Following the experience developed in 2019 with the OSAKA×MILANO DESIGN LINK project, Fuorisalone initiated a structured dialogue with Japan that led to the creation of Fuorisalone Japan: a platform that shares the identity and know-how of Fuorisalone.it to showcase and promote the best of Japanese design, creativity, and lifestyle across its key cities, Tokyo and Osaka.
The objective has been twofold: to promote to Japanese audiences the excellence of design presented in Milan during Design Week, while contributing to the development of a dedicated design community capable of fostering cultural and commercial connections between the two ecosystems.
The journey began with the first Fuorisalone event in Japan - held in Osaka in October 2019 - under the name Design Link, a festival created in collaboration with Daimaru, one of Japan’s leading department stores. During this initial phase, a qualified database of Japanese designers and companies connected to Milan Design Week was developed in order to define the reference context and identify its key players. Even during the 2020 and 2021 editions, despite the pandemic, Fuorisalone continued to promote and feature these realities through its communication channels, progressively consolidating a dedicated network of relationships and content.
As part of this long-term development strategy, Fuorisalone has also registered its trademark in Japan, with the aim of protecting its identity and strengthening its presence in the local market, thereby creating the conditions for structured and long-term collaborations.
In 2026, this trajectory expands through a new collaboration with industrial and institutional partners based in Osaka, leading to the launch of Osaka Design Week, an initiative conceived and promoted by UNION and SANEI within an Executive Committee composed of Japanese companies. Osaka Design Week has been established with the objective of enhancing local design and manufacturing, positioning Osaka as an international hub for contemporary design culture and activating a cultural and commercial platform capable of connecting production, distribution, and global markets.
Within this framework, Fuorisalone participates as a curatorial and communication partner, contributing its experience in building international visibility platforms and fostering networking between Milan and Osaka. As part of the initiative, a curated selection dedicated to Italian design and craftsmanship is activated, with the aim of encouraging new opportunities for dialogue and collaboration between the two countries.
Fuorisalone Japan thus continues its path as a platform connecting Italy and Japan, activating different collaborations and complementary projects over time, in line with its mission to build cultural and commercial bridges between international creative communities.
Osaka Design Week 2026
In occasion of the 2026 edition of Fuorisalone, the development of an important new international project has been announced: Osaka Design Week and Fuorisalone Osaka. Osaka Design Week is a new international initiative dedicated to design and manufacturing, promoted by leading Japanese companies based in Osaka, including Union and Sanai, in collaboration with Studiolabo and Fuorisalone.it.
Osaka Design Week was created with the aim of highlighting Osaka as a hub of Japanese design and craftsmanship, promoting the excellence of local production while fostering a structured dialogue with the international design community.
The project takes place in the context of the 45th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Milan and Osaka, strengthening the connection between the two cities through the language of design. Alongside the promotion of Japanese design, the format will also feature a selection dedicated to Italian design and craftsmanship, conceived as a cultural and commercial platform capable of generating new opportunities for exchange and distribution within the Japanese market.
The initiative is also intended to evolve over time, opening up to established design brands and companies interested in entering or consolidating their presence in the Japanese and broader Asian markets.
Osaka Design Week will take place in Osaka from September 25 to October 4, 2026, with a program of exhibitions, events and initiatives dedicated to both the general public and industry professionals, as part of the Osaka Fuorisalone calendar.
The Osaka experience
Between October and November 2019, OSAKA×MILANO DESIGN LINK took place, a collaboration between Fuorisalone.it and Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores, with the support of the creative agency Drill.
The collaboration is one of the events promoted on the occasion of the Grand Opening of the Main Building of the Daimaru Shinsaibashi Store in Shinsaibashi, Osaka, which took place on September 20, 2019.
OSAKA×MILANO DESIGN LINK is a design festival on the streets of Shinsaibashi, the first in a series of events aimed at long-term cultural growth. In this first edition, Fuorisalone.it and Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores offered nine special design displays in different areas of the newly renovated main building and inside some local showrooms. Daimaru Shinsaibashi's exclusive products, in a mix of fashion and design, merged with the Fuorisalone displays to bring uniqueness and excitement to the building and the entire neighbourhood.
