At 2008 edition of the design week in Milan (April 16 to 21), Japanese two top designers Ryu Kosaka and Yukio Hashimoto will present an exclusive series of bathtubs and washbasins aiming to introduce a new philosophy of bathroom culture in Europe and in the world. The “FURO - Japanese authentic bath exhibition” shows how Japanese “FURO” (the way of taking a bath), the local natural resources (like wood and natural lacquer) and the skills of a millenary artisan tradition can converge into new aesthetic expression. At “FURO – Japanese Authentic Bath Exhibition”, iconic bathroom pieces are set up in a natural and light atmosphere at Spazio Corso Como 9 (Milano, Corso Como 9), introducing visitors to this special philosophy and make them appreciate a new relaxed spirit of body care and wellness. • FURO - Japanese authentic bath exhibition When: April 16 – 21, 2008 Opening Hours: April 16 – 21: 10.00 am to 8.00 pm April 21: 10.00 am to 6.00 pm Where: Spazio Corso Como 9 | Corso Como 9 | Milano How to reach: Subway MM2, Garibaldi station Cocktail: April 17, 2008: 6.00 pm to 10.00 pm Press Preview: April 15, 2008: 4.00 pm – ?.00 pm International Press Office: Sabine Schweigert +39 347 0868023 | press@sabineschweigert.com • preview on FURO products All images as well as images on white or black ground are available at print quality. Contacts: see footer and first page. HINOKI – bathtub | design: Ryu Kosaka Combining a contemporary fluid shape – a circle section and slightly rounded walls – to natural materials, HINOKI bathtub designed by Ryu Kosaka exalts at best the Japanese artisan work as well as the qualities of Hinoki wood. Beyond its beauty and tactile gentleness, the oil of this Japanese cypress wood is renowned for its healing essences and its relaxing effect. The essences of Hinoki wood not only protect the bathtub itself, they also protect and cure the skin of the body while having a relaxed bath. MATERIAL 300 year old solid Japanese cypress (Hinoki) with 4 side straight grain without knot. Hinoki wood is a precious, limited resource traditionally used for the construction of Japanese shrines, temples and statues of buddha. SIZE Ø.1800 mm, H. 630 mm TOMOE – bathtub | design: Yukio Hashimoto TOMOE bathtub catches the eye with its elegant lacquered surface. Black on tender red colour and the modern oval shape create an interesting contrast. This bathtub, designed by Yukio Hashimoto shows how modern materials can perfectly unite with traditional finishes to obtain superior performances in durability and beauty. MATERIAL Finished by Urushi, Japanese natural lacquer, the oldest finishing with antibacterial performance and heat durability. Body: expanded poly-styrene. SIZE L.1790 x W.905 x H.550 (515) mm • DESIGNERs’ biographies and statements RYU KOSAKA BIOGRAPHY Born in1960 in Tokyo BA in Architecture at Musashino Art University, Tokyo. Executive Creative Director of A.N.D./ Nomura Co.Ltd, Tokyo. He has been planning many restaurants and shops’ interior design, and the Mandarin Hotel’s main dining room, or his contribution to the Shin Marubiru project are just a few examples of his wide spectrum of experiences. About working as a designer he says that “I am not an artist, I am just trying to give an attractive shape to what my clients want”. CONCEPT After having conducted a profound examination, a scholar said that “the traditional Japanese cypress bathtub has the most potent relaxing effect”, and in a luxurious and exclusive relaxation center in L.A., too, it seems that they started using it. I think that nowadays the bathtub, or ofuro as it is called in Japanese, is not just the place to wash one’s body, but it must be also a place to relax. It must be said that there is a very special relationship between the Japanese and the ofuro, and the Japanese people have been enjoying having hot baths for a long time. However, even if the practice of bathing is still considered important in Japan, it has been changing and it has become far more rational than it was in the past. Keeping this in mind, I decided to propose a Japanese traditional cypress bathtub in an up-to-date version. 300-year-old cypresses’ wood was used to construct buildings that have now more than a thousand years of history, and this shows the congeniality between our environment and this material. The main aim of my project is to express softness, which is one of the characteristics of the wood, creating something you just could not resist touching. Then I would like to thanks the lumber workers and the craftsmen for their help and cooperation, who helped me in realizing my project and who impressed me so much with their techniques and knowledge. YUKIO HASHIMOTO BIOGRAPHY Interior designer – Hashimoto Yukio Design Studio Co.Ltd. Lecturer at Women’s College of Fine Arts Lecturer at Aichi Prefecture University of Fine Arts and Music Born in 1962 in Aichi Prefecture After his graduation from Aichi Prefecture University of Fine Arts and Music he worked several years at Super Potato Co. Ltd and then established his own studio in 1996. “Daidaiya”, ”Kamonka”, ”Beams House”, ”The Peninsula-Tokyo”, “Mitsuo Aida Museum” etc. are among his main works. He says that his “interest lies in giving shapes to abstract ideas more than in the substance” and this is the concept his interior design is based on. CONCEPT “I would like to go to hot spring more often” or “I would like to have a hot bath”, these words come to mind from time to time. I think that for Japanese people “ofuro”, the traditional Japanese bath, or “having a hot bath” is something special. Though bathing helps us to relax and make us forget every day’s stress and tension, nonetheless it seems to me that something is missing. If for sofas or other pieces of furniture variations are infinite, when it comes to the bathtub there is not so much to choose about. Wouldn’t it be nice, for example, to enjoy the bath in a stand-alone fixture placed in the middle of your living room, or in the garden? My proposal is a bathtub that can be placed everywhere, giving us new ways to enjoy bathing. Decoratively covered with lacquer, this bathtub can be seen as a sort of huge lacquer ware or even as a decorative object, and the aim of this project is to show the ofuro like a kind of symbol of Japanese identity and not just a place where to collect water.