Fifteen homes are stacked on the slope of Mt. Okura, overlooking the city of Sapporo (Hokkaido). The stepped volumes are set apart from one another just enough for all the units to get natural light and ventilation, and also optimal views of the surr
Halfway through Kintaro Fujimi, a popular hiking trail outside the city of Oyama, the Japanese firm headed by Kengo Kuma has built Oath Hill Park, a rest spot with views of Mount Fuji. The umbrella-shaped pavilions include public toilets. The timber
At the foot of the ancestral castle of Oka, a small information center tells the history of the enclave beneath an expressive play of roofs clad in a lattice of smoked bamboo. A bamboo gallery marks the garden’s boundary, leading to an elevator that
A temporary space for open-air events in a residential area of central Tokyo features a vibrant lattice executed with oblong panels of cross-laminated cedarwood. Beneath its translucent skin of plastic resin fins, the pavilion features a recreation a
Situated next to Yoyogi Park in the Tokyo ward Shibuya, the Meiji Jingu Shrine is a Shinto temple dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji (1852-1912) and his consort, Emperor Shôken (1849-1914). Blending with the surrounding trees, the new
Akao Herb & Rose Garden is situated near Atami, a seaside town that is a popular tourist destination close to Tokyo and Yokohama. Famous for its exuberant rose gardens, the site of Akao Garden borders on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. To
Located in Akita Prefecture, close to the National Park of Towada-Hachimantai, the city of Kazuno is famous for the Oyu Onsen hot springs, with a history of over 800 years. The construction of the new community center is meant to improve the region’s
