Technology meets tradition

TOTO’s London exhibition shows the latest bathroom technologies in the context of traditional Japanese culture.

TOTO’s exclusive products are presented in the context of Japanese zen gardens in the latest summer exhibition at their London showroom. The Japanese zen gardens and TOTO’s sanitary ceramics share a high degree of aesthetic harmony. Photo: TOTO

The summer exhibition TECHNOLOGY MEETS TRADITION is on display from 20 May to 31 July 2024 at the TOTO showroom in London’s Clerkenwell neighbourhood. This exhibition connects the long, rich history of traditional Japanese handicrafts and culture with innovative technologies. Photo: TOTO

Emi Morita studied architecture and also spent five years learning from Japanese garden and tea garden designer Hide Fumi Nagato in Hiroshima, Japan. Afterwards, she was responsible for trimming and managing the collection of bonsai trees at the Moscow Academy’s Botanic Garden in addition to other duties. She designed the zen gardens for TOTO’s temporary installation. Photo: TOTO

TOTO’s exclusive sanitary ceramics give residential and hotel bathroom projects a balanced aesthetic. They create a harmonious feeling reminiscent of the understated serenity of a Japanese garden. Photo: TOTO

Visitors pass the zen gardens Emi Morita designed using TOTO products and move through a gallery in which Japanese artisans present modern materials in line with traditional styles. These installations are curated by CIPANGO, a Japanese social design company. Photo: TOTO

CIPANGO is committed to preserving traditional techniques and materials, presenting their versatility to an international audience. Photo: TOTO

The tearoom designed by London architects Squire & Partners is based on the tea garden one passes through to get to the tea house. Materials produced by CIPANGO artisans using traditional techniques are interpreted in modern ways. Photo: TOTO

The summer exhibition TECHNOLOGY MEETS TRADITION is on display the TOTO Showroom in London’s Clerkenwell neighbourhood from 20 May to 31 July 2024. The exhibition connects Japan’s rich history and culture with state-of-the-art sanitary technologies. It includes the installation of authentic zen gardens, a temporary tea house structure and the presentation of a collection of sanitary products. This gives visitors an opportunity to experience how Japanese culture informs and influences TOTO products, which are developed in this cultural context.

TOTO is known for their innovative sanitary ceramics. In line with the Japanese philosophy of kaizen, they are always working to improve and enhance these products to meet the highest hygiene and comfort standards. They use state-ofthe-art technologies in their products to achieve these results, like the luxurious WASHLET NEOREST WX and the soothing Floating Tub. These TOTO design products are presented in the context of a Japanese zen garden, designed to promote calm and relaxation through its minimalist design. This is also part of TOTO’s philosophy of “Understated Presence” that the company pursues in its product design. They implement this consistently through three principles: userfriendly design that supports people’s bodies and souls in their everyday lives, aesthetic elements that create a sense of harmony, and a design of lasting beauty that unites usability with long-lasting aesthetics.

Calming zen garden by Emi Morita

Japanese zen gardens are known for their clarity and peace. These carefully designed spaces incorporate natural elements like rocks, gravel, sand and plants in harmonious, often symbolic arrangements to invoke a feeling of inner balance and peace. Zen gardens have a very long tradition spanning centuries. They have become a timeless embodiment of minimalistic aesthetics and contemplative design principles. “My mission is to help people understand the five senses of modern everyday life through the Japanese garden,” landscape architect Emi Morita explains. She designed the zen gardens for the TECHNOLOGY MEETS TRADITION exhibition.

CIPANGO – ancient crafts meet modern design

CIPANGO is a social niche company that brings architects, designers and other construction and design professionals together with Japanese artisans. CIPANGO represents traditional Japanese artisanal enterprises that reinterpret their traditional techniques for modern applications. The TECHNOLOGY MEETS TRADITION exhibition shows the versatility, manual skills and transformative potential of materials in interior design and architecture. The collection on display at TOTO’s Clerkenwell showroom includes Harigane metal textiles, Youbi Hinoki furniture, Maruni wood carvings and works on paper, as well as Tatinoya wood textiles.

Visitors to the exhibition will experience a special fusion of traditional and modern aesthetics that give insights into TOTO’s innovative bathroom technologies as well as the timeless beauty and harmony found in traditional Japanese culture. The extraordinary aesthetic, wonderful hospitality, timelessness, dedication, perfect craftsmanship and design, and an appreciation for the finer details are aspects that can be found in both Japanese culture as well as TOTO’s products.