Opened in the year 2017, the Japan House in São Paulo is the first example developed within the ‘Japan House’ initiative, developed by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promote various aspects of Japanese culture in the world. The building was formerly a bank located on Paulista Avenue, one of the main thoroughfares of the Brazilian metropolis. The project consists in the refurbishment of the existing construction, using two distinctive materials that could give the building a unique character: wood on the facade and paper for the interiors.

The facade is made of wired hinoki cypress supported by carbon fiber, assembled together to represent a forest emerging in the big city. The main material in the interior is metallic mesh in washi style – an expanded aluminum metal soaked in liquefied paper mulberry. The combination of traditional and new materials helped create a modern and transparent space that could convey another Japanese style. With facilities such as a museum, lecture hall, shop, and a restaurant, the Japan House has also become a new sightseeing spot in São Paulo and attracts lots of visitors.