#Japan #Shibuya #World Liquor Importers #event space #ZATO Original Hut

The ZATO Original Hut: A New Era in Event Spaces

The landscape of seasonal events is undergoing a significant transformation with the introduction of the ZATO Original Hut, a unique wooden booth designed for pop-ups, markets, and festive gatherings. Developed by World Liquor Importers, Inc. and Zato Corporation based in Shibuya, Tokyo, this innovative solution is currently under patent application and promises to address many challenges traditionally faced during event setups.

Background of Development: Elevating Market Experiences

As the number of seasonal and pop-up events continues to rise across Japan—such as Christmas markets and various tourism-related activities—conventional wooden booths, or huts, have faced a series of operational challenges. These include lengthy assembly and disassembly times, high construction and storage costs, cumbersome transportation logistics, and complicated application processes. To combat these issues, the ZATO Original Hut was born from extensive event management expertise aimed at significantly increasing operational efficiency while ensuring safety and quality.

Key Innovations

The ZATO Original Hut distinguishes itself with four main features that are reshaping expectations for temporary event structures:

1. Rapid Assembly: The assembly time has been reduced to just 10 minutes compared to the traditional 20 minutes or more. This efficiency is achieved through a folding structure, allowing event organizers to respond to labor shortages easily.

2. Cost-Effective Solution: Frugality is at the heart of the ZATO’s design: installation costs are slashed to approximately one-tenth of traditional huts, enabling even small businesses to participate in big events without straining their budgets.

3. Reduced Storage Requirements: The booth's compact design shrinks storage needs to about one-fifth of typical requirements. This not only minimizes warehousing costs but also enhances the workflow on-site, allowing for easier management of sudden demand spikes.

4. Increased Transportation Efficiency: When it comes to logistics, the ZATO Original Hut excels here too: a standard 40ft container can hold up to 20 booths—substantially more than the usual 12 to 16. This translates to a reduction in transportation costs by roughly 25-40%, easing entry barriers for new event participants.

Pilot Implementation

The innovative hut has already been implemented in the 2025 Marunouchi Street Park Winter Christmas Market, leading to substantial reductions in operational time and staff requirements while garnering positive feedback from both visitors and vendors.
This early adoption underscored the significant impact of streamlined setup processes, drastically reducing pre-event preparation time and alleviating on-site burdens.

Future Vision

Looking ahead, World Liquor Importers and Zato Corporation are committed to collaborating with various commercial facilities, local governments, and event producers to expand the ZATO Original Hut’s market penetration. The goal is to establish a new standard for temporary structures that balances operational efficiency with heightened safety. Furthermore, they plan to explore additional variations of the hut design to cater to diverse event needs.

Conclusion

The ZATO Original Hut stands as a testament to innovation in event space design, merging functionality, style, and cost-effectiveness. As it continues to reshape the landscape of temporary structures for events, it’s clear that the future of event management holds exciting possibilities for organizers and attendees alike.

Specifications:

• - Dimensions: W 3,400 mm × D 2,420 mm × H 2,622 mm
• - Material: Wood
• - Assembly Time: Approximately 10 minutes per unit.

For more information, visit ZATO.

Contact Information:
World Liquor Importers, Inc./Zato Corporation
PR Contact: Kamiya