japanese company ARAKAWA invents the world's most compact gripper mechanisms

designboom’s editorial team is comprised of architects and designers with a passion for well-resolved details. during DESIGNART tokyo 2019, we discovered a japanese company that produces robust and tiny tools for the creative world: gripper mechanisms. in 1975, dr. hideo arakawa, founder of ARAKAWA, invented the first gripper mechanism, which could be adjusted along the wire with one push, and locked without a set of screws. this innovative system can be applied as a display tool for shop interiors, and gallery and art museums, but also has a demonstrated potential to reach creative and artistic fields as well.

ARAKAWA’s variety of wire and picture hanging systems and solutions can be used by simply inserting a wire into the gripper. the gripper remains naturally fixed on the wire, without the need for additional mechanisms or tools. users can push on a nearly imperceptible ‘pin’, which then locks the gripper into place.

TIERS — the headquarters of ARAKAWA located in omotesando, tokyo — is a showroom and gallery. TIERS includes a grand staircase that leads from the city street to a foyer and a façade of interlinking wire cable patterns, gradually creating a continuous space with the city. TIERS gallery is a place for creators and designers to present their works and engage with each other. ‘we expect that various people will visit this space and cause various chemical reactions across the boundaries of architecture, products, interiors, graphics, and art,’ the team at ARAKAWA say.

during DESIGNART tokyo 2019, japanese designer jun murakoshi has presented the exhibition ‘existence of line’ at TIERS. comprising work previously exhibited during milan design week 2019, the exhibit has featured a new experimental project called ‘equilibrium’, created in collaboration with ARAKAWA. murakoshi generated irregularly-formed lines using connected units, and balanced out the tensile strength of ARAKAWA grips and wires with the compressive strength of units in a perpendicular direction.

‘there is a captivating and subtle beauty in the extension of an elongated fine line that withstands gravity,’ the designer says. ‘traditionally, japanese aesthetics has always revolved around lines, as can be displayed in the approach of japanese style flower arrangement which has set them apart from the western style sensibilities. this project is an experimental attempt to establish a line as an individual product.’

jun murakoshi created irregularly formed random lines using connected units and balanced out the tensile strength achieved by ARAKAWA grips and wires with the compressive strength of units in a perpendicular direction. through this process, a delicate appearance of enduring gravity emerges.
image by junya igarashi, courtesy of jun murakoshi