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Sound Design
STUDIO ION
Company Overview
Studio Ion Inc. is a creative company led by environmental musician and sound designer Takashi Kokubo, specializing in the relationship between sound and the environment. Building upon Kokubo’s artistic explorations that began in the 1980s, the company operates under the philosophy of “designing environments through sound.” We produce environmental music, design spatial acoustics, and plan and produce experiential installations in Japan and abroad.
Utilizing proprietary methods for recording and editing natural sound, as well as advanced audio technologies—including the Cyborphonic, a spatial recording microphone developed in-house, and 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos—we create immersive, multisensory experiences. Our work goes beyond music, designing sound as an environment that influences both mind and body and interacts with space itself.
Our core business areas include:
– Production of environmental, healing, and relaxation music
– Sound logos and sound design
– Spatial acoustic design for museums, commercial facilities, and public environments
– Planning and production of experiential installations
– Acoustic design for performing arts and environmental staging
– Consulting for multi-channel audio system implementation
– Planning, production, release, and distribution of works through our in-house label
Studio Ion Inc. creates sound that reconnects humans with nature, crossing the boundaries of culture, art, and science to deliver new sensory experiences and value to the world.
Immersive Studio “SAGE”
Located in the rich natural environment of Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture, Studio Ion’s immersive studio “SAGE” is a specialized private studio that environmental musician and sound designer Takashi Kokubo has built and operated for many years for his own artistic creation and research. Designed as a place to explore the relationship between nature and sound, space and consciousness, “SAGE” is not merely a recording facility—it is conceived as an environment for immersion in sound.
“SAGE” inherits the philosophy of field recording through the Cyborphonic, Kokubo’s self-developed spatial recording microphone, and realizes enveloping three-dimensional sound expression using a multi-channel audio system centered on 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos. The works produced here have served not only as music releases but as the foundation for immersive content across film, installation, performing arts, and wellness fields.
Through a new partnership between Studio ION Co.,Ltd. and Moonbow Music Inc., “SAGE” is now being opened to external creators as a dedicated studio for immersive music production. For artists, composers, sound designers, and visual creators pursuing advanced spatial audio production, “SAGE” functions not as a place to listen to sound, but as a place to enter sound.
Combining a tranquil natural setting, cutting-edge sonic technology, and decades of expertise in environmental music creation, “SAGE” is a rare studio environment for deeply expanding the possibilities of immersive expression.
For inquiries regarding usage requirements, details, tours, or production, please contact us at the address below.
Moonbow Music Inc.
TEL: +81-45-594-0264
E-mail: rec@moonbow-music.com
Studio ION is now expanding into a full-scale retreat business, building upon its long-standing work in music production and spatial sound design while utilizing the natural environment of Hokuto City in Yamanashi Prefecture and a set of unique facilities. The project is designed to restore balance to the mind and body and to rekindle creativity by integrating sound, nature, and stay-based experiences.At the core of the retreat program is the immersive studio “SAGE”. Equipped with a 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos spatial playback system, SAGE enables a deeply immersive listening environment in which participants are enveloped in sound. Through this sonic immersion, the studio creates a space for sensory recalibration and quiet introspection. Originally developed as a production studio, the acoustic environment has now been extended into a listening-focused retreat experience.Adjacent to SAGE is a forest of approximately 1,000 tsubo (about 3,300 m²), forming another essential component of the retreat. Time spent in a forest that changes its expression across the seasons awakens physical sensations that are difficult to access in artificial environments. In resonance with the sonic experience, the forest gently guides the mind and body back toward their natural rhythm. Walking, pausing, and listening all become part of the retreat itself.The site also includes a log house that can accommodate more than ten guests, enabling stay-based retreats, workshops, dialogue sessions, and group practice. The integration of creation, nature immersion, and overnight stay provides conditions for deep focus and restoration.The program will begin with accessible retreat offerings aimed at unlocking sensitivity and will gradually expand toward corporate wellness and creativity-development programs. In addition to music production, Studio ION will position the studio and retreat businesses as new strategic pillars, continuously creating experiences that reconnect people with their environment.Updates will be announced regularly in the News section.
