{"id":3990,"date":"2026-05-15T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T03:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aatomo.jp\/?p=3990"},"modified":"2026-06-24T22:39:39","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T13:39:39","slug":"kawasaki_kiriyama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aatomo.jp\/en\/kawasaki_kiriyama\/","title":{"rendered":"Sometimes Technology Is Best When\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0Invisible\u00a0Aiming for an Intuitive Exhibit Experience at \u201cKAWASAKI in Photos\u201d\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From Paper to Digital: The Evolution of Collecting Comments <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Editorial Team<\/strong>\u3000For this exhibit, \u200b\u200b\u201cKAWASAKI in Photos, Part 2: Hama-Kawasaki in Transition\u201d (November\u2013December 2025), the method used to collect comments from visitors was quite unique, wasn\u2019t it? 

Kiriyama<\/strong>\u3000For the previous \u201cKAWASAKI in Photos\u201d exhibit (November 2024\u2013January 2025), we had visitors write their impressions on sticky notes and attach them to a map of Kawasaki City. While this was intuitive and effective in its own way, it presented the challenge that as the number of sticky notes increased, they would physically overlap. To resolve the overlapping issue, someone had to regularly organize and remove the sticky notes, so we decided to take it a step further for this exhibit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This time around, we prepared \u201cpostcards\u201d that send a message back in time to approximately 60 years ago, when the displayed photographs were taken. When you write a comment on the postcard and drop it into the \u201cMirai Post\u201d box with a built-in scanner, your comment is scanned. The postcards contain NFC tags (devices embedded with small IC chips capable of wireless communication), which identify which photograph your comment refers to. The system is designed so that every time a postcard is dropped into the box, a new comment appears next to the photograph on the monitor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We developed the exhibit\u2019s communication design, which creates opportunities for visitors to engage with the exhibit space such as by leaving comments, through collaborative discussions with the National Center for Art Research. When visitors view the exhibit and write comments about the photographs, they are able to\u00a0leave their personal thoughts, knowledge, and experiences. Other visitors then see these comments and write their own, creating a chain of expression. Writing comments also naturally encourages visitors to look closely at the exhibits. That is why we place such importance on this mechanism, which allows visitors to express themselves through their comments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Scenes from \u201cHello Future! 100-Year Museum\u201d at EXPO 2025 Osaka-Kansai (Photo by AYAMI) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I worked with Inaniwa Sawako (Senior Curator at the National Center for Art Research) and others to create the exhibit \u201cDiscover Cultural Prescribing! Hello Future! 100-Year Museum\u201d (EXPO 2025 Osaka-Kansai, August 2025), and the insights Ms. Inaniwa shared about how visitors responded at the venue were extremely helpful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The EXPO exhibit used a system where visitors could select one photo from their smartphones\u2014one they felt represented their own cultural prescription\u2014and have it displayed on a large screen within the exhibit space. When the photo appeared on the large display, it felt as though the photo they had taken had become part of the exhibit itself. Building on that experience, I feel it is really important to have visitors\u2019 own comments appear on the screen, even if it\u2019s just text. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Scenes from \u201cHello Future! 100-Year Museum\u201d at EXPO 2025 (Photo by AYAMI) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Editorial Team<\/strong>\u3000It\u2019s interesting that although digital technology is at work behind the scenes, the actual activity is the analog act of writing a postcard. Did you ever consider having participants type their responses on a smartphone? 

Kiriyama<\/strong>\u3000We did consider smartphone input, but we decided on the handwritten method because there were some hurdles involved, and we felt it might dilute the nuance of \u201cwriting a personal reflection.\u201d Now that we\u2019ve actually tried it, we\u2019ve seen a wide variety of responses\u2014some people write words, while others draw pictures\u2014and we\u2019re really seeing the value of handwriting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The mechanism behind the \u201cHello Future! 100-Year Museum\u201d exhibit at EXPO 2025  <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Partly because of the large number of visitors at the EXPO, we received about 500 comments. The theme of the exhibit was \u201cYour Cultural Prescription,\u201d and the comments gave us a clear sense of how people felt when they heard the term \u201ccultural prescription.\u201d In the Kawasaki exhibit as well, we saw a strong sense of interest in the everyday culture and way of life that were prevalent during the era represented in the photos. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Idea Came from an Encounter in the UK<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Editorial Team<\/strong>\u3000For the Kawasaki exhibit, it seems that NFC tags were embedded in the exhibit photos, and when a photo was placed in the designated spot, information appeared on the monitor. The system for displaying the information was very user-friendly. 

Kiriyama<\/strong>\u3000 We first used NFC tags in the previous \u201cKAWASAKI in Photos\u201dexhibition (\u200b\u200bOctober 2024). Actually, it all began when I spoke with the developer of a device called Museum in a Box during a visit to the UK about six months prior. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Museum in a Box, which plays audio clips when objects are placed on it.  
Photo: Editorial Team   <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Museum in a Box is a device developed in the UK that functions like a hands-on mini-museum. When an object such as a three-dimensional artwork, card, or photograph equipped with an NFC tag is placed on top of the box, an audio commentary linked to that object plays automatically. I was impressed by the convenience of the NFC tags and how the audio portion creates a sense of familiarity by providing information that can be received aurally. 
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Museum in a Box<\/strong><\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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