The Nagoya Castle tour led by Chris Glenn was held on April 12th.
I was a little nervous beforehand, but it turned out to be a much more profound and memorable experience than I had imagined.
On this day, I was reminded once again that
"design is not just for wearing."
The same T-shirt brought strangers closer together
27 people participated on the day.
Most of them gathered wearing Nagoya Castle or Inuyama Castle T-shirts.
More than half of them were meeting for the first time.
Nevertheless, for some reason, the distance between them quickly closed.
Just by "wearing the same T-shirt," conversation naturally sparked.
We actually received comments like these from participants:
"I was nervous as a first-time participant, but I felt relieved when I saw people wearing the same T-shirt."
"It was easy to talk to people even though we just met, and I had a lot of fun."
"The T-shirts created the best memories."
The T-shirt, which should have been just a piece of clothing,
served as a "common language" in that setting.
The "experience" created by Chris's commentary
The highlight of the tour was Chris's "20 points of commentary on Nagoya Castle."
Each point was easy to understand and entertaining.
His attitude of always trying to entertain the participants while observing their expressions was striking.
And the words he spoke at the end.
"Nagoya Castle was the first castle in Japan to be designed with typography."
At those words, I spontaneously applauded.
It was a moment when I realized that it wasn't just about gaining knowledge,
but that it had become a "memorable experience."
The T-shirt was an "opportunity to participate"
Wearing a T-shirt was a condition for participating in this tour.
This was not just a rule,
but I believe it was a "design to create a sense of unity."
In fact, about 70% of the participants purchased T-shirts at the Hands Castle Festival and joined.
In other words, this T-shirt was not
"just something you buy," but an "entrance to an experience."
Some people participated wearing the same T-shirt as their children,
and that scene was very impressive.
Insights as a designer
This time, I traveled from Tokyo to the site,
and observing the participants up close, I felt something strongly.
That is,
design is not for self-satisfaction.
It is for the customer's experience.
It's not just about making a "cool T-shirt",
but what kind of experience is created by wearing it?
I realized that only when we design to that extent
does design truly gain meaning.
A single T-shirt created a sense of unity
At the end of the tour,
we all took a group photo wearing the same T-shirt.
Looking at that scene, I suddenly realized something.
This T-shirt is
not just "clothing,"
but an "opportunity" to connect people.
If this tour hadn't happened,
this T-shirt might have remained "just a T-shirt."
But now it's different.
It has become "a piece imbued with memories of an experience."
Future possibilities
I believe there's still a lot of potential
in castle T-shirts.
They can be a trigger to love that castle even more.
And a reason to want to visit again.
If such experiences
were to also emerge at other castles—
That would surely
lead to a very interesting future.
The design is one of a kind.
And its value is also one of a kind.