Good morning everyone, it is a real pleasure to be here today and to welcome all of you, especially the representatives of the 16 Italian companies taking part in this year’s edition of Interior Lifestyle 2025.
I would like to thank Gianpaolo Bruno, Director of the Italian Trade Agency in Tokyo, and his team for successfully coordinating Italy’s participation in one of the most renowned international trade fair for the interior design market in Japan and across Asia.
I also extend my sincere appreciation to architects Setsu and Shinobu ITO, curators of the conference “Design for a Better Life: Synergies between Italy and Japan”, which we will have the pleasure of attending shortly.
This event fits perfectly within the framework of Italian Design Day 2025, an initiative promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, that highlights design as a tool for social equity and quality of life, in line with the vision of the Triennale Milano and the Salone del Mobile.
While today design is everywhere and from every countries, Italian and Japanese design have a special relationship. In fact, in both countries, design is the result of a unique balance among creative vision, research for functional beauty (kinoubi in Japanese), and technological innovation.
These unique characteristics derive from our long cultural traditions, a firm commitment to quality, the passion for beautiful things, and a forward-looking mindset to take care of the physical and emotional needs and of the people in the modern society.
In Italy, design is still centered on the “maestro artigiano”, the master craftsman. However, today he is part of an ecosystem of 60,000 professional designers, 36,000 industrial design studios, and 95 institutes of higher education focusing on design.
This ecosystem fosters valuable academic and professional exchanges – such as those between Setsu and Shinobu ITO and the Politecnico di Milano – and ensures the vitality of an industrial sector that is very important for the Italian economy.
The design and furniture industry accounts for around 5% of Italy’s manufacturing GDP. Italy is the leading European exporter and ranks second globally, with a solid presence in over 180 markets.
Japan has long been a key partner in this field. In 2024, Italian exports of furniture and interior decoration products to Japan reached 122 million euros, an increase of 3% compared to the previous year.
In closing, I warmly invite you to visit the booths of the Italian exhibitors, as well as to listen and take inspiration from the upcoming conference, which is a valuable opportunity to explore how design can contribute to a better life in our societies and how much Italy and Japan can cooperate in this field.
Thank you.