About the Museum
NHN JAPAN has been creating valuable businesses together with group companies and taking on various challenges to create connections between people that utilize the infinite possibilities of the Internet and to realize a richer society, based on the concept of "Next Human Network." COMICO ART MUSEUM YUFUIN is the NHN Group's first offline facility, and was opened with the aim of creating a cultural space where high-level cultural arts can be shared with as many people as possible.
The "COMICO" in the museum's name comes from "comico," a comprehensive entertainment platform operated by a group company. "comico" is one of the core businesses of NHN JAPAN, a company that loves culture and art, and offers web comics, manga, novels, movies, and more. In addition to the business that "comico" has established on the Internet, our museum hopes to foster new sensibilities through art for a wider range of generations and demographics.
Yufuin is a small, quiet town, but it is filled with abundant and vibrant nature and the history and vitality of the people who live there.
It is our sincere hope that the encounter between architecture that blends in with the landscape and artworks by Japan's leading contemporary artists will bring healing and comfort to Yufuin and all those who visit the area.
About architecture and logos
"Yufudake" (Mt. Yufu), the symbol of Yufuin.
COMICO ART MUSEUM YUFUIN stands in a location overlooking the majestic, yet soft and gentle ridge line of Yufudake. Kengo Kuma, the architect of the building, always considered the concept of “MURA”(Village) when designing the building.
By arranging a number of small roofs in a row, the building is intended to blend in with the landscape of Yufuin, a village of small houses. The building and nature will coexist over time through the effective use of materials such as wood, earth, washi paper, and water. The black material covering the museum as exterior wall material is "Yakisugi"(Charred
Cedar). The black material blends into the landscape of Yufuin, making Mt. Yufu and the surrounding landscape stand out more clearly. From a distance, Yakisugi is a monotonous black color, but up close you can sense the texture and warmth of the wood. The characteristics of the material deepen over time.
The traditional MURA culture that lives on in Yufuin has been carefully passed down to the present. However, this land is not only what has been preserved from the past, but also has the flexibility to adapt to the changing times.
The exhibition area, which was expanded in 2022, is the embodiment of Yufuin's multifaceted and sophisticated image. The black Yakisugi exterior walls are sloped backward, creating more space at the top of the building as it reaches for the sky. As one's gaze creeps around the corners of the building, one can feel the architecture that incorporates light, water, and wind. Please enjoy the art and architecture while listening to the whispers of nature in Yufuin.
Photo ⓒ J.C. Carbonne
Architect
KUMA
KENGO
隈 研吾 (Kuma Kengo)
Born in 1954. Head of Kuma Kengo Architectural Design Office, and Distinguished Professor and Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo.
Inspired by the Yoyogi National Gymnasium designed by Tange Kenzo during the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, he aspired to become an architect from an early age. He studied under Uchida Yoshichika and Hara Hiroshi. During his graduate school years, he traveled across the Sahara Desert in Africa to survey villages, where he was awakened by their beauty and power. He aims to create architecture that blends into the local environment and culture, proposing gentle, soft designs on a human scale. He is also exploring the nature of architecture in the post-industrial society world through his search for new materials to replace concrete and steel.
The COMICO ART MUSEUM YUFUIN logo is designed to fit within a square. The logo sign at the entrance to the museum is made of solid stainless steel, and its minimalist design without any unnecessary shapes expresses its fusion with contemporary art.
The symbolic square shape is the prototype of an extremely human form created by humans. The simple design based on modernity draws out the unique characteristics of the building's "Japanese material composition" of wood and paper, and its lean "minimalist space," allowing visitors to connect with the materials and nature.
Photo by Takashi Sekiguchi
Logo Design
HARA
KENYA
原 研哉 (Hara Kenya)
Born in 1958. President and CEO of Nippon Design Center, Professor at Musashino Art University.
He regards design as a universal wisdom accumulated in society, and is involved in the planning and implementation of a wide range of design projects based on communication. He has served as the art director for MUJI since 2002, and is active in a wide range of fields, including VI design for Tsutaya Bookstore, GINZA SIX, MIKIMOTO, and Yamato Transport. He has received numerous design awards both in Japan and overseas for these activities. In 2019, he launched the website 「低空飛行」"Low Altitude Flight," which introduces Japan in high resolution from a personal perspective, and is attempting a new approach to the tourism industry.
