About

nottuo is a design firm specializing in branding design based in Nishiawakura Village, Okayama, a rural village with a population of about 1,400 people.
The company name "nottuo" is a dialect term in Sendai-ben that means "to loaf around" or "to be idle" in a negative sense. However, viewed from another perspective, it can be interpreted as "free-thinking and acting without being bound by preconceived notions." This term has been used since our CEO was a freelance designer and embodies the spirit of us at nottuo.

Philosophy

Live locally, Act globally.

Our mission is to create world-class design from the Japanese countryside.

The Satoyama (mountain village landscape) where we are based is an area in Japan that marks the boundary between the natural environment and human society. Historically, Satoyama has played a role in translating the value of nature to human society.

We believe that Japan's "bi-ishiki" (sense of beauty/aesthetics), cultivated over a long history, has largely been refined through inspiration from nature.

The primary reason we base ourselves in this Japanese countryside now is our desire to elevate our creations to a higher dimension, refining them to produce universal values that resonate globally. To achieve these goals, we believe it is an important imperative for us to be based in this Satoyama, where nature and people intersect and the transformation of value occurs.

Award

Company info

Company Name
nottuo Inc.
Representative
Representative Director and CCO Kohei Suzuki
Founded
January 2007 (Incorporated: December 1, 2015)
Number of Members
7 (as of January 2025, including external members)
Location
nottuo Inc.
197-1 Chisha, Nishi-Awakura Village, Aida District, Okayama 707-0506, Japan
（Attached Shop：drill store）
Business Activities
  • Branding planning and design
  • Overall store design and planning for restaurants and retail stores
  • Architectural design and spatial design
  • Graphic design
  • Website design
  • Product design
  • Editing and publishing of magazines and books
  • Event planning and management (including in-house events)
  • Restaurant planning and management (including in-house operations)
  • Manufacturing and sales of food products such as sweets and prepared foods
  • All business activities related to or incidental to the above items

Member

CCO
Suzuki Kouhei
  • Threads
Architect
Fujioka Hironori
Designer
Suzuki Junpei
Designer
Suga Arata
Designer
Atsu
Brand Strategist
Furukawa Yuzuki