IROHA Village Factory / Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP

This is a factory of Fujiiya, a long-established maker of the famous momiji manju (maple leaf-shaped Japanese confections) of Hiroshima. We were consulted for the overall plan after designing their store in Miyajima. The site is in an industrial area developed on a reclaimed land—an artificial environment that lacked human scale. The location was dull and could be considered a calamity of the land-use zoning system. We thus proposed a place that would function not just as a factory, but to integrate production with research and processing with consumption. We felt that the concept would tie into the spirit of the confection making, which valued nature and the lifestyles of people while maintaining a close relationship with the community.