A Pyramidal University Campus Towers over a Japanese City
With numerous functional and visual connections to the surrounding city of Ibaraki, Otemon Gakuin University's newest building is inviting despite its sleekness.
Japan
Ace Hotel Kyoto Uses Traditional Japanese Materials in Unconventional Ways
Kengo Kuma and Commune Design have completed Ace Hotel Kyoto, the brand’s first location in Asia.
Colorful Japanese Posters Take Over Amsterdam's Stedelijk Museum
The exhibition, spanning over 80 years of Japanese graphic design, is a tribute to designer Shigeru Watano's long-standing relationship with the museum.
Design Cities 2019: Fukuoka, Japan
After a three-year renovation, the Fukuoka Art Museum reflects the coastal city’s international links, both past and present.
In Tokyo, a Formidable Concrete Shell Protects an Intimate Family Dwelling
Japanese firm Suppose Design Office was tasked with creating a communal, yet private, house for a family of five on a compact site.
Inside the Mind of Sou Fujimoto
Metropolis interviews the renowned Japanese architect, whose retrospective exhibition Futures of the Future is currently on view at Japan House Los Angeles.
This Design Lab in Kyoto Is Analyzing Food to Understand How Cities Change
“By looking at food, we can uncover the inner workings of the city which are otherwise difficult to see,” says Takuya Miyake of the Kyoto Institute of Technology.
Japan's Two New Moxy Hotels Aim for Laid-Back Hospitality
The Moxy brand, owned by Marriot, seeks to appeal to the “next-gen” traveler, doing away with traditional amenities in favor of a budget-friendly, design-focused experience.
The Secret Beauty, Terror, and Power of Japanese Gardens
Garden designer Sophie Walker delves into the multifaceted nature of Japanese Gardens in her new book from Phaidon.
The Japanese Gardener Who Hunts Exotic Plants the World-Over
Seijun Nishihata helms the Sora Botanical Garden project, a company that offers horticultural consultation to architects, designers, governments, and private companies.
The Story of 20th-Century Japanese Culture, in One Book
"The Japanese Photobook" obsessively documents the mediatic techniques that captured life in the island nation over the last 100 years.
Tezuka Architects Win 2017 Moriyama RAIC International Prize
The firm won the $100,000 award for its Fuji Kindergarten, which is specially designed for autistic children, in Tokyo, Japan.
Barbican Exhibit on Japanese Houses a Veritable Architectural Playground
A new exhibition at the Barbican Gallery highlights Japanese architects’ thrilling, seemingly impractical, sometimes topsy-turvy experiments with the house.
Tokyo House Tests Environmentally-Friendly Concrete Made From Volcanic Ash
For this unique home, Atelier Tekuto teamed up with experts to develop an environmentally-friendly concrete made—not from sand—but volcanic ash.
Design Is Like Making Soup, Says Naoto Fukasawa
The celebrated Japanese designer muses on the similarities between design and soup making, the enduring relevance of "Super Normal", and the power of observation.
Longtime Issey Miyake Collaborator Steps Into the Spotlight
Handcrafted textiles and technically innovative fabrics often seem worlds apart. This Japanese powerhouse has been opening up exciting possibilities for textile design by combining the two.
Wright Auction House Hosts Mini Shiro Kuramata Revival
A small revival of the designer's celebrated works is underway this month at the Wright Auction House in Manhattan.
Tokyo's Endangered Modernist Buildings Find an Unlikely Advocate
The fashion designer Tomas Maier has launched a campaign to save the best of the Japanese capital's twentieth-century architecture.
Architect Chiaki Arai Shows Kahn Influence With New Project
For a stunning cultural center in Japan, Chiaki Arai achieves the sublime material clarity of his legendary mentor, Louis Kahn.
Guided by Kazuyo Sejima, Yang Zhao Designs for Tsunami-Ravaged Town
Mentored by Kazuyo Sejima, Yang Zhao creates a Japanese community center.
