The human body is built to move. Yet, says Japanese office furniture company Kokuyo, Singapore office workers spend an average of seven hours sitting at their workstation every working day and 56 per cent of them do not take breaks while sitting, leading to various health problems.   

Kokuyo was established in 1905 as a stationery shop producing Japanese-style account ledgers (wacho). By 1957, the band had grown into a nation-wide chain of office supply stores. And by 1960 it entered the office furniture business by producing filing cabinets.

Kokuyo produced its first office chair, which featured a swivel mechanism, in 1966. The company adopted a humanistic approach to furniture by putting the users’ needs and interest, both tangible and intangible, at the centre of its product research and development. 

“This technology is the next step in the transformation of the furniture business – the master key that allows us to further drive our leadership in current markets and unlocks new opportunities as employers are actively stepping up in search of physical health and psychological well-being solutions for the workforce,” said Hiro Yamaoka, Managing Director, Singapore Branch.

Kokuyo’s latest suite of office chairs, launched last month in Singapore, was the result of a four-year-long research to address the problem of ‘oversitting’. The Kokuyo Ing 360° Gliding Chair is a family of office chairs equipped with an innovative gliding technology that moves 360° in response to our body’s movement to maintain the correct sitting posture. 

This technology keeps the muscles in the sitter’s hips, waist and back active while seated. Its movement disperses up to 75 per cent of the sitter’s body weight (especially when one is leaning sideways to check one’s smartphone), providing a superior support that reduces the strain on the pelvic region. 

The gliding technology also enables a ‘swing’ movement in the chair, so tension doesn’t build up in the sitter’s shoulders. The effect of the movement, according to Kokuyo Singapore’s Marketing Manager Kelvin Wu, is akin to sitting on a balance ball – with more comfort of course. 

“Calories consumed while sitting on the Kokuyo Ing 360° Gliding Chair for four hours is equivalent to walking 1.5 km,” shared Wu. 

The gliding mechanism uses the sitter’s body weight and movement, allowing it to fit any body type. The chair does away with fussy levers and lumbar support, presenting a clean and friendly look. 

Findings from tests conducted by Kokuyo also shows that ‘sitexercising’ on Kokuyo Ing 360° Gliding Chair is great for mental fitness, with users demonstrating a higher level of concentration and productivity.

The Kokuyo Ing 360° Gliding Chair is available in low-back, mid-back and high-back in an array of mesh or fabric cover options, 

Read more about Ing Chair’s launch and Kokuyo’s Year-End celebration here.