photos by Tomooki Kengaki courtesy Keiji Ashizawa Architects
Trunk Hotel Yoyogi Park is a new boutique hotel located in Tokyo’s quiet Tomigaya neighborhood that just opened this month. Designed by architect Keiji Ashizawa, the 7-story hotel has 25 rooms, a restaurant and a rooftop lounge & pool that overlooks the lush Yoyogi Park.
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A new museum will open on the art island of Naoshima in 2025. Although the official name has yet to be announced, the structure will be designed by architect Tadao Ando and will mark his 10th museum on the island.
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Photo: Madoka Nishiyama courtesy KIAC
This might very well be the coworking space of our dreams. The Kinosaki International Art Center (KIAC) is a multipurpose community center located in Kinosaki Onsen, a quaint town on the coast of Japan that’s known for their natural hot springs. In addition to a theater, dance studios and residences, KIAC recently opened a coworking space equipped with everything your contemporary remote worker needs. What’s more, their desks are specifically designed to encourage users to take bath breaks at one of the many nearby hot springs.
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All images © Iwami Ginzan Library
Situated in Omori-cho, Ota City, Shimane Prefecture, the Iwami Ginzan Town Library Cafe and Co-working Space offers a unique fusion of a relaxed library atmosphere and modern amenities. It is housed within a former merchant’s residence on the main street of the UNESCO World Heritage site, Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape.
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Designed by Nara-based design studio A4, tumi-isi (積み石; ‘stacking stones’ in Japanese) are a set of 5 blocks individually hand bevelled into asymmetrical shapes by local artisans. No two sets are identical. These tactile objects are meant to nourish your sense of balance and creativity, while also transporting you back to that river where you stacked stones as high as you could.
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The quaint village of Fujimi is located near the border of Nagano and Yamanashi Prefectures. Time tends to pass a bit more slowly here where rice paddies overlook the Southern Alps, Mt. Yatsugatake, and Mt. Fuji. It’s here that architect-extraordinaire Terunobu Fujimori decided to build his first-ever guest lodge.
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Trains are an integral part of daily life in Japan, supporting commutes, errands and all other forms of daily life. And while their existence can be taken for granted, their many forms and colors add to the uniqueness of each neighborhood they traverse. Capturing the scenery of the city and the warmth of trains lines that envelop them throughout the seasons is street-walking illustrator Shinjiro Ogawa.
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All images ©Daisuke Shima courtesy of G Architects Studio
Suetomi, the well-established Japanese wagashi shop in Kyoto, has started a new brand of café called AoQ. The design for their take-out only café, which stands along Karasuma-dori, a busy street that leads from Kyoto Station, was undertaken by architect Ryohei Tanaka of G Architects Studio.
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Kei Endo is an accomplished architect and draughtswoman. And she also enjoys staying at hotels, which was the beginning of a wonderful side-hustle that brought together the best of both her worlds, and resulted in a new book deal. Endo reports on the hotels she stays in through detailed, accurate and colorful survey drawings that capture everything from room measurements and layouts to color palettes and amenities. We featured her work last year and, since then, her sketches have become so popular she’s decided to turn them into a book.
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all photos by Eiichi Yoshioka courtesy Kei Atsumi
Japanese wood joinery dates back to the seventh century and is a craftsmanship technique that involves complicated, interlocking wooden joints that form bonds without the use of nails, screws or adhesives. Practical use of these woodworking techniques, known as tsugite, has been dwindling over the years due to their complexity but a team of designers, after 3 years of research, have unveiled a building technique that combines 3D printing with wood joinery.
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