want to play to their heart's content, and parents want to capture memories in photos. This new kind of athletic playground fulfills both of those family desires.
Children can learn the basics of cooking through play by exploring a giant version of the cooking process.
While playing, children can think "why?" and "how?", and this experience broadens their conversations with their parents and expands their learning.
Parents can capture their children playing energetically, as well as unique moments like "cooking" or "being cooked"—captures that can only be taken here.
Everyday cooking transforms into an adventure, creating a collaborative space that leaves lasting memories for families, making them want to return and think, "I want to go again," and "What can I learn next time?"

Special Jury Award

Title

Dialogue with the Shadow

Award Winners

Majikitchen (Vox Japan)

concept

"Shadow Dialogue" is an interactive projection system installed in urban public spaces.
By recording people's shadows and projecting them onto the same location at different times, we connect the existence of people living in different times and daily lives.
Passersby can feel a connection that transcends time and space through the experience of their own shadow overlapping with the shadows of others from the past and future.
This work aims to alleviate feelings of isolation in urban life and promote awareness of others and social connections.

Title

Retreat Cafe: In harmony with nature

Award Winners

Tasuku Fujiwara (Sara Co., Ltd.)

concept

This "retreat cafe" aims to be a space where you can forget the hustle and bustle of the city and find peace of mind and body.
Large windows offer a view of a lush bamboo forest, giving you the feeling of being surrounded by nature even while inside the restaurant.
A symbolic tree is placed in the center, surrounded by a stream where carp swim gracefully. The seating consists of wooden furniture and soft sofas that evoke the warmth of natural materials.
The rooms are arranged to accommodate a variety of needs, from those who want to spend time quietly alone to those who want to enjoy conversation with friends.
The lighting uses a lot of indirect lighting to Spatial Production a calm and relaxing atmosphere.

Title

MIND GYM

Award Winners

Akira Kurumada and Noriko Shikama (COLLINO First Class Architect Office)

concept

"MIND GYM" is an urban gym where AI in the form of a wristwatch or tablet acts as a "mental trainer" to accompany you.
The interior of the shop offers a 360° view of a starry sky, forests, and waterfalls, creating a sensory space enveloped in the babbling of a stream, the rustling of trees, and the scents of nature.
Users move through three zones: Reset, Walk, and Focus, using meditation and brain training to change their mood, organize their thoughts, and unleash their creativity.
Furthermore, the AI blends the perfect cup from 50,000 combinations of medicinal herbs and herbs to restore both mind and body.
This is a mental training space equipped with a dedicated zone where people with disabilities can feel safe and secure, allowing everyone to strengthen their minds and realize their ideal life with each visit.

Title

Chikuchiku

Award Winners

Kanon Osaki (Nagaoka Institute of Design)

concept

Even the production of a single garment we wear every day involves a significant environmental burden. Environmental issues in the fashion industry are a global challenge.
So what can we do?
My concept is "making sewing a normal part of life," and I design not only clothes, but also places that connect people and spaces like a patchwork, creating places that people want to visit again and again.
This space is completed through visitors actually sewing, allowing them to experience the importance of resources and the joy of using their hands through the act of sewing.
Furthermore, by using vintage clothing as interior materials, the space will constantly change in color, offering new discoveries each time you visit.

Title

Parent and Child Marche

Award Winners

Kondo Honami (Japan Women's University)

concept

With the rise of dual-income households and nuclear families, everyday shopping has become a significant burden for families with young children.
Therefore, we thought that if we could create a grocery store that children would want to visit again, it would reduce the burden on families and become a place that parents would also want to visit again.
This plan incorporates mechanisms that allow children to actively participate in shopping and spaces that foster interaction among parents, providing a space that connects families and the community.
Shopping at the Parent-Child Market is not just about "making ends meet," but also about creating memorable moments and fostering communication between parents and children, making it a new kind of Commercial Spaces.

Title

Floating in the air

Award Winners

Group name: Haruzora
Chifuchi Soran, Miharu Okada (Fukui University)

concept

I believe that a "space you want to visit again" is a place that offers a different experience each time you visit.
We chose the night sky, which never shows the same appearance twice, as our theme.
The lake will feature buildings inspired by the sun and stars, while the land will have buildings reminiscent of an observatory.
The star-shaped buildings move gently across the lake, giving guests the experience of becoming part of a constellation themselves.
The scenery created by the fusion of the stars in the night sky and the stars reflected on the lake reveals a new face each time you visit, offering a truly unique experience.

Title

next toilet→

Award Winners

Ibuki Nishio (Takenaka Corporation), Aya Fujimoto (Kukan Soken Co., Ltd.)

concept

"next toilet→" is a toilet space that redefines itself not merely as a place to relieve oneself, but as a "city transit point for updating oneself."
Beyond cleanliness and convenience, each restroom offers a variety of unique features and designs, providing a time and place to refresh one's mind and body while out and about.
The subscription model will create personal spaces scattered throughout cities that anyone can use with peace of mind. Sponsoring companies will then utilize these spaces as advertising media to gain new customer touchpoints.
We propose a new public infrastructure that creates value for both users and businesses.

Title

Wabi-sabi in everyday life

Award Winners

Masahide Yamazaki (Takasaki City University of Economics)

concept

In modern times, we are being encroached upon by sound and information, and silence is being lost.
This proposal involves installing "quietness devices" in shopping malls and office buildings to provide spaces where people can temporarily pause their thoughts.
The soundproof structure blocks out the outside world, while the gravel floor, the rustling of bamboo leaves, the sound of a deer scare, and forest Video recreate the essence of wabi-sabi (a Japanese aesthetic emphasizing transience and imperfection) for all five senses.
By implementing a fee system and donating the entire amount, we aim to create a shift in values where "taking a break equals supporting someone."
It's not perfection, but the sense of space and margins that draws people back.

*Affiliation is as of 2025