Dialogue in the Dark's New Challenge!

In this visually-centric society, participants find themselves unable to move freely in the pitch-black darkness that blocks their most vital sensory input. They are guided by visually impaired attendants who rely less on sight in daily life. In this environment where no one uses their eyes, the usual "helper-helped" dynamic reverses. By calling out to each other, cooperating, and helping one another, teamwork emerges naturally, revealing a rich, equal diversity.

The darkness is designed to allow participants to enjoy everyday experiences like forests or cities without sight. There's even a café in pitch blackness, where participants pay by feeling coins with their hands, then enjoy the aroma and taste of their drinks while conversing. These dark-themed activities change seasonally, uniquely in Japan.

For example, during New Year's, participants share their annual resolutions in the dark, grind ink, and write their first brushstrokes of the year. At Christmas, they create cards wishing happiness for others, experiencing opportunities to improve not just themselves but society. Focusing on senses other than sight also sharpens the five senses.

Since 2013, the collaborative project " The House of Dialogue " with Sekisui House has been open in Osaka.

Here, participants become a family, returning to the house in the dark with a "I'm home," greeted by a "Welcome back." They take off their shoes and enter the house. Then, for example, while playing in the garden, a voice from the house calls out, "Snack's ready!" They gather around a low table to eat tea and sweets while engaging in dialogue. These experiences provide an opportunity to reflect on the true meaning of home and family.

Additionally, corporate training sessions ( Dialogue Business Workshops ) are held in this darkness.

Over 500 leading companies have already adopted this as a training program. In the darkness, participants physically experience and understand accepting diversity, developing unprecedented leadership, team building, and communication. It also deepens understanding of essential corporate concepts like diversity and inclusion.

Furthermore, product development utilizing the exceptional sensory abilities of visually impaired individuals who rely on non-visual perception is advancing. For example, in a collaboration with a towel manufacturer in Imabari, attendants tasted the "feel" and "wiping sensation" without using their eyes, leading to the development of higher-quality towels. This initiative, which pioneered new possibilities for product creation by effectively utilizing the positive assets of visually impaired individuals, received the Good Design Award.