Universal Fukuoka City Design Workshop 2015

In order to convey the ‘Friendly People, Friendly City: Universal Fukuoka City’ approach to the public and promote understanding/implementation of universal design among citizens, a design workshop was organized between 3-4 October 2015.

Fukuoka is known for its food, as well as being Japan’s gateway to Asia. and,In recent years, the number of foreign tourists to Fukuoka City has increased rapidly, especially from Asian countries. While this has spurred greater activity in the restaurant industry, at the same time issues have arisen due to differences in food culture.

Given this background, the recent design workshop focused on universal design in restaurants and eateries. Foreigners, designers, people in the restaurant industry and students created teams to explore the state of universal design in restaurants under the theme of ‘food hospitality’. The teams made specific proposals which can be easily implemented at various eateries within the city to resolve issues arising between foreign tourists and eating establishments.

Team A: FUKUOKA B-ITE
Our proposal contributes to the mutual enjoyment of other cultures by eliminating differences in food culture arising between foreign tourists and restaurants.
We designed apps, games, and the required infrastructure under the key concepts of ‘a sense of familiarity’, ‘natural access to information’, and ‘the enjoyment of finding the real Fukuoka (or other destination)’.
More specifically, these features will be part of a ‘Fukuoka wifi App’ system for accessing/sharing information, which launches upon connecting to wifi and includes content such as a site showcasing the best restaurants, a ‘Hakata Gauge’ which gives you points for acting like a true local, and a ‘Gourmet Area Game’ where players gain territory each time they experience the fine food of Fukuoka.

Team B: EAT JAPAN PROJECT
If I’m eating out, I want something good. I want to know if I’m getting good value too – and something that caters to my food restrictions. By alleviating these tourist concerns and the stress on visitors, staff, and local residents alike, we can make dining an even more enjoyable part of the Fukuoka holiday experience – in order to do that, we proposed our Eat Japan service.
The main component of our proposal is a sampling box that can be purchased at airports or major stations, allowing visitors to try some of the local foods. Our service would also include animations explaining dining etiquette, Eat Japan certification marks for stores that cater to foreigners, a system that allows ordering by numbers, and the ability to leave feedback about dining experiences in an app to provide information to other travelers.

Team C: Yata-Kit
Our proposal is a Yatai Ecosystem which looks after all aspects of a foreign tourist’s experience, from pre-departure to enjoying yatai and returning home.
This design, which aims to promote trust between yatai and their customers, establishes a more enjoyable yatai culture by connecting foreign tourists, Fukuoka’s yatai, and local patrons. It includes a Yatai Passport which includes information to get the most out of yatai and also serves as a point card; a Yatai Answer Book for use by yatai owners who don’t feel confident serving foreigners; and a Yatai Kit Set which easily creates a more foreigner-friendly environment by simply displaying cards with icons for each ingredient. In addition, yatai which strive to accommodate foreign tourists will receive badges and banners identifying them as a Friendly Yatai.

Team D: YATAI BUDDY
Yatai Buddy is a system which aims to create memorable experiences of ‘real Japan’ by pairing certified yatai staff with first-time foreign visitors to teach them yatai etiquette through friendly conversation.
The three key points of Yatai Buddy are face-to-face communication, serendipity, and learning about Japan through eating.
We can make yatai more approachable and create great memories through a comprehensive design which includes a Yatai Buddy Mark to identify places that are friendly to first-time foreign visitors, an iPad-based Yatai Photobooth, and a ‘Kanpai Time’ chime which notifies all the yatai to drink a toast at the same time.

For details
Universal Fukuoka City Design Challenge 2015