Weibo user Camera Beta has set foot inside Nikon's glossy new Tokyo global headquarters (well, new-ish - it opened earlier this year) and what they found demonstrates that Nikon's bigshots have clearly thought outside the corporate box with some of the architectural design choices.
For instance, the floor tiles in the main lobby area are said to be made from "optical lenses" - we assume that means old lens glass crushed and re-moulded into tiles. In-keeping with Nikon's optical heritage, the approach road to the new HQ has also apparently been named Optical Avenue. But the best 'easter egg' secret of the new Nikon HQ is, surprisingly, the manhole covers for the complex's drains. You'd normally expect these to be fairly unremarkable round metal castings, but Nikon has turned theirs into points of interest by modelling them on lens caps! The newer Z-mount lens style, naturally.
It seems these can even be viewed by the public, as can parts of the Nikon building, as this also houses the Nikon Museum - a new 670-square-meter space that opened in October dedicated to the 109-year history of Nikon. It holds around 1,300 items, 500 of which are cameras, including the original Nikon Model I (the company's first-ever camera, released in 1948) and the Nikon F (its debut SLR launched in 1959). Naturally you'll also find the latest Nikon cameras and Nikon lenses on display, too. Of course Nikon doesn't just make cameras and camera lenses, so you'll also find sections of the museum dedicated to its other endeavours, such as space development, binoculars, and spectacles.
If you happen to be in/near Tokyo and would like to visit the Nikon Museum or see those funky manhole covers with your own eyes (who wouldn't?), you'll find Nikon's headquarters at 1-5-20, Nishioi, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo. And the best bit? Admission to the museum is free!
Story credit: Camera Beta
