Shimadzu Instruments Decorated with Kyoto’s Traditional Craft Arts Showcased at Expo 2025

On March 31, Shimadzu Corporation celebrated its 150th anniversary. To commemorate this, Shimadzu has manufactured four concept models in which the traditional craft art techniques of Kyoto are applied to the design of our main instruments. Decorative elements have been applied to the Nexera series of high performance liquid chromatographs, the Brevis GC-2050 gas chromatograph, the MobileDaRt Evolution MX8 Version mobile X-ray system (MX8), and the BresTome head and breast TOF-PET system. Ten traditional craft art techniques have been utilized, including nishijin-ori weaving, kyo-yuzen (dyeing), kyo-shikki (lacquerware), and kintsugi (golden repair).

ICHI-ZA KYOTO Exhibit (image for illustrative purposes only)

The concept models were exhibited at ICHI-ZA KYOTO, the Kansai Pavilion Kyoto Zone at the Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai, Japan from June 16 to 22. Also, Cube-shaped display items that could actually be touched were displayed, allowing visitors to experience for themselves the quality of the materials and the textures involved in each traditional technique. Further, there was an exhibition of photos depicting how the concept models were created at the same time. Visitors were able to sense the stories behind the manufacturing of the models through photographs illustrating the background to production in the workshops and the interactions between the artisans and the engineers.

©Expo 2025

Designs Embodying the 150-Year History of Shimadzu, which was Founded in Kyoto

Project members from the left, Manager Jun Kawai and Natsuno Ommori of the Corporate Product Design Center, Shimadzu Corporation; Hyakutaro Oiri and Haruhide Yoshida of Shinkougeikai; and Taka Katada and Ryo Takegawa of the Corporate Product Design Center, Shimadzu Corporation

The concept model production project began in April 2024. Exteriors in five colors are available for the Nexera series and the Brevis GC-2050 based on the concept of the Five Elements of Chinese Philosophy, a natural philosophical system in which everything in the natural world is believed to consist of the elements of fire, water, wood, metal, and earth.

The Nexera series is painted with a fluid design depicting the image of chromatography, while a pattern illustrating the flow of gas and created with image-generating AI is woven into the front and back of the Brevis GC-2050 using the nishijin-ori technique. For both models, metallic foil is used, the color of which changes in contact with lacquer and air. As a result, a long-lasting design is realized, and changes in the tint can be enjoyed over time.

For the side panels of the MX8, a kyo-yuzen artist created sketches on the theme of the four seasons. To highlight the features of the MX8, which is moved to the actual place it is needed, a traditional decorative pattern is drawn on the housing with a white pigment created from shells. A playful advantage to this design is that it emerges as it catches the light.

Since the BresTome is used in breast cancer exams, a bed cover was tailor-made for it with a Japanese design drawn by a kyo-yuzen artist, using a Pink Ribbon motif. A high-quality finish was applied to the hand-dyed kimono cloth to make it light-resistant and moisture-resistant.

Commonalities between Shimadzu Products and Traditional Crafts

Traditional crafts, with their attention to detail, and mass-produced items, with the focus on machining. Project Leader Kawai commented that while such items seem diametrically opposed, they are quite similar. “For example, the fabrication of kyo-yuzen is not done all at once, but rather is divided into 12 stages, with the respective artisans demonstrating their techniques at their own place in the process. This is the same as in Shimadzu product development. The honest and meticulous work of each employee is combined, and many cooperating external companies also pool their individual strengths to create a single product. During dozens of visits to the workshops, the more I learn, the more I feel that the process of creative collaboration in producing a high-quality item is quite similar.”

Jun Kawai, Manager, Product Design Unit, Corporate Product Design Center
Shown with a display item created on the theme of “Future Shimadzu Mannequin” while stationed at Shimadzu (China) Co., Ltd.

Kawai notes that “While stationed overseas, I had an opportunity to consider branding from a global perspective. I hoped to utilize the value of being one of Kyoto’s long-standing businesses. In this product-rich and information-rich era, brand differentiation is very difficult. However, we are also now discovering the possibilities for product design using Kyoto’s traditional craft techniques. I will be pleased if this project provides a boost to Shimadzu group members struggling in global markets, just as we are.”