Nordisk Hygge Circles – Ugakei

While most of the world is still holding their breath (and investments) following the global lock-down, an unconventional Danish-Japanese team launches an ambitious plan for a sustainable theme park, promoting outdoor adventure, the UN Global Goals and the renowned Danish Hygge-concept

Come spring, the Japanese can experience a Scandinavian outdoor lifestyle on their own turf. A public-private partnership has just lifted the veil for their plans of building a sustainable theme park in the outskirts of one of Japans most populated areas. The idea behind it is to get the visitors to appreciate tranquility, closeness to nature, the dancing flames of a bonfire and the joy of being together with no need for purpose nor propriety. The Park will be named Nordisk Hygge Circles // Ugakei and is a manifestation of the demand for hygge, sustainability and Danish Design in Japan.

CEO of Danish outdoor brand Nordisk confirms this fact: ” For years, Nordisk has seen great success selling Danish lifestyle in Japan via our much-coveted selection of tents, sleeping bags, equipment and glamping products. I used to live in Japan myself and recognize the Japanese´s desire to winding down from a hectic everyday life, preferably in nature and in a way that makes it enjoyable, comfortable and with minimal impact on Nature. At Nordisk, we believe that Nature is a luxury that is free for all, and that spending time outside simply improves your life. We act according to this view in Japan and see the Japanese consumers agreeing with us to a very large extent. With this new park in Ugakei, we now get to show what this means in its purest form. A concept, consisting of sustainable Danish design in the middle of the remarkable Japanese nature, with tents, bearing the iconic Polar Bear logo, wooden circular buildings, outdoor activities, “hygge” and with an intimate closeness to the moon and stars above. We are extremely excited to finally present this project!”, says Erik J. Møller, CEO and Owner of Nordisk Company in Denmark.

This is exactly why Nordisk has agreed to take part in the untraditional project. In cooperation with the mayor and city council of Inabe and The Royal Danish Embassy in Tokyo, Nordisk decided to establish an outdoor experience center for hygge and the UN Global Goals. Together, the partnership launched an architecture competition, a competition won by Danish sustainability experts Third Nature in a joint bid with Henrik Innovation and Japanese engineers Structured Environment.

CELEBRATING SCANDINAVIAN CULTURE
Nordisk has tremendous success with their outdoor products in Japan. The Danish brand is known everywhere and has become the very symbol of experiencing the good life in nature as a direct contrast to busy everyday city life. Following their overwhelming popularity, Nordisk hosts annual Hygge Camps, which are essentially an idolizing celebration of Nature, Nordisk and Danish Hygge. Hundreds of Japanese Nordisk-fans bring all their equipment to the foot of Mount Fuji, where they spend 3 days living “the Danish Dream” and share a big sustainable community. That concept recently developed into a formal enquiry from the city of Inabe, requesting to collaborate around establishing a permanent Hygge-park. And so the project was born.