The Vertebra was released in 1981, three years before I joined the company, and was extremely well-known. I personally have a strong attachment to this redesign of a work chair that is considered a legendary masterpiece even in the office furniture industry. The appearance is slightly different from back then, but the seating comfort is undoubtedly "Vertebra". The backrest and seating surface move according to the person sitting in it based on ergonomics, and you can really feel the high level of technology. Thanks to this, I was able to work from home comfortably even during the period of self-restraint from going out.

From March to April, there was a nationwide surge in requests for "working comfortably at home," so we sold a lot of chairs for working from home. We thought, "There must be a need for this within the company, too," so we sold them internally, and they sold quite well, so I took the opportunity to buy one myself (laughs). I have one chair for my home in Tokyo, where I am working alone, and one for my family who lives far away. The one I use has four legs and is made of wood, and the fabric is "Plum Purple."

Now that everyone has experienced Advantage of teleworking, I don't think we'll ever go back to the way we used to work. However, the housing situation in Japan is not very good. I often hear stories of couples having to work in the living room, but that means they're concerned about each other's eyes and voices. That's why it would be nice to have a "third space" that's neither the office nor the home. Until now, ITOKI has provided "furniture that is easy to work in," but from now on, "easy-to-work spaces" will also be necessary. We are currently discussing product development for this purpose.

For example, "ONOFF". It's a folding desk with a partition, but you can instantly create a working space by simply unfolding it. You can even work in the living room. I would like to continue researching how people can work comfortably and develop unique products that have never been seen before.

At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic has also highlighted the limitations of teleworking. This is because online communication is possible only because of mutual trust. Therefore, real-life communication is also necessary with people with whom you do not have a strong relationship. The more teleworking advances, the more we will recognize the importance of meeting in person to build essential things such as bonds and trust.

At the very least, it will not be an office with just a set of desks and chairs for each employee, as in the past. The office will embody the company's strategy, and if there are 100 companies, there will need 100 different types of offices. We plan to think about this together with our customers.

That's right. ITOKI's mission is to "We Design Tomorrow. We Design WORK-Style." so we aim to create spaces for working comfortably.

Next time, We will talk about what is necessary to be healthy in mind and body and to work happily in the society of the future!