Art, architecture and travel in Japan
Let Wallpaper* guide you through the worlds of art, design and architecture in Japan - and discover where to go and what to see when you travel to Japan.
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Time, beauty, history – all are written into trees in Karimoku Research Center's debut Tokyo exhibition
The layered world of forests – and their evolving relationship with humans – is excavated and reimagined in 'The Age of Wood', a Tokyo exhibition at Karimoku Research Center
By Danielle Demetriou Published
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Wallpaper* checks in at Yoruya, a Japanese inn where less is always more
Yoruya, which transforms a 110-year-old former kimono merchant shopfront and residence in Kurashiki, is an exercise in graceful restraint and craft
By Joanna Kawecki Published
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Team Ikuzawa brings the art of Daniel Arsham to motorsport
Creative director Mai Ikuzawa has overseen a new capsule clothing collection, a collaboration with artist Daniel Arsham that also honours her racing driver father Tetsu Ikuzawa
By Josh Sims Published
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Minimal curves and skilled lines are the focal point of Kengo Kuma's Christmas trees
Kengo Kuma unveiled his two Christmas trees, each carefully designed to harmonise with their settings in two hotels he also designed: The Tokyo Edition, Toranomon and The Tokyo Edition, Ginza
By Danielle Demetriou Published
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Tranquil and secluded, Lemaire’s new Tokyo flagship exudes a sense of home
In Tokyo’s Ebisu neighbourhood, Lemaire’s tranquil new store sees the French brand take over a former 1960s home. Co-artistic directors Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran tell Wallpaper* more
By Joanna Kawecki Published
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Claesson Koivisto Rune on 30 years of their often Japan-inspired designs, charted in a new book
‘Claesson Koivisto Rune: In Transit’ is a ‘round-the-world journey’ into the Swedish studio's projects. Here, the founders tell Wallpaper* about their fascination with Japan, and the concept of aimai
By Danielle Demetriou Published
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Fender Hello Kitty Stratocaster marks 50 years of Sanrio’s finest cartoon cat
Hello Kitty reaches her half-century in 2025 and Fender Japan is out to celebrate with guitars and new merchandise, including a revival of its cult Squier Hello Kitty Stratocaster
By Jonathan Bell Published
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Teruhiro Yanagihara's new textile for Kvadrat boasts a rhythmic design reimagining Japanese handsewing techniques
‘Ame’ designed by Teruhiro Yanagihara for Danish brand Kvadrat is its first ‘textile-to-textile’ product, made entirely of polyester recycled from fabric waste. The Japanese designer tells us more
By Danielle Demetriou Published
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Tadao Ando: the self-taught contemporary architecture master who 'converts feelings into physical form’
Tadao Ando is a self-taught architect who rose to become one of contemporary architecture's biggest stars. Here, we explore the Japanese master's origins, journey and finest works
By Edwin Heathcote Published
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The mibot is a tiny single-seater ‘mobility robot’ for traversing Japan’s crowded city centres
Japan is the undisputed centre of compact car culture, and KG Motors' new mibot is one of a new wave of micro-EVs that look set to take the country’s cities by storm
By Jonathan Bell Published
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Kengo Kuma’s new Kyoto hotel is ‘a sanctuary of ethereal beauty’
A former ryokan inn, Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto offers onsen rooms equipped with natural hot spring water, and a contemporary take on a Noh theatre
By Danielle Demetriou Published
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The Kumagaya House in Saitama is a modest family home subdivided by a soaring interior
This Kumagaya House is a domestic puzzle box taking the art of the Japanese house to another level as it intersects a minimal interior with exterior spaces, balconies and walkways
By Jonathan Bell Published
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'I’m So Happy You Are Here': discover the work of Japanese women photographers
Subtitled ‘Japanese Women Photographers from the 1950s to Now’, this new monograph from Aperture is a fascinating insight into a critically overlooked body of work
By Jonathan Bell Published
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A minimalist teahouse makes a serene addition to a Tadao Ando-designed Kyoto hotel
Ogata at The Shinmonzen is a contemporary reinterpretation of a Japanese teahouse that sells traditional blends, confectionery, crafts and fragrances
By Danielle Demetriou Published
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Shigeru Ban wins 2024 Praemium Imperiale Architecture Award
The 2024 Praemium Imperiale Architecture Award goes to Japanese architect Shigeru Ban
By Ellie Stathaki Published
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Tour the new Four Seasons Osaka, where time stands still
Set within a 49-storey tower, Four Seasons Osaka takes the traditional ryokan experience to new heights
By Danielle Demetriou Published
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Pace Tokyo is a flowing Sou Fujimoto experience that ‘guides visitors through the space’
Art gallery Pace Tokyo, designed by Sou Fujimoto in a Studio Heatherwick development, opens in the Japanese capital
By Danielle Demetriou Published
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Deathmatch wrestling’s behind-the-scenes moments and bloody glory
A new limited-edition book explores the intersection between art and deathmatch wrestling at a sold-out show held in Tokyo
By Anne Soward Published
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How the Arc’teryx Tokyo Creation Centre is all about craft, openness and cross-pollination
Arc’teryx launches its Tokyo Creation Centre, a hub for craftsmanship designed by Torafu Architects, embodying the brand's ethos
By Daniel Scheffler Published
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Cartier celebrates Japan’s artistic legacy in Tokyo
‘Musubi – Half-Century of Cartier in Japan and Beyond’ is a major new exhibition at Tokyo National Museum, celebrating jewellery, Japanese art and creative exchange
By Danielle Demetriou Published
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Elle Fanning and Sofia Coppola unite on a Japanese craft gin inspired by the seasons
Elle Fanning and Sofia Coppola collaborate on a campaign for The House of Suntory’s Roku Gin – a seasonal blend inspired by Japan’s floral botanicals
By Tianna Williams Published
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30 years of Nobu: chef Nobu Matsuhisa on the trials and tribulations of a culinary empire
Nobu celebrates 30 years of its revolutionary Japanese and Peruvian cuisine. We speak with co-founder and chef Nobuyuki ‘Nobu’ Matsuhisa on setbacks, special guests and his love for painting
By Tianna Williams Published
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In Kyoto, COS celebrates the ancient art of shibori dyeing with a colour-soaked collection
‘We can’t take this type of craft for granted anymore,’ says COS design director Karin Gustafsson, who worked with Kyoto shibori artisan Kazuki Tabata on the airy summer collection. Wallpaper* heads to Japan’s former capital to find out more
By Jack Moss Published
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Craft x Tech elevates Japanese craftsmanship with progressive technology
The inaugural edition of Craft x Tech was presented in Tokyo this week, before making its first international stop at Design Miami Basel (11-16 June 2024)
By Danielle Demetriou Last updated
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Step inside this rare Shiro Kuramata-designed cocktail bar in Japan
Shiro Kuramata designed hundreds of bars in his lifetime, but few remain intact. Now fans are making a pilgrimage to Comblé Bar in Shizuoka
By Danielle Demetriou Published
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Kioku is a spectacular new Japanese restaurant at The OWO, London
At The OWO’s Kioku by Endo, James Bond vibes meet Japanese dining and spectacular London views
By Melina Keays Published
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Inside John Lobb’s sumptuous new Kyoto store, housed in a traditional wooden ‘machiya’
John Lobb’s inviting new Teruhiro Yanagihara-designed Kyoto store is introduced with a series of images starring lauded Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda
By Jack Moss Published