JAL's in-flight amenities have been completely revamped! Behind the scenes of collaboration with design office nendo

Okazawa: "The previous equipment design update was implemented for international routes in 2013, with the basic concept being a design based on icons representing each boarding class. At the time, I was in the Procurement Department and was in a position to support the design change from the sidelines, but I remember that it was still quite difficult. This time, I was in a position to lead the development department, and the project turned out to be much larger than I had imagined. The equipment covered was much broader, from international to domestic routes, and the number of items was also large, so we decided to drastically change the design based on a new concept."

These were the words of Kenya Okazawa of the Product and Service Planning Division. The project was launched in 2018 to provide customers with an even more fresh experience by refurbishing the interiors of the Boeing 777, the airline's main international aircraft, and by updating the design of aircraft equipment to coincide with the launch of the new Airbus A350 on domestic routes planned for the following year, 2019.

An unprecedented proposal from the world-famous design office nendo

Okazawa: "Among the people introduced to us as potential designers to consult with was Sato Oki of nendo. When JAL was considering a new design, we had vague ideas of 'a practical item that shouldn't be lost in the interior' while harmonizing with the cabin interior, 'we want to create a sense of unity among the wide range of aircraft accessories,' and 'we want it to have a JAL feel.' We thought that the design office nendo, led by Sato Oki, with its simple designs that pursue functional beauty and its ability to handle a wide range of areas, would be the perfect partner to help us realize our ideas."

Nendo is a design office that has attracted worldwide attention. Founded in 2002, its design work spans a wide range of fields, from architecture to products. The company's representative, Oki Sato, is a big name in the design world, having been chosen as one of Newsweek magazine's "100 Japanese People Respected by the World" in 2006.

Okazawa: "Mr. Sato listened to what we had to say with great interest. At the time, we were already working on a separate project to update the tableware for domestic first class flights, but Mr. Sato made a counter-proposal, saying, 'Let's work on the tableware together.'"

And so the day of design proposal arrives.

Okazawa: "Mr. Sato prepared four different design proposals. The first thing I felt when I saw them was a shock and a sense of ecstasy at the beauty of the designs. They were a completely unknown world that far exceeded my expectations. Until now, I had thought that the important thing about aircraft products was that people would use them, but I realized that we could add a new value by having people enjoy the design. We took the proposal home and discussed it internally, and decided to go with the plan that was first proposed, which was to use seven different shades of gray that do not clash with each other, depending on the boarding class, and use JAL's color red as an accent color."

The approach is to use a motif of origami cranes as an accent in different tones and shades of gray. It is not a simple technique like using a silhouette as a logo, but a professional job colored with playfulness and logic. Mr. Oki Sato looks back on the aim as follows.

Sato: "The JAL logo, a red crane flying in the sky, is known as a symbol of peace and prayer. It is also familiar as an origami crane, and is often used to express hospitality, so we chose the concept of a 'red crane.'"

A variety of products featuring expressive grey and welcoming red

Sato: "For items such as cardigans, eye masks, slippers, and cutlery bands, we used tags that resemble the wings of an origami crane. For square cloth items such as blankets, tablecloths, and napkins, we used details with folded corners that resemble the head of an origami crane."

Sato: "We also use patterns of origami cranes on pouches and menu cards. The domestic first class menu cards are different for each flight, with different numbers of folds and colors so that flight attendants can tell them apart."

For international flights, blankets in economy and premium economy are now made of soft fleece material, with subtle differences in color for each boarding class and between the front and back.

Sato: "The key color is a gray that makes the red stand out. We heard that it can be difficult to match colors precisely because each item of equipment has a different supplier and is manufactured and printed in a different country or region, so we prepared seven different grays and used them in the right combinations."

Aiming for high quality, we collaborate with top craftsmen

These designs are then turned into actual products by top-class "makers" in each field.

Okazawa: "Overseas airlines tend to partner with planning and manufacturing companies that handle all aspects of aircraft equipment, for example by giving the entire first class cabin a particular high-end brand name. However, JAL does not do this because we want to partner with companies that have strengths in each field for each item of aircraft equipment. By partnering with companies that excel in each field, such as clothing, bedding, and tableware, we are able to provide customers with higher quality products."

For example, the bedding is made by Airweave, the tableware by Noritake, the in-flight wear by Takashimaya, and the blankets by Nikke and Mitsui & Co., all well-known Japanese companies. With an approach in which nendo was in charge of the design and each specialized company was asked to produce the products, the process of turning the actual items into reality has begun.

Okazawa: "First, we had Nendo create a design for each piece of equipment, which we then took to our suppliers to work out the details of production. If there were any issues with production, we would provide that feedback to Nendo, who would then revise the design. Conversely, we would review the specifications of the equipment itself in order to reproduce Nendo's designs, and so on, going through a process that involved repeating this process over and over again. This was a more arduous task than we had imagined, but we were extremely grateful for the full cooperation of our suppliers. In particular, the tableware is made of pottery, which requires advanced skills to control the subtle colors, and each piece is made by a different potter, so it was extremely difficult to match the colors and express the gray lines that are based on the folding lines of a folded crane. However, Noritake managed to accomplish all of this through repeated trial and error."

Sato: "The Japanese and Western-style tableware for domestic first-class in-flight meals is designed so that the patterns on the dishes and tray mats will connect depending on how they are arranged. By arranging or stacking the dishes, the folded lines will connect, creating a sense of visual unity, while also making it easier to create variation for each menu. Being able to enjoy a sense of unity and a variety of expressions on a small tray is a design that is unique to the limited space inside an airplane."

Enjoy your first flight in a long time with a brand new design.

Sato: "What was most important to us this time was whether the design would be unified when items with various purposes and scenes of use, such as tableware, blankets, and bedding, were placed in a single space, the cabin of an aircraft. It was difficult to create a sense of unity among completely different items, but by arranging the tableware side by side or stacking them, the lines would connect, creating a sense of visual unity, while also allowing for easy variation for each menu. In order to express JAL's attentive hospitality, we were conscious of carefully incorporating the concept of 'red origami cranes' and the gray color scheme into each item."

This is how we created a total of 45 items. These will be commercialized in order and made available to customers.

Okazawa: "In the case of design products like this, if they were sold, I think they could be added to the sales price as added value, but since aircraft supplies are provided free of charge, cost management was also a major issue. It's very moving to be able to debut this, considering the many difficulties we faced in the process of commercializing the product, such as design and manufacturing, and cost management. And more than anything, I hope that this will be a new thing for our customers to enjoy when flying with JAL. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a sharp decline in passenger numbers, especially on international flights, and we still have a lot of old design items in stock for some aircraft supplies. Unfortunately, it will be some time before we can completely switch to the new designs, but please bear with us on this point."

By the time you can enjoy flying again with peace of mind, our carefully crafted products will be ready to welcome you back. If it's your first flight in a while, enjoy the fresh excitement of the new design.

Behind the Scenes at JAL

We'll take you behind the scenes of JAL's work, including inside stories on the introduction of the A350 and the development of in-flight meal menus.