Hajime Narukawa: Play and Form

I practice research and development that applies geometry, the science of form, to design. I have developed maps with minimal distortion and outdoor tents that do not break in typhoons. In recent years, I have also been involved in many R&D projects for playground equipment.

In 2022, I received a request to develop playground equipment with educational value. For example, equipment that would open a child's eyes to mathematics while they play.

Regarding the relationship between play and the form of a playground, it is known that in a game of tag, the more closed-loop paths and forks there are to avoid being cornered by the 'it' person, the more interesting it becomes. In hide-and-seek, it is known that the more blind spots there are, the more interesting it is. Additionally, until recently, I was forced by my daughter to play with her to the point of exhaustion. I was confident in my hide-and-seek and tag skills.

Based on that experience, I adopted a shape called a toroid [*1]. From a tag perspective, this shape branches continuously in all directions, allowing for the creation of numerous closed-loop paths. Thus, it is a space where one can run around without hitting a dead end. However, while running around, one might eventually come face-to-face with the 'it' person. On the other hand, from a hide-and-seek perspective, this space consists of continuous HP surfaces [*2] that divide the space into two. The 'it' person might not even realize that another world exists on the other side of where they are. Realizing you have returned to where you started, or experiencing a space like a parallel world where another world exists back-to-back, is an experience that connects to the mathematics of topology.

I developed and designed such playground equipment, and it was completed in 2024 [*3]. It has been very crowded with children since the opening day. While the quality of design cannot always be evaluated quantitatively, children's reactions are straightforward and without flattery. There have been pieces of playground equipment and toys I designed in the past that were completely ignored (tears). But this time, the children were greatly delighted.

While observing the children playing, I made many discoveries, such as the fact that there are many 'solo players' who enjoy climbing up and down as if exploring a cave rather than playing tag, and cases where fathers get even more excited and play harder than their children.

Currently, I have been appointed as a "Play Ambassador" for the playground equipment company that manufactured this piece, and basic research into the nature of "play" itself has begun.