One of the staples of Japan known in western culture are paper lanterns, and for good reason. Paper lanterns bring a beautiful warmth, a sense of peace and safety to the atmosphere. That is difficult to achieve with common lightning. This is especially remarkable in the streets of Kyoto. A...
Built in the 1960s, the Aoyama Building has weathered some of the more swift-moving winds of modern history. The 13-story tower is planted on a block corner in Tokyo’s Minato ward, in a thicket of skyscrapers, parks, embassies, and palace grounds. In the 1970s, it housed the headquarters of the...
This year was the 4th year of the “Lexus New Takumi Project” where young crafts people across the country are challenged with creating the “next-generation traditional crafts”. 150 young crafts people and designers participated and their work was showcased in the basement of the Kyoto Shimbun (Newspaper) Building, the Heian...
The rise of supermarkets in Japan changed the landscape of many smaller downtowns all across the country. Smaller mom and pop shops would go out of business one by one and once vibrant shopping streets would turn into “shutter streets”. The company Owan has been trying to counter this movement...
This summer, Japanese furniture maker Time & Style showcased a selection of furniture designed by architect Kengo Kuma. Like a compilation of rare B-sides, the exhibition, titled “Furniture that blends into the surroundings,” represents years of creative output and celebrates a facet of Kuma’s practice that has thrived quietly in...
Founded in 1984, the museum focuses on collecting, preserving, and contextualizing woodworking tools, playing a key role in connecting the appreciation of Japanese wood-based architecture and furniture with the trans-generational knowledge, techniques, and tool-making traditions that are concealed at its roots....
While depopulation is a problem in many countries the issue in Japan is more imminent due to the large population (around 30%) of people above the age of 60. “NIPPONIA Kominato Genroku Village” is one of the projects trying to battle this problem by creating a “decentralized hotel” which is...
What is the “Japanese aesthetic”? That, in essence, was the question posed by designer Naoto Fukasawa and the furniture manufacturer Maruni Wood Factory in 2008, when Fukasawa partnered with the nearly one-century-old furniture company to help rediscover its essence. Since then, the wish to design chairs, tables, and other staples...
For over 1300 years, the Kamado Shrine has stood at Mount Homan in Daizafu, Fukuoka, bearing witness to cycles of blooming cherry blossoms and brilliant fall foliage. A more recent addition to the site, a visitor’s center and juyosho (amulet store) designed by the design agency Wonderwall and opened in...
Sakamoto Ryokan is a tiny inn on the Noto Peninsula in the Japan Sea. With only three guest rooms, it’s one of the smallest ryokan in the country. Like other traditional lodgings in remote parts of Japan, there’s no TV, and naturally, the toilet and bathing area is shared. A...
In 1964, 10-year old Kengo Kuma visited Tokyo and stood in awe of the swooping, concrete Olympic stadiums designed by Kenzo Tange. These megalithic forms, which spiral off the ground in simultaneous expression and defiance of physics, captured the energy of rapidly industrializing Japan and inspired Kuma to become an...
Last time I visited Kyoto I had the pleasure of receiving a tour of a newly renovated machiya turned into Airbnb by the architect Seiichi Takeuchi (@schrtkch on Instagram). Takeuchi-san has worked under star architect Ando Tadao for many years and has recently established his own practice in Osaka. Attracted...
