Japanese 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.
Events
Three kiosks, three architects: Small-scale architecture across Hiroshima
We look back at the Hiroshima Architecture Exhibition in late 2025, where Junya Ishigami, Yasushi Horibe and Hideyuki Nakayama designed three poetic mobile kiosks.
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.
Ideas
A journey of renewal: Integrating Japanese bathing rituals into bathroom design
Jason Gibney, winner of the Editor’s Choice Award in 2025 Habitus House of the Year, reflects on how bathroom rituals might just be reshaping Australian design.
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.
Project
Japanese delight in Melbourne’s CBD
Making a splash on the hair spa scene, the latest project from X + O makes a little slice of Japan right at home in suburban Melbourne.
Project
Journey East: Azuma Den opens in Canberra
Designed by Kelly Ross, the newest addition to Bisa Hospitality’s portfolio represents more than just another restaurant opening.
Articles
Pedrali’s new modular lighting collection is a rich marriage of Italian and Japanese design
The esteemed Italian brand has collaborated with Yusuke Kawai to create Kawara, a lighting collection defined by adaptability, elegance and a touch of tradition.
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.
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.
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
Can everyday elements be art? L Architects explores this proposition within the domestic setting
Steps, floors, bathrooms, tables and lights are approached like artworks in this interior renovation by L Architects.
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.
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
Expect the unexpected: Luchetti Krelle’s The Upper Tokyo
Australian craftsmanship meets Japanese luxe in Luchetti Krelle’s exciting and luscious restaurant design for The Upper Tokyo.
Project
HAVN takes its cues from modern Scandi and Japanese influences
For a brand that prides itself on originality and authenticity, this space made perfect sense for HAVN’s new home on Gertrude Street in Melbourne.
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.
Project
Steve Leung Design Group transports diners from Hong Kong to Japan in God of Teppanyaki
Steve Leung Design Group curates an upscale ambience distinguished by Japanese design elements and thoughtful spatial plan that offers patrons utmost discretion.
Project
Steve Leung Design Group transports diners from Hong Kong to Japan in God of Teppanyaki
Steve Leung Design Group curates an upscale ambience distinguished by Japanese design elements and thoughtful spatial plan that offers patrons utmost discretion.
Products
Folks Collection 3.0 pays homage to the craftsmen of Japan
Nathan Yong releases his next collection of furniture inspired by the craft and dedication of Japanese woodwork.
Articles
Suiseki – lounges inspired by Japanese stones
Inspired by the Japanese rocks that bear their name, the Suiseki collection from laCividina find the beauty in spontaneous, harmonious lack of alignment.
Project
Esterre: French dining for gourmands in the mood for Japanese
A new Alain Ducasse restaurant in the Palace Hotel Tokyo, with interiors by SIMPLICITY, celebrates Japanese and French craft in both the menu and interiors.
Project
Esterre: French dining for gourmands in the mood for Japanese
A new Alain Ducasse restaurant in the Palace Hotel Tokyo, with interiors by SIMPLICITY, celebrates Japanese and French craft in both the menu and interiors.
Project
Japanese atmospherics: Ishizuka by Russell & George
Creating a sensory dining experience that fuses Japanese and Australian culture – rather than a “mock tradition” – Ishizuka by Russell & George transports diners while keeping their feet on the ground.
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
Wonderwall designs a Japanese winery ‘bunker’ inspired by winemaking
Set into a hillside in Japan, the concrete bunker aesthetic of this winery, designed by Wonderwall, belies a fastidious approach to wine-making that defines its layout.
Project
Flexible retail: HAY Tokyo by Schemata Architects
Incorporating ‘moveable interfaces’ and display systems into its design for HAY Tokyo, Schemata Architects has allowed the temporary store interior to move and grow as its needs change.
People
5 minutes with Jin Kuramoto
Japanese designer Jin Kuramoto is a practical, hands-on designer. He separates the rational from the imaginative to arrive at design solutions that fit the client, while also inspiring the customer.
Articles
Fritz Hansen N01 – a modern chair for the modern home
N01, by Japanese studio Nendo for Fritz Hansen, is a modern chair for the design and quality-conscious home, now available from Cult.
People
Toyo Ito on architecture’s core points
There was high demand for interviews with Toyo Ito at Hong Kong Business of Design Week 2018. In a group session, the eminent Japanese architect answered a variety of questions about key aspects of architecture and practice.
People
Suppose Design Office’s uncharted territory
Finding a way to integrate multiple facets of the built environment, Japanese architecture firm Suppose Design Office not only creates contemporary projects but has opened a real estate agency and construction company all under one roof.
News
MAD Architects creates a tunnel of light in Japan
For the 2018 Echigo-Tsumari Triennale, MAD Architects has restored the Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel and created several permanent artistic spaces.
Ideas
Could these be the next new masters of Japanese architecture?
Japan has produced half a dozen Pritzker Prize-winning architects. Design is in the blood. But who is the next generation of design talent from this country – we take a look at the names you should know now and enjoy the beauty of the work they’re producing.
Project
Capsule hotel + sauna? It’s a thing
Remember Japanese capsule hotels? Although Tokyo is still littered with them, many conjure up a kitsch fad that has passed its heyday. Faced with the task of renovating one, Schemata Architects embraced a no-nonsense retro aesthetic to unite the two activities of sleeping and steaming.
Ideas
Japanese design – Top 6 places to get your fix
Good Japanese design is more than just an aesthetic – it’s a philosophy, and one beloved the world over. But what if you can’t afford a plane ticket to Tokyo? Here’s where to get your fix locally.
People
Meet the brand that helped put Japanese design on the global map
On the occasion of its 90th anniversary, Maruni comes round circle – in more ways than one. We speak with the brand’s key visionaries, president Takeshi Yamanaka, art director Naoto Fukasawa, and long-time collaborator Jasper Morrison.