FRITZ HANSEN JIMA

Just a 30-minute ferry boat ride from Marugame, Honjima is an island blessed with abundant nature. Despite gems such as the fishing town and the historical district that maintains the streetscape that goes back to the Edo period (1603-1868), as well as the spectacular view of the Great Seto Bridge, the population of the island is aging and decreasing. There are no supermarkets nor convenience stores on the island and the total number of elementary school student is less than ten.
“Fritz Hansen JIMA” is an event that aims to communicate the universe of the brand by decorating every operating facilities on the island with Fritz Hansen products. It is an event that both residents and non-residents can enjoy.
At each sites, visitors have the chance to listen to the original music based on the folk song of the island, created by Shotaro Aoyama from NF, an initiative featuring creators and artists spearheaded by the lead vocalist of the Japanese rock band Sakanaction; Ichiro Yamaguchi.

FRITZ HANSEN AN

Fritz Hansen AN is an exhibition that showcases the fusion of Japanese architecture and iconic Danish furniture. The event takes place inside a traditional Japanese house that stands on the area called Kasashima, an area designated as an important preservation district of historic buildings. Fritz Hansen AN will be open to visitors as a resting area from Monday to Sunday throughout the exhibition period. The main features of the venue will include pieces from Fritz Hansen’s anniversary collection that was recently launched to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the brand, as well as PK0 A™, PK60™, the Egg™ Table and many more.
Fritz Hansen AN will also showcase an installation that features the combination of the Series 7™ chairs and stones that originates from the island. With its own quarry, Honjima has long contributed to the Japanese architecture as purveyor of stones. The island is registered as Japan Heritage as the island of stones. To express the history and the magic of Honjima, numerous stones are used in the exhibition.
The interior of the Fritz Hansen AN will be decorated by the Danish floral artist, Nicolai Bergmann’s flower arrangements and installations featuring indigenous plants of the island. A rich aromatic experience featuring the Japanese fragrance brand MABOROSHI’s tea incense burner is not to be forgotten as well.

Honjima Stand

When the owner of the sole and long-standing “teishoku (a Japanese meal composed of pre-selected dishes)” restaurant in Honjima closed its doors due to the old age of the owner, Tomohito Takagi, the representative director of CONNECT, inherited the former site of the restaurant and opened a place of communication for the island. Standing on the ferry boat pier of the harbor, Honjima Stand welcomes visitors as the only operating restaurant on the island.
Inside the restaurant, visitors are invited to experience various Fritz Hansen products. The terrasse features outdoor products by Skagerak. The waiting room of the ferry boat that stands next to the restaurant will be decorated with Fritz Hansen products as well.

Villa kasashima en.

The only guest house, where guests can rent the whole house, on the island is opening its doors within the refurbished traditional house produced by Fritz Hansen. Along with Fritz Hansen AN, the guest house will be located in the historical district of Kasashima where the streetscape of the Edo period is maintained.
Villa kasashima en. is the sole accommodation facility on the island that operates regularly, providing online services.
Furniture, lighting and accessories from Fritz Hansen will be used permanently in the house. The guest house will be fully open to the public during the exhibition period.

FRITZ HANSEN Chairs Combined with Natural Elements of Honjima will be Displayed Across the Island

An outdoor exhibition combining stones and logs of the island with Fritz Hansen chairs, where residents can sit down and relax, will be displayed across the island in open air spaces such as beaches, roadsides and bus stops.

Brewery

A new brewery nestled inside a refurbished house will be decorated with Fritz Hansen products.

Original Music Based on the Folk Song of Honjima

At each sites, visitors have the chance to listen to the original music based on the folk song of the island, created by Shotaro Aoyama from NF, an initiative featuring creators and artists spearheaded by Ichiro Yamaguchi.
When NF visited Honjima for the creation of the music, the residents hardly knew that the island had a folk song of its own. With great effort, they met an elderly gentleman who knew the song, but he was too old to sing. Luckily, the gentleman discovered a cassette tape that held his voice of the yesteryear. The music created for this occasion is based on this folk song. Thanks to this project, we were able to pass on the folk song of Honjima that was on the brink of extinction to the next generation.
With their deep passion for sound, NF chose Beosound 2 by BANG & OLUFSEN as their speaker. The conical body features Acoustic Lens Technology that enables the powerful acoustic sound performance to spread throughout the space. It is a masterfully designed speaker worthy of the brand’s reputation.

CONNECT

Fritz Hansen joins hands again with CONNECT. CONNECT is Fritz Hansen’s partner that aims to propose simple and comfortable lifestyle. CONNECT’s main business consist of EC sales and transmission of information, as well as refurbishment of houses and designing new-built houses. In 2021, they opened “Tenmaya Premium Living Gallery by CONNECT” on the ground floor of the department store Tenmaya, located in the heart of Okayama City. Tomohito Takagi, the representative director of CONNECT, actively takes part in community revitalization initiatives. He also participates in initiatives that aims to create new industries and employments at Honjima.

Official Logo

The logo of “Fritz Hansen JIMA” features a motif that has been appreciated by the residents since ancient times. Honjima is known as the home of the sole “Kinbansho,” the public office of the Edo period. Honjima’s Kinbansho is registered as the country’s historic site. Taking inspiration from the tiled roof of the Kinbansho, the logo was designed by Masayuki Onaga of BIGLONG, a Japanese branding firm based in Tokyo.
Honjima is part of a group of islands called the Shiwaku Islands located in the middle of the Seto Inland Sea. The legend goes that its name originates from the old saying of the Shiwaku Islands as “the place where the tide rises.” The design featuring the tiled roof of the Kinbansho that evokes the rising tides serves as the motif of our official logo.