The Beginning of KURA

KURA was born out of a desire to create a space where craftsmanship, design, and authenticity can thrive in the digital world. In an era where technological innovation has led to mass-produced digital assets that are incredibly realistic yet often detached from their origins, we envisioned a curated "place" that respects the essence of craftsmanship across architecture, product design, and traditional crafts.

Over time, our concept has gradually taken shape, and we are now starting to move forward.

KURA takes inspiration from the Japanese concept of "Kura"—a place for preservation and safekeeping. Just as historical artifacts, tools, and artworks were stored in these structures to be passed down to future generations, KURA serves as a digital repository of meticulously crafted 3D assets that honor the authenticity and intentions of their creators.

Unlike typical digital archives or 3D asset marketplaces, KURA does not lean toward either closed communities or prioritize comprehensiveness and commercial viability. While remaining open, we emphasize quality, precision, cultural value, and circulation.

Our goal is to create a space where digital assets are not merely tools, but expressions of the intentions and expertise embedded in real-world craftsmanship and makers, existing and circulating in their rightful form.

What We Aim to Achieve

The vision we aim for is shaped by the themes below.

A Trusted Platform for Makers and All Creative Professionals

We aim to collaborate with renowned manufacturers and artisans to digitize real-world craftsmanship, ensuring that each asset maintains the same authenticity and identity as its physical counterpart. In creative workflows and digital asset utilization, we aspire to provide a foundation for transparent and beautiful communication, eliminating the need for professionals to refer to "gray, look-alike substitutes" by their proper names. This serves to distinguish genuine, authorized assets from generic, mass-produced alternatives.

Curated, High-Quality Digital Assets

KURA functions as a curated marketplace for creative professionals, featuring 3D assets that meet strict quality and authenticity criteria. These assets are designed with the visualization and inspiration needs of architects, interior designers, product designers, and CG artists in mind—professionals who seek not only exceptional realism but also spiritual authenticity.

Sustainable and Ethical Digital Commerce with Continuous Circulation

The digital world is often associated with mass consumption and the dilution of artistic integrity. Additionally, many digitally archived items exist without proper circulation. KURA assumes practical distribution without separating digital assets from economic spheres, while ensuring appropriate valuation. We believe that creating a sustainable ecosystem that ensures fair compensation for creators involved in digital archives and maintains respect for the origins of each design can help us envision a more attractive world. We believe that rather than regulation or control, the circulation of authentic materials reduces brand damage and leads to a culture born from the natural sentiment of "respect."

To achieve this, we will gradually expand the network of creators and KURA partners involved in this initiative.

Functionality as a Library

KURA serves not only as a provider of digital assets but also as an archive of craftsmanship and design. We plan to collaborate with artists and industry experts to document the background, techniques, and significance of each piece. Digital archives curated with unique perspectives and themes can deepen understanding of products and techniques beyond physical constraints. Regardless of whether products are new or vintage, we believe in faithfully digitalizing products at their release stage, paying attention to them from the moment they are born into the world.

To the World

While our roots are in Japan, our vision extends beyond borders. Japanese architecture and craftsmanship have long interacted with cultures from around the world, developing through mutual influence over time to reach where we are today. We intend to grow together through collaboration opportunities with those who share common values such as essential beauty and sustainability.

Moving Forward

KURA will put these visions into practice through what we consider digital craftsmanship. As we move forward, we will continue to refine our creative precision, foster collaborations with those who share our values, and pursue the essence of authenticity and digital archiving.

The journey has just begun, but our mission remains clear: to create a space where creators' intentions and craftsmanship are respected and valued in the digital realm just as they are in the physical world. We invite you to be part of this initiative, whether as a creator, a partner, or a user who appreciates the true essence of design.

The image of the kura (storehouse) that serves as a source of inspiration for KURA was photographed at the kura of the former Shinohara family residence, designated as an Important Cultural Property. Its solid and dignified exterior, made of Ōya stone, has long been intertwined with the lives of people and continues to stand magnificently today as a symbol of preservation and continuity. We felt that its enduring presence serves as both a lesson and a model for the role KURA aims to play in the virtual realm, and thus sought and received permission to photograph and use it.

We extend our sincere gratitude to the Cultural Property Conservation and Utilization Group of the Cultural City Promotion Division, Department of Civic Appeal, Utsunomiya City, for their kind cooperation in allowing the use of this visual.