On April 17, 2026, SS-F opened its first collaborative research and development hub, the SS-F Lighthouse Lab, in Kannai, Yokohama.
To celebrate this new beginning, SS-F hosted the “Lighthouse Warming Party.”
Inspired by the idea of a traditional housewarming party, the event was designed with the hope that this new space would become a “second home” for researchers — a place they could return to, gather in, and grow alongside one another.
For that reason, the atmosphere of the event was intentionally warm and welcoming rather than formal or ceremonial. The space was designed to encourage researchers to relax, connect naturally, and exchange ideas freely.
SS-F Lighthouse Lab embodies a People-Centric Research Ecosystem — a place where researchers can encounter one another unexpectedly, engage in conversations across disciplines, and spark new ideas and collaborations organically.
Around 30 researchers from the SS-F Communityattended the event. As they explored the newly opened lab and its facilities, conversations naturally emerged throughout the space:
“I could imagine doing this kind of research here.”
“It would be exciting to collaborate on an experiment with this person.”
The evening quickly became filled with spontaneous exchanges and new possibilities.
“SS-F Wish Board” — Sharing What We Want and What We Hope to Create
At the center of the event was the “SS-F Wish Board” activity, held alongside the Lab Tour.
Much like a housewarming party, the event embraced the idea of collectively shaping and growing a new place together.
When moving into a new home, people naturally begin imagining things like:
“I’d love to have this here.”
“I want to spend time like this in this space.”
In the same way, the Wish Board was created to encourage researchers to imagine Lighthouse Lab as their own place.
Before the tour began, participants received two “Wish Cards.”
One asked:
“What would you like to have in this space?”
The other asked:
“What would you like to try or create here?”
As participants toured the lab, explored the facilities, and experienced the atmosphere firsthand, they wrote down the ideas and inspirations that came to mind.
“I wish we had equipment like this.”
“I’d love to experiment with researchers from completely different fields.”
“This could become a great place for research events with real-world social impact.”
One by one, these wishes and ideas were added to the board.
By the end of the evening, the completed Wish Board had transformed into a colorful landscape of curiosity — almost like a visual map of the researchers’ collective imagination.
In front of the board, new conversations naturally emerged:
“That’s a fascinating idea.”
“We might actually be able to do that together.”
It was striking to see how the activity fostered not only ideas about research infrastructure, but also deeper relationships between researchers themselves.
The Wish Board became a symbolic expression of what makes SS-F Lighthouse Lab unique.
An “Open” Research Community — Families and Children Included
The event welcomed not only researchers, but also their families and children.
In front of the Wish Board, children could be seen smiling while holding cards filled with their own imaginative ideas. The atmosphere throughout the evening felt naturally inclusive, connecting people across generations, backgrounds, and disciplines.
Research spaces are often imagined as closed, specialized environments.
But at SS-F Lighthouse Lab, the goal is to open research more fully to society — and to create new inventions through dialogue and human connection.
That philosophy could be felt throughout the event.
In Kannai, Research Opens More Deeply to Society
SS-F Lighthouse Lab is located inside BASEGATE Yokohama Kannai, a newly opened mixed-use complex directly connected to Kannai Station in Yokohama.
The Lab was envisioned not as a closed-off research facility, but as a research hub deeply connected to the surrounding city.
At the Lighthouse Warming Party, the goal was not only to introduce the Lab itself, but also to help researchers fall in love with the broader environment surrounding it.
One symbolic highlight of the evening was the sushi performance by Sushi Shintaro, a restaurant located within BASEGATE.
As sushi chefs prepared each piece right in front of the guests, excitement and conversation naturally filled the room. The experience created opportunities for communication that extended beyond research discussions, connecting people through food and shared experience.
Researchers toured the Lab, continued conversations over dinner, and casually gathered throughout the building’s shared spaces. The event flowed naturally between research, culture, food, and everyday interaction — something unique to this environment.
After the main event, the community continued gathering at THE LIVE, a live viewing arena located at BASEGATE.
Rather than remaining isolated within the Lab, participants moved into the city itself — enjoying not only research conversations, but also food, culture, music, and unexpected encounters with others.
SS-F Lighthouse Lab aims to function not only as a research facility, but as part of a broader ecosystem of co-creation that includes BASEGATE and the city of Kannai itself.
From a “Lighthouse of Knowledge” to New Inventions
SS-F Lighthouse Lab is not intended to replace existing research institutions.
Instead, it aims to become a new kind of research infrastructure — one that supports early-stage exploration, interdisciplinary experimentation, and the freedom to pursue emerging ideas.
What became clear through the Lighthouse Warming Party was the value not simply of the facilities themselves, but of having a place where people can gather and speak freely.
The conversations that emerged while walking through the Lab.
The unnamed ideas written onto the Wish Board.
The casual “Let’s try that together sometime” exchanged over dinner.
Perhaps new research and inventions begin through the accumulation of these small moments of dialogue.
A place where researchers can gather comfortably, connect across disciplines, and imagine together what might become possible.
And a place where not only the Lab itself, but also the surrounding environment of BASEGATE and Kannai, becomes somewhere people naturally want to return to.
SS-F Lighthouse Lab will continue to grow as a “second home” for researchers — a place that nurtures new challenges, new collaborations, and new inventions.
