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SEIKO RELEASES “THE GIFT OF TIME”, A SHORT FILM CREATED TO CELEBRATE THE VALUE, BEAUTY, AND GLOBAL TRANSCENDENCE OF JAPANESE CULTURE

October 23, 2024
Seiko Group Corporation

TOKYO, JAPAN - October 23, 2024 – Seiko Group Corporation, together with various top creators at the forefront of Japanese culture, have released a short film, “THE GIFT OF TIME” today, October 23rd. The 24-minute film directed by Paula Chowles and produced by Godfrey Dadich Partners, features the creators sharing their perspectives on time and exploring how time influences their creations and philosophies from their respective points of view in art, architecture, and music. A documentary approach allows each of the performers to naturally articulate the value of “time” in their past work and life.

Architect Kengo Kuma, contemporary artist Hiroshi Sugimoto, composer and Commissioner for Agency for Cultural Affairs, Shunichi Tokura, and singer and newly appointed Seiko Group Ambassador, MISIA are featured. The film is part of “THE GIFT OF TIME” project, and debuted on October 23, 2024 at CINESWITCH Ginza. It will be screened in the United States and other countries around the world.

The message of “THE GIFT OF TIME” is based on the idea that time is a gift from nature for Japanese people who have lived in harmony with the natural world. Through the film, Seiko seeks to communicate the richness and value created by Japan's unique culture and the appeal of the culture of time and Japanese luxury from multiple perspectives including the four seasons, the beauty of nature, and the skill of master artisans.

Mr. Shinji Hattori, Chairman, Representative Director, Group CEO, and Group CCO of Seiko Group Corporation and Navigator for THE GIFT OF TIME, introduces aspects of the company's history and the thoughts and feelings that have persisted since its establishment as K. Hattori (a timepiece retail and repair store) by Founder Kintaro Hattori in 1881. Despite the changing times, no matter the difficulties encountered, the company has always embraced time, illustrated through scenes shot at the Seiko Museum Ginza.

Mr. Hattori elaborates: “Since ancient times, ‘nature’ and ‘time’ have been at the core of Japanese culture. The Japanese have always valued a unique sense of time, living in harmony with nature. Japanese luxury, which has been described as ‘quiet luxury,’ is based on the unique Japanese ‘culture of time’ and ‘artisan skills’ that have been nurtured in harmony with nature from season to season. Through the film, we hope that you will experience the depth of Japanese culture and the feelings toward ‘time’ held by the top creators representing Japan.”

Other featured locations include places that are meaningful to the creatives: Kengo Kuma was interviewed at Zuisho-ji Temple in Tokyo, Hiroshi Sugimoto at Enoura Observatory in Odawara, Shunichi Tokura at Daitoku-ji Temple in Kyoto and MISIA at Todai-ji Temple in Nara.

For more information about “THE GIFT OF TIME” film and project, visit the Seiko website here:

https://www.seiko.co.jp/thegiftoftime/

About Seiko Group Corporation:

Since its establishment in 1881, the company has introduced numerous groundbreaking products, including Japan's first wristwatch and the world's first quartz wristwatch. The company's wide-ranging businesses include watches, electronic devices, system solutions, clocks, fine jewelry, clothing and sundries. Under the slogan “Moving ahead. Touching hearts.”, the company aims to be a corporate group that shares its excitement with stakeholders around the world.

About “THE GIFT OF TIME” Project

Seiko has contributed to Japanese luxury culture through brands such as “Grand Seiko” and “WAKO,” and from July 2024, Seiko has been developing “THE GIFT OF TIME,” a project to rediscover the richness and value of Japan's unique culture, including the four seasons, the beauty of nature, and the skill of master artisans, all to communicate the appeal of “Japanese luxury” to the world.

As a symbol of this project, the basement floor of Wako Flagship Store in SEIKO HOUSE in Ginza, Tokyo was renovated and reopened as an “Arts and Culture” in July 2024. The production of the short film “THE GIFT OF TIME” is also a part of this project.

Through this campaign and beyond, Seiko will continue to convey to the world the appeal of the luxury brands developed by the group as well as the richness and depth of Japanese culture.

Profiles of Creators

Kengo Kuma

Born in 1954 in Kanagawa prefecture, Kuma established Kengo Kuma & Associates in 1990. After serving as a professor at Keio University and the University of Tokyo, he became a special professor and professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo. He has projects underway in more than 50 countries, proposing architecture that opens up new relationships between nature, technology, and mankind. His major publications include “Architecture in Japan” (Iwanami Shinsho), “All Work” (Daiwa Shobo), “Point, Line, Surface” (Iwanami Shoten), “Losing Architecture” (Iwanami Shoten), “Natural Architecture”, “Small Architecture” (Iwanami Shinsho), and many others.

1997 - Architectural Institute of Japan Award (Mori Butai / Tome Town Traditional Performing Arts Center)
2019 - Purple Ribbon Medal of Honor (Awarded by the Emperor)
2001 - Togo Murano Award (Hiroshige Matou Museum of Art, Nakagawa-cho)
2010 - Mainichi Art Award (Nezu Museum)
2011 - Art Encouragement Prize, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Yusuhara Kibashi Museum)
2024 - Imperial Prize, Japan Art Academy Prize (V&A Dundee)
And many others.

Hiroshi Sugimoto

Born in Tokyo in 1948, Sugimoto is a contemporary artist who moved to the U.S. in 1970, and has lived in New York since 1974. His work includes photography, sculpture, theater, architecture, writing, and cooking. His art bridges Eastern and Western ideologies while examining the nature of time, perception, and the origins of consciousness. He explores themes such as the nature of time, human perception, and the origin of consciousness.

1989 - Mainichi Art Prize
2001 - The Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography
2008 - Established an architectural design office “New Material Research Laboratory” with Tomoyuki Sakakida
2009 - Established Odawara Artl Foundation
2009 - Premium Imperiale Award for Painting
2010 - Medal with Purple Ribbon
2013 - Officier de L'ordre des Arts et des Lettres
2017 - Person of Cultural Merit
2023 - Elected a member of the Japan Art Academy

Shunichi Tokura

Born in Tokyo in 1948, he received his musical education in Germany and debuted as a composer while studying at Gakushuin University. After further study in the U.S. and U.K., and frequent overseas performances, he began composing in the 1970s, with major accolades including the “Japan Record Award for Best Songwriting,” the “Japan Song Award,” the “Tokyo Music Festival Best Songwriting Award,” and the “Japan Sales Award for Best Songwriting and Best Arrangement." He has released more than 1,100 hit songs and sold more than 60 million records in addition to creating music for film and the stage, and has served as Commissioner for the Agency of Cultural Affairs since 2021.

MISIA

MISIA debuted as a pop singer in 1998 with hit songs including “Everything” and “Ai no Katachi.” She sang the Japanese national anthem “Kimigayo” at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. She is active in charitable causes supporting children in Japan and Africa, and an ambassador at forums such as the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD). In 2023, she celebrated the 25th anniversary of her debut with a national tour. In 2024, she also participated in the “PEACEFUL PARK” concerts to support reconstruction efforts in Taiwan and Noto. In addition, “THE TOUR OF MISIA 2025 LOVE NEVER DIES” will be held in 2025, the first time in eight years. As of October 2024, she has announced her appointment as Seiko Group Ambassador.

Profile of Director

Paula Chowles

Paula Chowles is the Executive Producer of Godfrey Dadich Partners, an American communications and design firm. She has produced numerous video productions, including the Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary series "Abstract: The Art of Design.” She began her career as a video journalist at eNCA, the largest independent cable news channel on the African continent; in 2015 she went to America and she became an Executive Producer at Wired and managed the team. She has produced in-depth short documentaries and blockbuster hits like Wired's viral sensation “Almost Impossible,” which has been viewed more than 25 million times.
In 2013, she won the Discovery Health Journalist Award for her article on healthcare for TB patients.

Profile of Executive Producer

Scott Dadich

Scott Dadich is the CEO of Godfrey Dadich Partners, a communications design and strategy firm pioneering The New Editorial. He is the former editor-in-chief of WIRED and the creator and executive producer of Netflix’s Abstract: The Art of Design. At GDP, which he co-founded in 2017, he’s worked with Apple, Nike, IBM, Microsoft, Sony, Google, and National Geographic, among others. In recognition of his innovation and impact, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum awarded Dadich its 2020 National Design Award for Communication Design, the industry’s highest honor.

Press Contact:

Public Relations Department

prdeptj@seiko.co.jp

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