—To begin, could you tell us how this project came about?

Koya Narumi (hereafter, Narumi): Back in 2015, I was a researcher for the ERATO Kawahara Universal Information Network Project*1 led by Professor Yoshihiro Kawahara at the University of Tokyo. At the time, we had the opportunity to show the technologies developed through the project to the team at ISSEY MIYAKE and exchange ideas about possible applications. That effort remained at the prototype stage, but in 2020 we then presented them the Inkjet 4D Print technology, which became the catalyst for launching the “TYPE-X Inkjet 4D Print project” (hereafter, “TYPE-X”).

*1
The ERATO Kawahara Universal Information Network Project (2015–2022) was a research initiative that explored next-generation IoT concepts in which artificial objects naturally blend into the environment and independently coexist with humans to create new value. Mr. Narumi is an alumnus of the Kawahara Laboratory at the Graduate School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo. Elephantech Inc., co-founded by Mr. Sugimoto, is also a startup company born from the same laboratory, aiming to bring inkjet technologies developed there into real-world applications.

Inkjet 4D Print is a technology developed by a research group at the University of Tokyo*2 that enables a sheet printed with complex patterns to automatically fold itself into a three-dimensional structure simply by being heated. It represents a new digital fabrication approach that brings into physical reality forms that previously could exist only in CG simulations.

*2
Research group: The research team included Mr. Narumi (then a Project Lecturer at the Graduate School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo; now Associate Professor at Keio University), Mr. Suto of Nature Architects Inc., Mr. Sugimoto of Elephantech Inc., as well as Professor Yoshihiro Kawahara, Professor Tomohiro Tachi, Professor Takeo Igarashi of the University of Tokyo, and Associate Professor Hiroki Sato of Miyagi University, among others.

The origin of this technology was conceived by Sugimoto-san. When patterns are printed with an inkjet printer onto a heat-shrinkable sheet and heat is applied, stress is generated in the ink, causing the sheet to begin folding by itself. It was Sugimoto-san who recognised this phenomenon not as a mere “accidental change”, but as a controllable process.

Masaaki Sugimoto (hereafter, Sugimoto): Inkjet 4D Print started as an exploration into whether inkjet printing technology could replace the labour-intensive sewing processes while I was studying social issues in the fashion industry. Although I already had the idea, Elephantech, which I co-founded, was a startup firm at the time with very limited personnel and time. Precisely for that reason, when I started looking for a partner I could refine this technology with, the first person who came to mind was Professor Narumi. I wanted to work with someone who, while having a perspective on technological development, could also naturally connect with fields such as fashion and culture.

Narumi: When Sugimoto-san approached me with the idea, I personally felt a great deal of potential. At the same time, I wanted a clue as to what kinds of “folding methods” could best utilise a technology in which a flat printed sheet transforms into a variety of three-dimensional forms simply by heat application. That was when I decided to invite my friend Suto-san, who researches origami engineering, to join the project. He developed software called “Crane”*3, which is used to design complex three-dimensional objects from a single sheet of paper. In theory, it allows one to create origami that can automatically transform into virtually any three-dimensional form. That led us to initially discuss making bangles and rings.

*3
“Crane” is a product design support tool based on origami technology, co-developed by Mr. Suto during his time in Professor Tomohiro Tachi’s laboratory at the University of Tokyo. It enables easy design of folding patterns that transform a single flat sheet into complex three-dimensional objects.

Sugimoto: From your perspective, Suto-san, where do you see the impact and significance of Inkjet 4D Print?

Kai Suto (hereafter, Suto): Historically, origami research has developed by focusing less on the act of folding itself and more on the “design” required to derive three-dimensional forms. This is because origami researchers are exceedingly adept and can fold and create even very complex structures themselves. For example, videos by Professor Tomohiro Tachi*4, a leading figure in origami engineering, sometimes show him folding continuously for as long as ten hours. Because the field had long relied on manual work that required enormous time and effort, origami research remained largely within the fields of play and art, and it was difficult to connect it to different industries or real-world implementation.

*4
Professor Tomohiro Tachi of the Graduate School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo, is a leading authority in origami engineering. Mr. Suto and Mr. Warisaya are alumni of the Tachi Laboratory, and Nature Architects is a university-originated startup firm founded by former members of the same laboratory.

What revolutionised this situation was the advent of so-called “self-folding” technologies, such as Inkjet 4D Print, which can automatically fold origami. By applying physical stimuli, pre-designed folding patterns rise up automatically. I believe ISSEY MIYAKE’s “Steam Stretch”*5, technology in which fabric shrinks when heat is applied, was a pioneering example of this approach. With the advent of self-folding, I felt that a paradigm shift has finally arrived, allowing origami technology to be realised into actual products.

*5
“Steam Stretch” is a technology developed by ISSEY MIYAKE that bends only specific parts of fabric through heat and steam, creating pleated, elastic structures. The “TYPE-V Nature Architects project”, announced in 2023, was realised using Steam Stretch technology together with Nature Architects’ design programs.

Narumi: You have mentioned before that Steam Stretch was also inspired by Professor Tachi’s work, haven’t you?

Yoshiyuki Miyamae (hereafter, Miyamae): Yes, that’s right. In 2013, I was constantly searching for ways to create pleats using methods different from anything we had done before. Since ISSEY MIYAKE presented garments made with the “garment pleating” technique in 1988, we had been engaging with pleats for more than 30 years. But I was starting to feel like it was difficult to generate new ideas using only existing techniques. It was at that time that I visited Professor Tachi’s exhibition “The Forms of Computational Origami” at the University of Tokyo, and it left a powerful impression on me. Rather than seeing it as origami, I couldn’t help but see it as a new structure for the Steam Stretch material we had been researching and developing back then (laughs). I intuitively felt that if this form could be realised as a textile, it would become a completely new stretch material, and I was strongly drawn to that possibility. That line of exploration ultimately led to the further development of Steam Stretch.

What I found particularly interesting was that, although we ourselves regarded Steam Stretch simply as something positioned along the historical extension of pleating, once we actually presented it, it received significant recognition from people in the technology fields both in Japan and abroad. I believe that being contacted by members of Professor Kawahara’s group at the University of Tokyo, which Narumi san mentioned earlier, was also part of that broader flow.

Narumi: Suto-san had originally been researching origami under Professor Tachi and by chance Miyamae-san visited Professor Tachi’s exhibition, which led to the development of Steam Stretch. Meanwhile, Sugimoto-san and I were advancing research in digital fabrication and discovering self-folding technologies. People who were greatly invested in the design of origami, and people who were fascinated by mechanisms that allow objects to rise into form on their own, happened to be conducting research at the same time. When those different streams met at a single point, this earring, “TYPE-X” was born.

—How did Fujifilm come to join the project?

Narumi: When I was writing the academic paper on Inkjet 4D Print, I wasn’t aiming for commercialisation; all I needed was film that could “shrink well.” However, when I actually handled what I had made, it cracked and broke almost instantly. At that point, I realised that this couldn’t be solved by coming up with shape design alone and that we needed to reconsider the material itself. That was when Sugimoto-san connected me with Fujifilm.

Orie Ito (hereafter, Ito): The initial consultation we received was about whether it would be possible to decorate and embellish the sheet. At Fujifilm, we make use of our strength in being able to develop print heads, inks, and image processing in an integrated manner within the group, and we conduct research into advanced inkjet printing technologies. Around that time, we were also working on the development of “high-brightness metallic inkjet technology”, and we decided to try using that material.

Without the need for special processes such as foil stamping, this technology enables highly luminous metallic expressions using inkjet printing alone. It also supports partial printing and colour variation. However, the things we usually handle are printed materials intended fundamentally for flat, two-dimensional applications. With this material as well, we had not yet found uses beyond surface decoration and were very much in the middle of exploring its potential. So we never imagined that it would be reborn as an accessory this time (laughs), but as a result, we strongly feel that new possibilities have opened up for the material.

Sugimoto: When university-developed technologies connect with the outside world, entrepreneurship and business increasingly serve as the mediator. At the same time, I think we’re in an era where companies like ISSEY MIYAKE and Fujifilm are also increasingly open to collaboration with startups and universities. The fabrication movement, social implementation, and industry–academia collaboration, this project, I believe, was born at the intersection of all of those currents.

Between Design and Technology

—Was turning it into earrings something you had in mind from the beginning as a product?

Narumi: No, not at all. I think the decision to make earrings came at a very late stage.

Miyamae: I felt that we needed a clear narrative about what kind of product it should ultimately become. Once Fujifilm joined the project and we decided to use metallic materials, the image of jewellery organically emerged. In the world of jewellery, forms are generally created by carving materials such as gemstones, so the idea that something could be born from a single sheet felt like a very intriguing experiment, even when placed alongside the historical context of jewellery. It also represented an approach different from European jewellery traditions, and we expected that it would leave a strong impression when presented overseas.

In 2024, at an exhibition in Paris, we presented an installation that showed the process during which a flat sheet transforms into a three-dimensional form and is elevated into an accessory. What we produced at that time were not earrings, but bangles. However, with bangles, unforeseen physical damage can occur in everyday life, such as knocking them against a table. When we thought about creating something that could be used for many years, we decided to shift our focus to earrings, which are not directly subjected to external forces on the product itself. That process ultimately led us to the current form.

Narumi: At the Paris exhibition, we lined up metallic pattern sheets, placed them into a tank filled with hot water, and let visitors watch them transform into bangles which they could then take home. Warisaya san designed an extraordinary number of forms, and even now, looking back, I’m amazed that we were able to achieve such a rich variety.

Kanata Warisaya (hereafter, Warisaya): Yes. Crane has a function that allows origami patterns to be designed so that they follow a target curved surface. First, we significantly expanded the range of usable pattern variations. We then placed the newly added patterns onto a cylindrical curved surface that follows the wrist, adjusted them using Crane’s algorithms so they functioned as valid origami, and output flat development drawings and print data. I was responsible for that entire process.

Suto: With Fujifilm’s participation, it became possible to embellish the metallic material, marking a decisive turning point in the design process. What was especially important was verifying which patterns would allow light reflections to rise most beautifully. Warisaya san and Mochizuki san worked closely together, repeatedly prototyping and evaluating the results.

Masato Mochizuki (hereafter, Mochizuki): We went through many back-and-forth communications where I would ask, “is this kind of form possible?” and Warisaya-san would create a prototype and then test it. With bangles, however, the edges often tore, and for earrings, we had to design sections where metal fittings could be securely attached to the ear. The process of refining the forms into something that could truly function as a product involved far more trial and error than we had imagined.

Narumi: In this project, I think we engineers took on a role similar to that of artisans. The A-POC ABLE team, on the other hand, said they wanted to use that technology to create a product that could properly be delivered to the world. Mochizuki-san supported countless rounds of trial and error while standing in a position caught between design and technology.

Miyamae: As A-POC ABLE, we felt strongly that if we were going to design something, it should not end up as a prototype, but be delivered as a reliable, finished product. We began with that resolve, and as we continued our monthly meetings, before we knew it, three years had gone by.

Sugimoto: When you look only at the finished pieces, they appear extremely simple. But every aspect—the design, the materials, and the manufacturing process—was an exploration into the unknown. The fact that everyone at A-POC ABLE stayed patiently with us through that steady, painstaking journey was truly great. As engineers, even if we understand things theoretically, we are not always sure about the right balance for finishing a technology as a “product.” Technology alone cannot be implemented in society. What’s essential is A-POC ABLE’s intuitive sensibility: what they consider acceptable as a product, where to focus, and how to refine it. Thanks to their persistent refinement of the prototypes, I believe we were able to bring this technology out into the world.

Ito: I completely agree. For us as engineers, making that final judgement is extremely difficult. Through encountering A-POC ABLE’s refined philosophy and design, and through the accumulation of stimulating discussions within this team, I feel that this experiential product was able to take shape.

Sugimoto: In collaborations with companies, it’s not uncommon for discussions to dissipate once a fiscal period ends. But in this project, we were able to keep moving forward because of the A-POC ABLE team’s sharp eye for potential, their trust in the team, and ultimately the shared motivation among everyone involved to “see the product make its way into society.” Having people who trust engineers and lead the process, and the team that patiently carries things through to completion, this was an extraordinary gift for those of us on the technology side.

Narumi: After we announced Inkjet 4D Print, we were approached by other brands as well. However, many of the inquiries were along the lines of, “we want to make it in time for the next season”, or “can you do it in three months?”—and that simply isn’t realistic. A technology at the stage where it has just been published as an academic paper is still very far from being ready to enter the world as an industry. We are truly grateful for the interest, but it needs to be considered on a much longer time span. This time, we were able to come this far precisely because everyone at A-POC ABLE patiently watched over the project with a long-term perspective.

—Miyamae-san, is the ability with which you pushed the project forward and made decisive choices without hesitation, something like embodied knowledge, cultivated through your experience as a designer?

Miyamae: Yes, I think so. But ultimately, I believe that judgement about things can only be made through intuition. And above all, whether the gathered team can maintain a comfortable relationship is most important. Starting with Narumi-san, it was clear that everyone involved shared a strong desire to “give this a form.” Because of that, I felt confident that it would eventually be realised. There were certainly moments along the way when it felt as though we were standing on the edge of a cliff. Even so, the fact that we have now been able to bring it out into the world is significant. Furthermore, I believe that as we change conditions from here, or expand the technology beyond film to other materials, new possibilities for making things will continue to open up.

On a side note, when you visit the ISSEY MIYAKE archives, you realise that the widely known products represent only a very small fraction of our creations; an astonishing number of samples that never made it into the public eye lie there. The number of samples created in a single year far exceeds what one might imagine, and only a tiny portion of them are ever presented as part of the collections. And among those, only fragments polished like crystals are recorded as history in publications such as “ISSEY MIYAKE: Making Things”. In other words, ISSEY MIYAKE’s approach to making things is shaped by an immense accumulation of trial and error. Based on that reality, we do not aim for a single “correct answer” or a “hit” straightaway. Instead, we want to remain committed to a stance of repeating countless rounds of trial and error. That, at least, is something I believe will never waver.

Working with the Hands, Observing Closely

—The physical phenomena underlying the principles of Inkjet 4D Print are strongly associated with the realm of science. To what extent can human intention, such as design and creative intent, intervene in such phenomena? I wanted to ask about how the world of physics and humans will intersect, and how form emerges from that intersection.

Warisaya: Even with patterns that should theoretically result in the same form, when you actually apply heat, they never turn out exactly as the simulations predict; the outcomes differ little by little. In response to that, there was a process in which Mochizuki-san identified what was “good” from a design’ point of view.

Sugimoto: As I mentioned earlier, deciding “what is good” is not something that can be determined by physics, science, or technology alone. Under that circumstance, they did not rely on simulations, but instead looked at each form as it actually came up and selected the ones they felt were right. That judgement is something which can never be derived from the technology side alone, and that is precisely where I believe the significance of collaboration between the A-POC ABLE team and ourselves lies.

Narumi: For example, patterns where a line that should have folded straight ends up bending and curving. From an engineer’s perspective, that counts as a “failure”.

Suto: Among the final forms that were chosen, there are many that we engineers would label as “failures”. Yet from a design perspective, those were seen as “interesting”.

Narumi: The fact that forms born out of “failure” were ultimately adopted is, I think, symbolic of this project.

Mochizuki: Our approach to making things is to work with our hands and judge by observing what comes up right in front of us. Of course, we also use sketches and data, but unless we see the actual object, we can’t truly know whether it’s good or not. Even ideas that might not work, we try making all of them at least once. With these earrings, in a process premised on linear folds, we were strongly drawn to the sudden emergence of curved movement. It feels as though we captured that moment and chose it.

—Mochizuki-san, you were also responsible for the package design.

Mochizuki: Yes. First, I wanted the package to have a dignified presence as something that encloses the earrings. Conceptually, I envisioned the package itself as something like “one half of a cube that is cut diagonally”. Just as this product reveals a complex and beautiful form simply by folding a rectangular sheet along a diagonal line, I thought that giving the top surface of the box an angle would create a special package that reflects the product’s defining characteristics. As for the interior, I designed it so that the moment the lid is opened, one’s fingers naturally hook onto the upper part, making it easy to take out the earrings. However, that turned out to be far more difficult than expected. The handle-like section went through many rounds of pattern prototyping and adjustment before we arrived at its final form.

Narumi: Affordance, that is, you wove into the design a quality that naturally invites the user to reach out and touch it. That’s a fascinating perspective.

Sugimoto: The way something is wrapped can significantly change how the value of what’s inside is perceived.

Miyamae: Accessories, in particular, are often chosen not only as gifts for oneself but also for others. That’s why the sense of anticipation at the moment of opening is essential.

—As A-POC ABLE, will the context of making things using Inkjet 4D Print continue going forward?

Miyamae: Yes. We want to continue exploring the act and technology of “folding”, as well as the new forms of expression that emerge from it. The bangles we presented in Paris might also become viable products in the future, depending on changes to the sheet material.

Narumi: Looking back on the path of TYPE-X, we started with ring prototypes, then presented bangles in Paris, and ultimately arrived at earrings as the most realistic solution for commercialisation. But as the technology has advanced significantly along the way, I now feel that rings and bangles could also be realised in more refined forms.

Sugimoto: From the point of technology, I agree. That said, releasing something into the World as a finished product demands a level of completeness that is entirely different from that of a prototype. Everything must be refined while carefully balancing all factors. That’s why we want to continue presenting possibilities to A-POC ABLE. We believe that technology advances to the next horizon by continuing to propose new possibilities.

Koya Narumi
Associate Professor, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University. His specialisation is Human–Computer Interaction, with a particular focus on digital fabrication and shape-changing interfaces that utilise novel materials and structures. His major awards include the University of Tokyo President’s Award (2020), the 7th Hagura Award (2023), the Funai Research Encouragement Award (2024), and the Microsoft Research Award in Informatics (2025).

Masaaki Sugimoto
Co-founder and Advisor of Elephantech Inc. Representative of Hornfels LLC. His activities span technology and culture, including launching the community café “Lab-Cafe” (2008) and co-founding “Todai To Texas” (2013), a program that sends University of Tokyo-originated startups to SXSW. As a co-founder of Elephantech Inc. in 2014, he worked to promote decarbonised electronic circuit board technologies based on inkjet printing.

Kai Suto
Representative Director and CEO of Nature Architects Inc. In 2018, he developed Crane, a product design support tool based on origami technology, together with Tanimichi, as part of the MITOU Program. He led a collaborative project with A-POC ABLE in the TYPE-V Nature Architects Project announced in 2023, and received the Software Japan Award in 2024.

Kanata Warisaya
Affiliated with the laboratory of Professor Tomohiro Tachi at the Graduate School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo. He gained his master’s degree in 2023 and entered the doctoral program in 2024. His research focuses on architectural geometry and computational mechanics, particularly the design and fabrication of form and motion based on origami and tessellations. He has served as an assistant engineer at Nature Architects Inc. since 2022. He received the University of Tokyo President’s Award in 2021.

Orie Ito
After completing a master’s degree at the Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, she joined FUJIFILM Corporation in 2011. She has been engaged in the development of ink formulations for inkjet printing, and has worked on the development and commercialisation of aqueous inks for products such as the Jetpress series.