A Look Inside Takeda’s New Tokyo HQ

Takeda, a pharmaceutical company that wants to provide better health and brighter future for people worldwide through innovation in medicine, recently reached out to Japanese creative & art director Kashiwa Sato to design their new global headquarters in Tokyo.

“The goal was to create an office that symbolized its corporate identity, supported diverse workstyles and accelerated innovation through collaboration and creativity. The pharmaceutical company hired one of Japan’s most renowned art/creative directors Kashiwa Sato to create the vision and turn it into a reality. Sato decided to connect Takeda’s core values to the company’s future. He interpreted the organization’s promise of a brighter future for all as the concept of people’s “life force”, and he leaned on this to create a design that inspires and tells a story. Flow of life: The entrance to the reception hall includes a series of natural art installations that symbolize the flow of life. In the first-floor entrance, a large circular stone filled with flowing water represents “the source of life”, and wooden artwork made of three-dimensional kanji motifs for “water” and “light” line the walls. Healthy growth of life: The fourth floor lobby signifies “healthy growth to life”, with the land fed by water and light allowing trees to grow freely. Visitors and employees will witness characters for “earth”, “tree” and “people” and a large artwork made of carefully arranged wood, which doubles as a bench. Life Café: The employee cafeteria is lined with artwork made of the kanji character for life, conveying the importance of meals as a foundation of life.”

• Location: Nihonbashi – Tokyo, Japan
• Date completed: 2018
• Design: Kashiwa Sato