Visitors to a Japanese elevator button factory can try out 1,000 different buttons on a uniquely engineered display.
Tokyo-based Shimada Denki Seisakusho specializes in custom-made elevator buttons and arrival lights. The company formed in 1933 is a piece of Japanese industrial history that offers guided tours for individuals interested in learning more about its origins and how it creates its vast array of elevator buttons. It’s an intriguing visit; however, the ‘1,000 Buttons’ exhibit, which is made up of rows upon rows of different elevator buttons that light up when hit, has to be the tour’s crowning glory.
After the company’s Twitter account posted a photograph, the 1,000 Buttons exhibit went popular on Japanese social media this week. Touching any of the buttons on the metallic panel causes it to light up, enticing children to press as many as they can. On the other hand, adults admitted to feeling tempted to press every single button, which is natural.
It is still unclear what it is about pushing buttons, especially soft ones that light up quickly that makes them so satisfying, but 1,000 Buttons has been trending on Japanese Twitter this week, with individuals announcing plans to visit the Shimada Denki Seisakusho factory for a button-pressing marathon.
The exhibit was so well-received that media sources began contacting the button factory to learn more about it. It appears to be made up of 1,048 individual elevator buttons, with the “Never Press” button being the most frequently hit.
In 2018, Shimada Denki Seisakusho started organizing tours, but the 1,000 Buttons attraction debuted to engage users last year. Shimada, as a B2B company, rarely got to hear customers’ opinions, but the amazing button display allowed customers to interact with all of them.
The elevator experience of the parents sparked the idea for the button wall. Many parents reportedly complained about their children repeatedly pushing the lit elevator buttons, prompting designers to create a separate area where children could touch the buttons as much as they desired.
Alas, if you want to see the 1,000 Buttons show for yourself, you’ll have to wait until June 2022, as Shimada Denki Seisakusho is booked until then.