This post was written in collaboration with Ronald Jin Chu.
The grand opening of “The Terminal” in Harajuku was definitely a site of interest for those associated with the art-design scene in Tokyo. Young, hip and stylish atmosphere filled three spaces on different floors with mixing DJ’s, Brooklyn lager beers, food-art, retro-hip interior design, Vintage Chic-Geek look artists and 6 iMacs.
The concept of The Terminal can be deemed as creative recreation, which they express as “work+study+eat+drink+play+24H”. The board members of The Terminal are not your average stern looking businessmen dressed in pinstriped suits: a stylist, fashion, graphic, and product designers, and architect are the masterminds behind this creation.
Respected designer, Masato Sekiguchi – the President of “Think Green Produce”, was the creative director in charge of the overall facelift of the place. His works (such as Tabloid) are known for revamping old locations with art, food, fashion and music. And this is exactly what he did at the opening event of “The Terminal”; by emphasizing the artistic atmosphere, Sekiguchi turned food into a showpiece with “Takibi Bakery”, book shelves into art installations, and a new concept of creative open working space into fashionable cultural hub.
On the opening night, people were rooming between the three floors which consist of an open space gallery, the internet lounge and a roof top floor for smoke and air brake. The main crowd consisted of young designers and creative freelancers, wearing 50’s vintage black framed glasses, striped button shirts, casually combined with a pair of suspenders, while browsing through the web pages of the installed iMacs or the recent issue of Monocle, placed among other magazines that would capture the interest of creative designers.
General manager Yusuke Kawamata said that the space name was derived from the idea to provide a “terminal” and community for people with various needs, with their main audience being those who worked or were interested in the creative sector, including nomad workers. Hence, the location of Harajuku makes sense given that it is one of the most unique fashion capitals of the world. Kawamata intends for The Terminal to be a welcoming space where visitors can “relieve the tenseness off their shoulders” (a common Japanese expression for relaxing) and will “become what it will become,” meaning that the customers are going to be the key shapers of this new development.
What we could call a Third Space, the Terminal is truly a depiction of a new “lifestyle,” as telecommuting allows people not to be confined to offices, WiFi has brought the internet to the streets, and social gatherings are slowly moving away from meeting rooms and “izakayas” (Japanese bar restaurants). It acts as an anchor of community life and fosters creative interaction; deviating from your normal internet or manga cafes, found all around Japan. Absent of individual rooms and cubicles, here, the open space allows people to feel comfortable with each other, whether they are using the internet, lounging on the sofa and reading magazines or just exchanging inspirations while consuming beer.
Visiting the Terminal once again following its opening party, the atmosphere was much different from our previous visit. Interesting enough, most of the customers brought their own laptops or iPads, demonstrating that the provided 6 iMacs were sufficient enough.
The second you enter the Terminal (on its normal business hours), you are engulfed by a whole different atmosphere, with soothing background music selected by musicians from CUBISMO GRAFICO FIVE, a popular Japanese solo unit. A relaxing internet cafe would be an understatement: with four staff members catering to your every need from computer questions to the food/drink services, customers are provided with excellent service at a place similar to home, but with a more sociable crowd. With 2 semi-private meeting rooms that accommodate up to six people, it can be used for business purposes as well.
The ground floor is set to be used as rental space for approximately 2000 US dollars for one full day. Although the floor could be used for anything ranging from a live studio to a film set, given the whole theme of the Terminal and its surrounding market, we expect it to act as an exhibition gallery displaying the work of Tokyo’s finest creative artists and designers.
Third spaces like The Terminal are simply rental spaces like karaoke boxes, love hotels, and izakayas, all of which the following activities can be done from home but chosen to be carried out in a more social and unique setting. Access to the Terminal requires membership, which can be acquired for approximately US $3. The $2 per half hour rates include unlimited refills at the drink bar (besides beer), access to their WiFi network, and a place to spend your productive creative time.
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