Tokyo
Project
Genso turns the racecourse into a cinematic city
Joyce Wang Studio transforms Sha Tin Racecourse into Genso, a retrofuturist dining and entertainment world with a cinematic atmosphere.
Events
Jia CURATED 2026 expands its horizon with Nature Weave
From a beachfront transformation in Bali to a cross-cultural prelude in Tokyo, Southeast Asia’s leading design platform returns with renewed urgency and regional ambition.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
Fritz Hansen Tokyo strengthens connections between Scandinavian and Japanese design
Fritz Hansen’s newly relocated Tokyo showroom opens its doors in a Kengo Kuma-designed building, paying tribute to the brand’s Danish legacy as well as the Scandinavian and Japanese influences that shaped Kuma’s career.
Project
Making Swedish minimalism meet Japanese aesthetics
Housed within a 1920’s former bank, Tokyo welcomes new boutique hotel designed by Claesson Koivisto Rune inspired by “aimai” (erasing borders) featuring a series of micro-spaces including a cafe, retail and fine dining.
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
Tokyo’s sky forest
At Tokyo’s Kojimachi Terrace by Nendo, six of the 11 floors are prised open with landscaped terraces lined with warm timber.
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
Nendo Creates A Pierced Office Building With Large Garden Terraces
At Tokyo’s Kojimachi Terrace by Nendo, six of the 11 floors are prised open with landscaped terraces lined with warm timber.
Project
India Mahdavi’s Pastel-hued, Otherworldly Interior For Ladurée In Tokyo
Having orchestrated some of the most Instagrammed interiors around the world, India Mahdavi brings her signature aesthetic to Ladurée Aoyama.
Project
India Mahdavi’s pastel-hued, otherworldly interior for Ladurée in Tokyo
Having orchestrated some of the most Instagrammed interiors around the world, India Mahdavi brings her signature aesthetic to Ladurée Aoyama.
Project
Positive Interconnectivity: Overlapping Artworks By teamLab At New Digital Art Museum In Tokyo
520 computers, 470 projectors, 10,000 square metres of space – a new digital art museum in Tokyo by teamLab and Mori Building presents an unprecedented world of complex spaces.
Project
A Capsule Hotel And Sauna That Creates The Optimal °C
A sauna and a nap? Schemata Architects renovate a capsule hotel in Tokyo, introducing sauna amenities and finding a no-nonsense retro aesthetic to unite the two functions.
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.
Dissections
Bunka Hostel Tokyo by UDS
With millenial travellers looking for a unique, yet affordable travel experience wherever they go, the pressure is on to provide creative design solutions that are spectacular, memorable and, importantly, don’t break the bank account. Bunka Hostel in Tokyo, Japan, by UDS creates a luxe blueprint for budget bunk-bedding.
Events
Shigeru Ban’s Projects in Progress
Shigeru Ban showcases a collection of his past and present works (including the highly anticipated La Seine Musicale in Paris) in the exhibition Shigeru Ban: Projects in Progress at the Gallery MA in Tokyo – the architect’s first solo exhibition in 18 years.
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
The Transparent Office
Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP architects create an office space with bulbous glass enclosures that aid communication. Joanna Kawecki writes.
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.