"DISCOVER & SHARE PLACE DIG" (hereinafter referred to as DIG) is a new human resources development facility that regards KOKUYO's human resources as the company's assets and promotes employees' autonomous learning and knowledge sharing between businesses. It is not an office as a work space, but a place that creates new encounters and learning, with the aim of each employee digging deep into a topic driven by their curiosity and sharing the tacit knowledge and passion they have accumulated with their colleagues.

The inspiration for the space comes from "family restaurants," which are used by a wide range of generations for multiple purposes. In Japan, "family restaurants" are popular with a wide range of people, including families, students, and office workers, and are a place where people can enjoy a meal casually. They have a casual atmosphere and are used for a wide range of purposes, not only for meals, but also for studying, working, and meeting up, making them a familiar presence for Japanese people. Inspired by the "freedom of space" that is the nature of family restaurants, we designed a space for various learning and research activities. Box seats and desks of various sizes can be flexibly used for a variety of purposes, from individual work to small-scale group work, and work with documents spread out all over the desk. These are lined up in one room without partitions, and the layout is designed to "carve out" the lines of movement. When you sit down, you can concentrate with your eyes blocked in a semi-private private space (=DISCOVER), but when you stand up and move around, it changes into a spacious shared space (=SHARE) where you can see through. In addition, drink bars, snack bars, supply docks and other destinations are dotted throughout the facility, creating mechanisms for fortuitous interactions and stimulation as people walk around. At each destination, a space is created that encourages users to share their interests and information through its layout and furniture.

Messages to inspire a spirit of inquiry are scattered throughout the facility. Art created by carving out the "DIG" in the facility's name, which embodies the investigative activities the facility aims to promote, mulching made from crushed resin waste from KOKUYO factories, and food-related tree species such as cardamom and coffee trees are placed throughout the facility to communicate messages to employees that appeal to their sense of smell and sight.

In addition, as a condition for using the space, employees are required to communicate their own research theme. Each person's research theme is shared on signage within the facility, creating a variety of unexpected connections and learning opportunities.

The space encourages people to take action, creating an environment that fosters the exploration and sharing of knowledge.