Yusuke Seki showcases fragile hemp textiles across banks of metal rods
Lengths of delicately woven fabric were draped over metal skewers at this Tokyo exhibition about the tradition of hemp textiles in Japan (+ slideshow). More
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Tokyo rice shop by Schemata Architects is filled with boxy plywood fittings
Bags of rice and bottled condiments are displayed on simple plywood units inside this former Tokyo greengrocers that has been converted into a tiny rice shop, cafe and a home for the proprietor (+ slideshow). More
A small tree grows inside Ito-biyori cafe by Ninkipen!
A large circular mirror reflects a tree planted in the centre of this Osaka cafe by Japanese studio Ninkipen! (+ slideshow). More
Kengo Kuma creates facade of wooden strips for University of Tokyo computing facility
Hundreds of thin wooden strips cover the facade of this university building by Japanese firm Kengo Kuma and Associates, while a cavernous opening at ground level frames a view of a park behind (+ slideshow). More
Kengo Kuma designs Tokyo hospital wrapped around a garden
News: Japanese firm Kengo Kuma + Associates has unveiled plans to replace an ageing Tokyo medical centre with a louvre-clad hospital built around a landscaped garden. More
NAAD lines a century-old Japanese house with exposed plywood
Architecture studio NAAD has gutted a 100-year-old house in Kyoto and re-skinned the interior in plywood to create a temporary dwelling that is designed to look incomplete (+ slideshow). More
Curving walls eclipse glazed facade of park-side house in Japan by Tsuyoshi Kawata
Both curving and straight walls overlap inside this family home in Shiga Prefecture by architect Tsuyoshi Kawata, which was designed to frame views of a nearby park (+ slideshow). More
IHRMK's house with a staggered profile looks out over a landscape of paddy fields
The stepped profile of this house in Japan by architecture studio IHRMK gives clues about the complicated layout of rooms contained within. More
Intertwining staircases spiral around the glazed core of Hiroshi Nakamura's Ribbon Chapel
Two curving staircases encircle the exterior of this wedding chapel by Tokyo-based architect Hiroshi Nakamura, meeting at a rooftop platform that overlooks the Hiroshima coastline (+ slideshow). More
Old timber-framed house transformed into a bakery by Movedesign
Japanese studio Movedesign has converted an old timber-framed house with parquet floors and exposed wooden beams into a bakery in downtown Fukuoka (+ slideshow). More
Lakeside hotel by Ryuichi Ashizawa adjoins a wedding chapel with a musical facade
Harp strings fixed across the facade turn this hotel chapel on a lakeside site in Shiga Prefecture, Japan, into a huge musical instrument when the wind blows (+ slideshow). More
Hakemiya Nursery School is designed to remind children of their homes
Japanese studios Rhythmdesign and Case-Real came up with the design for this nursery school in Kumamoto after being given a brief to create "not a small school, but a big house" (+ slideshow). More
Suppose Design Office's House in Hibaru stretches down to the edge of a reservoir
This house by Suppose Design Office slopes down beyond the boundary wall of a reservoir in Fukuoka, south-west Japan, to allow residents to be as close as possible to the water (+ slideshow). More
Hiroshima Hut by Suppose Design Office is a see-through house with sunken rooms
This rural Japanese house by Suppose Design Office features sunken rooms and see-through walls, designed to allow residents to observe and interact with wild animals (+ slideshow). More
Klein Dytham's Shonan T-Site is a bookstore with a makeshift high street inside
An ivy motif spreads across the exterior of this bookstore in Japan by Klein Dytham Architecture, while the interior presents books and magazines on a "street" that also includes a cafe and a hair salon (+ slideshow). More
Trellis canopy shades courtyard of Pergola house by Apollo Architects
Wooden ceiling beams extend beyond the walls of this boxy black house in Japan by Apollo Architects & Associates, creating a canopy above a secluded entrance courtyard (+ slideshow). More
Alphaville's Dig In the Sky house is made up of three blocks connected by bridges
Japanese studio Alphaville raised the base of this Osaka house up on crooked stilts, revealing the complex arrangement of rooms, bridges and lightwells contained within (+ slideshow). More
Ladders lead to capsule-sized bedrooms in Koyasan Guesthouse by Alphaville
Bedrooms the size of a single mattress are slotted two-high into the walls of this wooden guesthouse in Japan by Alphaville, which takes its cues from capsule hotels (+ slideshow). More
Light-filled classrooms surround a courtyard garden at DS Nursery in Japan
Small-scale fittings, blackboards walls and round toilet cubicles are incorporated into this kindergarten in Japan, designed by architecture studios Hibino Sekkei and Youji no Shiro around a garden playground (+ slideshow). More
Curving walls create arched avenue through wedding planning venue by Ryo Matsui Architects
Curving walls rise from opposing directions to form an aisle through the centre of this wedding planner's office in Japan by Ryo Matsui Architects (+ slideshow). More