Japan
An overview of projects, products and exclusive articles about japan
Project • By note architects • Apartments
Coop.M
Coop.M is organised around the idea of openness: spatially, environmentally, and socially. Rather than separating rooms through rigid enclosure, Note Architects use exposed structural elements, movable partitions, and layered thresholds to create a living environment that remains adaptable over time.
Kenta Hasegawa
The architecture prioritises airflow, flexibility, and connection between spaces, allowing the residence to respond to both climate and evolving family needs. A central design approach involved stripping back the beam finishes to expose the concrete structure beneath. This reveals the geometry of the building while reinforcing a direct relationship between architecture and landscape. The exposed beams establish a continuous... More
Project • By STUDIO ALUC • Hotels
Nazuna Kyoto Higashihonganji
“Nazuna Kyoto Higashihonganji” is a renovation project of a Kyoto townhouse (machiya) that has stood for over 100 years, located on the main street directly in front of the Goei-do Gate of Higashi Honganji Temple.
Kenta Hasegawa
Kenta Hasegawa
Kenta Hasegawa
This machiya consists of two buildings, originally separated into east and west wings, which have now been connected by a roof. The structure bears the marks of numerous renovations over the years, blending old and new elements. During the dismantling process, as we uncovered the history of the building, we found structural weaknesses that had developed over time. Reinforcements were made to ensure its stability, while preserving as much of the original woode... More
Project • By Noforma Design Studio • Private Houses
Atami House
ATAMI taught us to seek the hidden potential within the historic and cultural fabric of a building, embrace it, and carry it forward into a new chapter of its life. The house presented itself as a traditional Japanese structure, with multiple rooms divided by shoji doors, low ceilings, and tatami floors.
Masao Nishikawa Photography studio
Masao Nishikawa Photography studio
While inspecting for possible roof leaks, we uncovered a beautiful wooden frame with aged natural beams. We immediately recognized this as the building's hidden soul—a place where Japanese craftsmanship truly excelled, yet had remained unseen for decades.
Masao Nishikawa Photography studio
From that moment, we began to understand the house as a kind... More
Project • By ROOVICE • Apartments
Apartment in Kichijoji
This project involves the renovation of a 75 square meters apartment located in the lively residential area of Kichijoji. The intervention reconsiders the spatial hierarchy of the home, prioritizing shared living spaces and responding to the clients’ request for a larger, more open kitchen alongside improved everyday comfort.
Akira Nakamura
The original 3LDK layout was reconfigured by integrating the former tatami room into the living–dining–kitchen area. The partition wall separating the kitchen from the living and dining space was removed, allowing the LDK to expand from approximately 18 m² to about 30 m². This transformation resulted in a single, continuous space with improved openness and daylight penet... More
Project • By Tha / Takayuki Hayashi • Apartments
An Ordinary Renovation of an Apartment
Project Overview
More than forty years have passed since the 1980s—a period when Japanese condominium (mansion) construction surged during the economic bubble. Today, the aging of this housing stock is a critical issue. The average age of pre-owned condominiums in the Tokyo metropolitan area rose from 25.84 years in 2019 to 30.22 years in 2024. Despite this vast stock, mainstream values remain monolithic, equating "new" with "good," or settling for superficial renovations.
This project attempts to rediscover and reconfigure the inherent value within the standard Japanese condominium. The term "Ordinary" here does not refer to a statistical average; rather, it defines the "sensory contours" (1) shared in daily life without dissonance... More
Project • By ROOVICE • Private Houses
Kajiwara House
Kajiwara House: A Home that Grows with Its OwnersLocated in Kajiwara, a residential area surrounded by the soft hills of Kamakura and just a short distance from the sea, this two-story wooden house from the 1960s has been carefully renovated for a couple of creatives and their two cats. The city’s landscape — where mountains meet ocean and time moves at its own pace — reflects the spirit of the project: calm, layered, and deeply tied to everyday life.
When the owners contacted us, they had just purchased the property and were looking for a way to restore its quiet charm — not by transforming it completely, but by bringing back what was already there.
The design approach was simple: preserve what could be saved, and... More
Project • By ROOVICE • Private Houses
Itabashi House
Light and Layers: Transformatio
In the quiet streets of Itabashi, Tokyo, a modest two-storey house from 1976 has been given a new lease on life through a renovation carried out by Roovice. Through their Kariage Project, they renovate and reuse akiya (vacant houses) at no cost to the owners, transforming them into rental properties.
The house had originally suffered from a fragmented layout and dim interiors that no longer suited contemporary living.
Akira Nakamura
A key challenge lay on the ground floor, where the former kitchen was positioned between two tatami rooms, effectively dividing the house into front and back zones and making the space complicated to use. To address this, the kitchen was relocated into what had been the re... More
Project • By ROOVICE • Offices
Oimachi House
Located just five minutes from Oimachi Station, this 73-year-old wooden house has been transformed into a contemporary workspace through a renovation that balances clarity, preservation, and adaptability. The building is part of a dense cluster of postwar wooden structures situated behind the area's more prominent commercial and mid-rise office developments. This house, once a typical home in that quieter layer of the city, now takes on a new role as a functional and character-rich office.
Akira Nakamura
Akira Nakamura
Akira Nakamura
The entrance was redesigned with a new door and exterior wall finish, offering a clean surface where signage can be installed—making its commercial use immediately legible from the outside... More
Project • By ROOVICE • Private Houses
Nukui House
Nukui House: Transforming a 1976 Tokyo Home Through Practical Renovation
Located in the quiet residential streets of Nukui, Tokyo, Nukui House is a renovation of a 1976 wooden home through Roovice's Kariage initiative. The project demonstrates the potential of Tokyo’s aging residential stock, showing how targeted interventions can extend the life of existing structures while addressing urban vacancy challenges.
Akira Nakamura
Akira Nakamura
Akira Nakamura
Akira Nakamura
Akira Nakamura
Context and InitiativeThe Kariage initiative revitalizes vacant properties at no cost to owners, offering a practical solution to Japan’s growing akiya problem while preserving their history. Nukui House, located in Tokyo... More
Project • By GRAY-ZONE Design Office • Offices
Distance and Dimensions
"Would people be happy if a design office opened nearby?" This is a renovation plan (for a mixed-use residence) for our architectural design office in an urbanization control area. The underlying idea of the project was to consider the appropriate "sense of distance" before considering the appropriate dimensions.
Nao Takahashi
Nao Takahashi
Nao Takahashi
Nao Takahashi
Nao Takahashi
Specific examples of sense of distance include the sense of distance between "designer and visitors (client, local residents, friends, acquaintances, future client)" in our daily lives, and the broader perspective of the architectural design industry, "design office and society (contractors, meetings with manufacturer sales, people fro... More
Project • By ROOVICE • Private Houses
Kimitsu House
Renovation of a 1960s Wooden House in Kimitsu: Embracing History with Subtle Modernization
Located in the serene Kimitsu area of Chiba, this 1960s wooden house had been vacant for several years before its owner decided to take on its renovation. Initially attempting the work himself, he soon realized the project required more time and dedication than he could manage. Wanting to see the house used and appreciated again, he turned to Roovice’s Kariage initiative, which helps bring new life to vacant properties while respecting their history. By revitalizing these spaces at no cost to owners, the initiative offers a practical solution to Japan’s growing akiya (empty dwellings) problem.
Akira Nakamura
Akira Nakamura
Ak... More
Project • By ABD Architecture LLC • Hotels
Grand Tsuru Niseko
Nestled in the heart of the captivating snow haven of Niseko, a renowned international ski resort in Hokkaido, Japan, a visionary development project named 'Grand Tsuru' unfolds. Situated just a 2-minute drive from the lively international ski slopes, the project seamlessly integrates into the natural landscape along a serene forest road. The property encompasses three expansive plots surrounded by majestic silver birch and oak trees, with a discreet fourth plot hosting the water supply facility.
David Giral Photography
David Giral Photography
David Giral Photography
Inspired by Japanese culture and nature's beauty, 'Grand Tsuru' is an architectural masterpiece. The name, meaning 'crane' in Japanese, symbolizes the project's... More
Project • By ROOVICE • Private Houses
Fueda House
Transforming a 1970s Wooden House in Fueda, Kamakura, into a Pet-Friendly Home
A modest two-story wooden house from the 1970s in Fueda, Kamakura, has been thoughtfully renovated to meet the needs of a young couple and their pets. The redesign focuses on functionality and comfort, balancing practicality with smart design choices.
Akira Nakamura
Akira Nakamura
Akira Nakamura
Akira Nakamura
Subtle Updates for a Relaxed Aesthetic
The house, which includes a spacious garden, features walls with a mix of finishes. Spray-textured coatings resembling exterior walls are paired with areas left in their original state, creating a relaxed, slightly "mismatched" look. This understated approach preserves the home’s character... More
Project • By FujiwaraMuro Architects • Private Houses
Renovation in Suita
The project was to fully renovate the client's home where he was born and raised.
The surrounding area is lined with similar ready-built houses, and we needed to consider the line of sight between neighboring houses when planning the house.
Katsuya Taira
Katsuya Taira
Katsuya Taira
The client seemed to vaguely envision a post-renovation image of being surrounded by an earthy texture, so our challenge was to figure out how to propose this image in the renovation of this ready-built house.
Katsuya Taira
Katsuya Taira
Katsuya Taira
With this in mind, we designed the main second-floor LDK (living, dining, and kitchen) area with a distinctive earthy texture and a sense of presence that can be perceived both insid... More
Project • By Architrip Inc. • Offices
DAY to DAY
DAY to DAY is our office in Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture, and is a small complex of architecture, cafés and flower shops where artists and craftspeople from various genres gather based on interior design, food and flowers.
The purpose of creating this facility was to make the design office a familiar place for the people involved.
Caption
When we thought about residential and shop design in the big picture, we sought to create a design office as a place where people can experience something a little closer to their daily lives.
We believe that the overlap of various landscapes and scenes, including people, places, events and experiences, create our daily life, and that each of these elements gives color to our daily l... More