The singing sand at Nima beach, Japan

Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Thank you for signing up to Wallpaper. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
In our July issue (out now), we take you to the tiny fishing village of Nima, in the Shimane prefecture in southern Japan where we pay homage to the Nima Sand Museum, first unveiled in 1991. A phenomenal structure by locally born architect Shin Takamatsu, it was built as a modern monument to the unusual 'singing' sand of nearby Kotogahama beach, which, when walked on, makes a strange, rasping sound.
To see sweeping shots of the building, and read our interview with Takamatsu, now 62, you will have to turn to the magazine.
Here on wallpaper.com however, we give you an insight into the 'singing' sand itself.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture Editor at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018) and Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020).
-
Ronan Bouroullec book merges art, design and everyday life
‘Ronan Bouroullec: Day After Day’, from Phaidon, is a visual inventory of the French designer’s work, artistic output and daily inspiration
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Inside the gleaming new Comme des Garçons store in Paris
Comme des Garçons reveals a four-storey new retail space in Paris, housing lines previously only available in Japan, as well as exclusive reissues of Rei Kawakubo’s collectible furniture
By Jack Moss Published
-
Eva Jospin and Ruinart put the fizz in Frieze London 2023
Champagne house Ruinart brings artist Eva Jospin’s vision of its terroir to Frieze London 2023, and celebrates with a limited edition Jeroboam of Ruinart Blanc de Blancs
By Simon Mills Published
-
Modern Japanese houses inspiring minimalism and avant-garde living
We tour the best Japanese architecture and modern Japanese houses designed by international and local architects that open up possibilities for all types of lifestyle, from minimalist to communal in Japanese architecture.
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Arii Irie, Japan: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023
Japanese practice Arii Irie has joined the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios
By Jens H Jensen Published
-
Sliding components create a transformable office in Kyoto: see it move!
Naoshi Kondo Studio has created a transformable office with its own architectural puzzle box that turns an L-shaped unit into a multifunctional space
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Maebashi Galleria blends art and living in Japan’s Gunma
Maebashi Galleria by Akihisa Hirata launches in Gunma, as a new complex fusing art galleries with residences
By Danielle Demetriou Published
-
Sou Fujimoto temporary hall for the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine features 'floating forest'
A new Sou Fujimoto temporary hall for the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine in Japan is revealed, completed with an elevated, lush green roof
By Danielle Demetriou Published
-
C4L is a modern Japanese house with a traditional twist
Traditional architecture and notions of home inform modern Japanese house C4L by Hitoshi Saruta / CUBO design architect
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Azabudai Hills to bring a slice of wildness to Tokyo’s megacity
Heatherwick Studio’s design for Azabudai Hills aims to bring some soulfulness and a slice of wildness to the megacity
By Danielle Demetriou Published
-
Shishi-iwa House reveals SSH No.03 by Ryue Nishizawa in Karuizawa, Japan
Shishi-iwa House launches SSH No.03 by Ryue Nishizawa, a fresh addition to the ambitious Japanese hotel's Karuizawa campus
By Danielle Demetriou Published