japan
Events
Nature Weave: Jia CURATED returns to Bali for a Southeast Asian design feast
Jia CURATED is happening once again in Bali and this extraordinary design festival is not to be missed!
Events
Q&A: Kengo Kuma in Milan
Kengo Kuma, founder of Kengo Kuma & Associates and Pritzker Prize-winning architect, talks us through his collaboration with Jaipur Rugs that culminated with a showing at Milan Design Week 2026.
Project
Art with heart
An art and architecture destination like no other, the island of Naoshima in the Seto Inland Sea of Japan has just added another masterwork to its collection of Tadao Ando architecture.
Project
An open-air theatre by the Seto Inland Sea
In Kobe, Japan, TOTTEI GREEN HILL by Tomohiro Hata Architect & Associates brings a new, versatile event space to a previously industrial marina.
Project
Layering time: A Contemporary farmstead in Kyoto
A contemporary rural home by Tomohiro Hata Architect & Associates reinterprets historic farmstead clusters in a bamboo-forest landscape.
Project
Inside the global ethos of NICE PROJECTS
Founded by Simone McEwan and Sacha Leong, NICE PROJECTS is a globally connected studio built on collaboration, restraint and an ego-free approach to architecture and design.
Project
Keiji Ashizawa Design transforms historic Singapore restaurant
The Japanese firm brings elements of calm into Loca Niru, a fine-dining restaurant housed in a 146-year-old mansion in Singapore.
Project
Blurring the line between konbini and café
Suupaa in Cremorne reimagines the Japanese konbini as a fast-casual café, blending retail, dining and precise design by IF Architecture.
Project
Inside the quiet beauty of Setouchi Retreat Aonagi on Shikoku
Tadao Ando’s Setouchi Retreat Aonagi conjures luxury through concrete, light, silence and a deeply immersive relationship with nature.
Project
Disuko channels 1980s Tokyo nostalgia atop a Melbourne rooftop
Located in the former Madam Brussels rooftop, Disuko reimagines 1980s Tokyo nightlife through layered interiors, bespoke detailing and a flexible dining and bar experience designed by MAMAS Dining Group.
Ideas
Kengo Kuma on Mount Fuji, Metabolism and the Sahara desert
In a wide-ranging interview, the iconic Japanese architect joins Timothy Alouani-Roby to discuss his childhood home, the influence of Metabolism, a formative experience in the Sahara desert and a recent house by Mount Fuji.
Project
GroupGSA designs MUFG Pension & Market Services’ Sydney HQ
GroupGSA delivers MUFG Pension & Market Service’s Sydney HQ with a dual Japanese–Australian identity, blending precision, warmth and workplace flexibility.
Project
The sauna designed with Mount Fuji in mind – and in view
With prime views over Japan’s Mount Fuji, Yū Momoeda’s sauna facility defies typical standards to respond to the undulations of nature.
Project
CLT cabin-hopping across Japan
Designed by PAN- PROJECTS, Earthboat is a series of mobile cabins set across the mountainous regions of Japan and built entirely with Japanese cedar CLT.
Project
This interiors pair are at the cutting edge of Melbourne hospitality
Hayley Mitchell and Samantha Eades are creating some of today’s best restaurants, most exciting cafés and bars, and extraordinary hotels and resorts.
Furniture
Cult’s Richard Munao on Stories Indesign
The founder and managing director of iconic Australian furniture brand Cult joins us on the podcast to discuss his journey through the world of commercial design.
News
Australian design on show at Osaka World Expo
The 2025 Osaka World Expo 2025 is well and truly open, with Buchan’s Pavilion representing Australia on the global stage.
Events
From Expo 88 to AI: Buchan celebrates forty years in Brisbane
The Brisbane studio of global architecture and design practice Buchan is launching into 2025 by celebrating its forty-year anniversary and moving to a new studio.
Events
SANAA in Sydney: Interview with Art Gallery of NSW director
Michael Brand talks us through a new book on the architecture of Naala Badu, the culmination of Sydney Modern Project.
Project
Hotel Toranomon Hills, where ‘slow’ design meets fast-paced urban landscape
Set amidst Tokyo’s cyberpunk skyline, this hotel and restaurant nevertheless bring significant Scandivanian softness to the scene.
Project
Fireflies and sushi where Tokyo meets Sydney hospitality design
Vie Studio has designed a glowing example of a dynamic hospitality setting, inspired by Japan’s undulating fascination with fireflies.
Project
Monumentality with a certain softness: Moreau Kusunoki and Genton on Powerhouse Parramatta
We met the architectural design team behind Powerhouse Parramatta as they gave a talk on the milestone project at Western Sydney University.
Project
Shining salon of distinction by Moriyuki Ochiai Architects
A hair salon in the Japanese capital blends a language of metal and water in a distinctive, original design.
Project
‘Work hard, play hard’ at Centara Grand in Osaka
A hospitality venue in the heart of Osaka comprising four dining options – a place where nostalgic pastimes meet high-end dining.
Events
AI, Tokyo Metabolism and the city of the future
From INDESIGN #90, the ‘Future Cities’ issue, we consider a precedent from mid-century Japan in terms of confronting crises and rapid technological change.
Events
‘Creating a Better Tomorrow’: Gensler in Tokyo
A Gensler celebration in Tokyo celebrates the practice and looks to the future of design.
Project
W Osaka: Tadao Ando’s hometown hotel is a monolith of hidden delights
Ando’s sleek, stark, black box rises above Osaka’s skyline and hides a treasure trove of interiors designed by Concrete.
Events
Stylecraft brings Karimoku Case Study to Singapore
Born out of admiration and love for serene beauty, material richness and timeless appeal, this contemporary lifestyle brand from Japan is now exclusively available at Stylecraft Singapore.
News
Australia lands its first Yayoi Kusama ‘Pumpkin’
Touted as Japan’s most successful living artist, Yayoi Kusama’s famed and iconic Pumpkin sculpture has just landed in Australia, at Pt. Leo Estate Sculpture Park.
Project
Tadao Ando and 10 years of MPavilion
Marking a decade of MPavilion and Ando’s first ever Australian project, the 2023 iteration is open in Melbourne.
Project
Koichi Takada on nature, luxury and his latest collaboration with Lexus
As LANDMARK by Lexus returns for its sixth iteration, Sydney-based Japanese architect Koichi Takada is reflecting on the place of nature in design.
Events
Australian Pavilion set to chase the sun at Osaka Expo
Led by Buchan, the striking concept design for the Australian contribution to Expo 2025 in Osaka has been unveiled.
Project
Koki Sugawara Architects transforms an inherited family home to meet modern needs
In Japan’s Kantō region, House For Family examples the potential of adaptive reuse for a young family.
People
Let intuition guide your designs: Koichi Futatsumata
Just how much do you trust your intuition? Japanese architect and designer Koichi Futatsumata designs based on his senses rather than a clear planning method, or academic research. We find out how it all comes together.
Events
Big bangs: The visionary and electrifying practice of Cai Guo-Qiang
For decades Cai Guo-Qiang has wowed audiences with his explosive and innovative artistic approach. We study the creative behind the artistically executed pyrotechnic statements.
Project
Sumu Yakushima is an experimental housing co-op that explores regenerative architecture
Created for use by eight owners and their trusted friends, Sumu Yakushima applies regenerative architecture to reconceptualise the relationship between human habitation and nature.
Ideas
‘I want to allow nature to design the building’: Interview with Tokyo-based Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP
Hiroshi Nakamura is doing some of the most interesting work on the contemporary Japanese architectural scene. From residential to retail and urban to rural, his practice is one to keep an eye on for observers in Australia and elsewhere. Timothy Alouani-Roby visited the Tokyo studio to find out more.
Ideas
Mapping concrete and Brutalist architecture across Australia, Asia and beyond
From concrete Tokyo to Brutalist Sydney, Blue Crow Media provides a way into new cities — or perhaps a closer look at familiar ones — for the architectural connoisseur, especially those with a keen interest in the twentieth century history.
Project
OOAK Niseko: Award-winning designer Steve Leung’s family holiday home in Japan
Steve Leung conceived OOAK Niseko as a gift to his family. The house is an unobtrusive addition to a resort town that is becoming known for architectural innovation.
Project
Dharmali Kusumadi on the Garrya Nijo Castle Kyoto by Banyan Tree Group
The Senior Vice President of Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts shares about the sophisticated design of the Group’s first property in Japan and future plans in the country.
People
Koichi Futatsumata lets his intuition guide his designs
The timeless designs of Japanese architect and designer Koichi Futatsumata of CASE-REAL are led by an intuitive and holistic approach of balancing form, function and feeling.
People
Keiji Ashizawa on the beauty of harmonised simplicity
It all starts with context and materiality for Japanese architect and designer, Keiji Ashizawa, whose work can be defined by harmonised details through an emphasis on simplicity and curated collaboration.
Events
<strong>Shigeru Ban designs Odin Hills alpine luxury chalets in Japan</strong>
The upcoming Odin Hills in Niseko features eco-conscious Nordic-Japanese designs conceived by Pritzker-prize winning architect Shigeru Ban.
Project
The Upper gets Luchetti Krelle’s Australian influence
Australian craftsmanship meets Japanese luxe in Luchetti Krelle’s exciting and luscious restaurant design for The Upper Tokyo.
Project
Naoshima Ryokan ROKA is a new destination for art, culture and nature lovers
Okayama-based design firm Nottuo utilised the region’s abundant natural resources to create a sophisticated modern ryokan that integrates traditional Japanese architectural cues.
Project
KAIT Plaza is a lesson in freeing architecture from its stereotype
For the students of Kanagawa Institute of Technology, architect Junya Ishigami constructs a new plane of existence, sandwiched between sky and earth.
Events
Eames Office celebrates 80 years of excellence with a Tokyo exhibition
The 80 Years of Design exhibition highlights Charles and Ray Eames’ iconic designs, new editions and brand collaborations, almost all of which are available to purchase globally via Isetan.
Events
Eames Office celebrates 80 years of design excellence with a Tokyo exhibition
The 80 Years of Design exhibition highlights Charles and Ray Eames’ iconic designs, new editions and brand collaborations, almost all of which are available to purchase globally via Isetan.
Project
The Overlap House In Tokyo Is Three Homes In One
Folding up and over itself, this residence by akihisa hirata architecture gives each set of occupants a sense of privacy within a dense Tokyo neighbourhood.
Project
The Essence Of Experience At Shiseido The Store
How can brand expression in a retail environment be elevated to immersive ends? Onndo, the collaborative studio of Nendo and Nomura, took an artisanal approach to the spatial design for Shiseido’s flagship store in Tokyo, where macro and micro discoveries await.
Project
Nendo’s Time Sensitive TV News Studio Set
Nendo designs a single set for Fuji Television Network that allows for a variety of angles and moods that can reflect the time of the broadcast.
Events
MAD Architects Create A Tunnel Of Light In Niigata, Japan
For the 2018 Echigo-Tsumari Triennale, MAD Architects have restored the Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel and created several permanent artistic spaces.
Project
Nendo Designs A TV News Studio Set That Offers A Sense Of Time
A single set for Fuji Television Network allows for a variety of angles and moods that can reflect the time of the broadcast.
Ideas
Train station design done right – Indesign’s top 5
Can train station design be more than a boring tube to funnel commuters to and from work? These 5 stations show a more beautiful side of urban design.
Project
Qualities and Commodities in a Supermarket
A supermarket that makes you want to linger? Jo Nagasaka of Schemata Architects brought the unlikely notion to physical reality with a communicative interior for Fukushimaya Tasting Market in Tokyo.
Project
A Cantilevered Mountain Retreat by Planet Creations Architecture Design
Japanese architect Masato Sekiyo’s innovative and practical approach for a cantilevered concrete structure as a contemporary holiday fishing cabin and residence in Japan’s Ohmine mountain range.
Project
Architecture for Art and Culture in Tokyo
Dedicated to the works of Katsushika Hokusai, the new Sumida Hokusai Museum of Tokyo is monolithic and heavily rooted in its cultural context, drawing relevance to the artist’s life in the region.
Project
A Mountainous Abode for the Community
Issei Suma Architects have combined the features of a primitive hut and chapel to create a small community complex made up of a private residence and social care facilities.
Articles
Japanese Architects Envision Future Living
Kenya Hara’s HOUSE VISION exhibition returns to envision 12 home designs of the near future with Japan’s top architects and industry giants. Joanna Kawecki writes.
Ideas
Japan Day 1: Benesse Art Site, Naoshima
Our first stop as we travel through Japan is Benesse Art Site Naoshima, which refers to the activities held on the group of islands in the Seto Inland Sea region; home to a collection of some of the world’s most inspiring art, architecture and outdoor sculptures. Visiting Benesse Art Site Naoshima is akin to a spiritual experience; the synergy between art, nature and architecture is exquisite.