CONSULTANCY

Our consultancy services two main purposes. To audit for cultural and ecological responsibility. And to support the creation of products, places, and programs that are rooted in rich and verifiable storytelling.

A woman showing ancient scrolls to a group of people sitting on a tatami mat in a traditional Japanese room.

SErVICES

Consultancy services leverage our daily field research across the Japanese archipelago. We have a materials first approach. Materials are the gateway to storytelling. One that connects the dots between raw natural resources and traditional technique. This means that we can ensure both culturally and ecologically responsible storytelling for products, places, and programs, that are seamless and responsive to your brand. Because it will always be rooted in our fieldwork.

We work exclusively with creators. Hands-on professionals who create places and spaces, operate food and beverage services, design clothing and fragrances, develop visual and auditory experiences, and build architectural structures and home furnishings.

Fact Checking

We audit your copy, approach, branding, designs, and products, for cultural nuances, and historical and socio-political context, transforming your ideas into rich, verifiable storytelling.

Materials Sourcing

We source raw materials as well as heritage materials, both found and original, to be leveraged toward your creation.

Talent Recruitment

We support your R&D phase by identifying the appropriate talent from our collective of craftspeople to ensure thoughtful, bona fide outcomes.

Our approach to research and application begins in the field. Studying directly from hyper-local generational custodians of the land and traditional craftspeople, to not only learn of and document heritage materials, but also recording a comprehensive survey of the overall ecosystem from raw natural resources to the socio-political landscape around it.

As clients, you benefit from the layers of work that have come before your project. You essentially receive access to the plethora of our regional fieldwork, the daily experimentation in our lab, and the development of our tangible case studies.

Now we call upon you to leverage the knowledge we have cultivated through our fieldwork to transform heritage materials into new physical, experiential, and social possibilities.

A person in a gray shirt and glasses is skateboarding on a concrete sidewalk in a park, with trees and grass visible in the background.
About Our Research Methodology
About Our Research Methodology

Contact

info@kyotoresearchinstitute.com

VISIT

Book Office Hours to visit our Materials Archive and Test Kitchen, and experience our research ethos first-hand.

Interior of a traditional Japanese room with a tatami mat floor, wooden shelves, and antique items for tea ceremony or cultural display.
Sunlight passing through a decorative object creates a pattern of shadows on a wooden floor near a beige wall.
Close-up of a cork wall with some wood paneling at the bottom.
Close-up of the bottom part of a dark wooden furniture leg or post casting a shadow on light wooden floorboards.
Close-up of a wooden beam and brick wall with peeling paint and damaged textures.
Close-up of a dark brown fabric with beige woven border, showing a small embroidered logo in the center.
Close-up of yellow watermelon seeds in a container.
Slices of cheese on a wooden cutting board, with a black knife on the left and a small dish in the background.
Close-up of a clear glass filled with a light yellow, foamy beverage, possibly beer or cider.
Stacked dirty ceramic bowls and plates on a dark surface.
Close-up of the edge of a cast-iron stove or oven with a worn, rusty appearance, sitting on a tiled countertop with decorative floral-patterned tiles.
A small fire burning inside a brick fireplace with glowing embers and a piece of wood with writing in Chinese characters.
A cozy kitchen with wooden beams and large windows letting in natural light, decorative plants, a tiled pizza oven in the foreground, and shelves with dishes and bowls on the right.