Owner's Voice Vol.31 Residence of professional free climber Akiyo Noguchi

CASE STUDY 25.08.25 Mon

Professional Free Climber Akiyo Noguchi's "Living in Order" and "iNO Quilt

This time we visited the home of Akiyo Noguchi, a bronze medalist in the women's combined sport climbing event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, who is currently working as a professional free climber.
She lives with her husband, Tomoa Narazaki, who is also a professional free climber, and their 2-year-old daughter, and the kitchen is the center of their home, a space of rest and relaxation.
We asked her about her thoughts on creating the house.

A home of repose where you are welcomed by light with a sense of presence

Akiyo Noguchi's home is located in a residential area rich in nature.
When you open the front door, you are greeted by a sphere of clear white light from the "Moy" Random Light 2, which floats in the atrium space.
The light is very beautiful at night. When I see the light from outside, I feel like I've come home.

Planning for the house began before the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Since he had already decided to get married after his retirement, he decided to build a house near his parents' home in order to prepare the foundation for his life.
I had to choose my hometown," he says. It is close to the training facility attached to my parents' house.
Taking advantage of having an environment close by where he could concentrate on training even for short periods of time, he decided to make his home a space for complete relaxation.
That's why I don't have any training equipment at home," he says.
I like the idea of being able to stay at home, get energized, and then head out to practice.

Noguchi's desire to value family life is reflected in the lighting, kitchen, and other spatial design elements.

The centerpiece of the home is the iNO Quilt by Toyo Kitchen Style.
The geometric pattern of the door surface reflects the light and adds a high quality glow to the family time.

The one-of-a-kind brilliance grabs your heart at first sight.

In the early stages of building her house, Ms. Noguchi visited the Tokyo showroom of Toyo Kitchen Style through an introduction by her contractor.
What caught his eye there was the "iNO Quilt," a stainless steel kitchen with a three-dimensional quilted pattern.

When I entered the showroom, the first thing that caught my eye was the iNO Quilt.
It looked like it was sparkling in the light from the chandelier, and I thought, 'How beautiful!
The mirror-finished stainless steel with a diamond pattern that emerges from the surface is hard, but at the same time soft and unique.
I've always loved looking at interiors, and I've always longed for a space that didn't have a lived-in feel.
That's why I liked this inorganic and unique kitchen so much that I couldn't compare it to anything else.

Tomoa Narazaki, the husband, also enjoys cooking, so the layout of the kitchen was designed to be easy for both of them to use.
We chose a double-row layout with a separate stove and sink so that we can work together and still be able to move around easily," she says.

The two rows of the kitchen are unified in a "quilt" pattern.
The height was set at 95 cm to suit Noguchi's physique, and the full Flat design connects to the dining room without any difference in level.
At first, I was impressed by the design, but when I visited the showroom and learned about the functional aspects of the kitchen, I was even more attracted to the many ways in which the kitchen was designed to reduce the stress of housework.

The combination of appearance and ease of use was a deciding factor in their decision to adopt the product.

A number of innovations to make daily kitchen work more comfortable

The "iNO Quilt" has not only beauty but also high functionality to support daily cooking.
The sink and stove area are especially designed from the user's perspective.
The sink has faucets on both the left and right sides, one of which is a hose-type.
The sink has faucets on both sides, one with a hose so water can reach every nook and cranny, making it easy to clean, and large pans and cutting boards can be washed easily.

The Toyo Kitchen Style "PARALLELO Sink" sink, which allows cooking to be completed in the sink, has a unique design that allows the standard multi-plate and cutting board to be slid horizontally and vertically.
It is suitable for cooking and washing dishes at the same time, and can be used by several people at the same time.
When I was making baby food, I prepared the children's meals and my husband took care of our cooking, which was very helpful.
I also found it very easy to use, as we could divide the washing up between the two sides of the kitchen.

The heating equipment used is the Gaggenau induction cooktop and a special grill.
He is satisfied with the fine adjustment of the heat level.
My husband is good at cooking meat, so he uses the grill almost every day.
The switch (control knob) can be removed for easy cleaning, so it was the right choice.

In terms of storage, he says, "We purposely left out the hanging cupboards to create a sense of openness, but the deep drawer storage alone is sufficient.
I like that the drawers automatically light up when they are opened, making it easy to see what's inside and easy to put things in and out.

A well-organized life that starts in the kitchen

For Noguchi, the kitchen is the center of the home and the most comfortable place in the house.
I make breakfast, wash the dishes, and get ready for lunch again at .......
I find myself spending all my time in the kitchen or at the dining table.
This is my favorite spot.

It is also a natural gathering place for family and friends.
My daughter plays while watching TV, and my grandparents and climbing buddies gather for meals.
It's a place where everyone can spend time without hesitation.

In the kitchen, Noguchi's cooking supports the health of the family.
When I had some free time after the Corona disaster, I started learning how to cook using molecular nutrition.
I try to incorporate what I have learned into my daily diet.
One of her favorite things to drink every day is cold-pressed vegetable juice.
My husband is not a fan of vegetables, and he used to get sick easily due to fatigue from training, so we came across this juice as we tried to get nutrition naturally from our diet instead of relying on supplements.
Cold-pressed juice is easy to drink and delicious, so now it has become a habit for everyone in my family.

For Noguchi, spending time in the kitchen and managing her health through cooking are an important part of her "regulated lifestyle.
The iNO Quilt continues to be a part of her family's healthy lifestyle.

Left: Rai, the family member, also loves the kitchen.
Right: Slow juicer, food processor, and other kitchen appliances that are used every day are neatly lined up.

In the bathroom by the kitchen is the Masters chair by Philippe Starck.

［Hiring Items]
Kitchen
iNO Quilt
Size: W424/D90/H95cm (sink side), W454/D65/H95cm (heating side)
Sink: PARALLELO Sink (quilt finish)
Handles: Roulette 35
Worktop: Emblem Top quilted
Heating appliances: GAGGENAU
Dishwasher: GAGGENAU
Taps: Tallboy (with and without hose)
Range Hood Interior: GAGGENAU Flat

Interior
Lighting: Klunker LED120, Random Light 2 (moooi)
Stool: Monster Bar Stool Low (moooi)
Chair：Masters Chair (Kartell)

［Profile]
Ms.Akiyo Noguchi
Ms. Akiyo Noguchi retired from active climbing after winning 21 World Cup titles, 4 overall titles, and a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. She is currently active as a professional free climber. Recently, she enjoys creating a tropical-style garden, saying, "I enjoy planting seedlings that my daughter and I selected at a flower shop and watering them together.

(photo: Kentaro Isibashi / text: Shihoko Tomibe)

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