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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Utopian, modular, futuristic: was Japanese Metabolism architecture's raddest movement?
We take a deep dive into Japanese Metabolism, the pioneering and relatively short-lived 20th-century architecture movement with a worldwide impact; explore our ultimate guide
By Danielle Demetriou Published
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Exploring tsu tsu mu: a new exhibition in Tokyo reframes the Japanese way of wrapping anything
‘Tsu-tsu-mu’, on view until 13 October 2025 at Matsuya Ginza, reframes the popular Japanese concept of wrapping into a mindset for caring for others
By Kanae Hasegawa Published
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You can now buy Toyota’s robotised micro-bus, with more autonomy coming soon
The Toyota e-Palette is the urban transport of the future, a multifunctional autonomous vehicle designed to cover several roles in the same day
By Jonathan Bell Published
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A new Tadao Ando monograph unveils the creative process guiding the architect's practice
New monograph ‘Tadao Ando. Sketches, Drawings, and Architecture’ by Taschen charts decades of creative work by the Japanese modernist master
By Tianna Williams Published
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Will the revamped Park Hyatt Tokyo keep its cinematic soul?
As Park Hyatt Tokyo prepares to reopen after an extensive transformation, film fans wonder: will it still evoke Sofia Coppola’s dreamscape?
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
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A limited-edition retro Boombox from a cult Japanese band is the ultimate musical merch
Rock band Zutomayo has teamed up with electronics firm Orion to make a branded Boombox that'll cover all sonic bases and audio formats
By Jonathan Bell Published
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A Tokyo home’s mysterious, brutalist façade hides a secret urban retreat
Designed by Apollo Architects, Tokyo home Stealth House evokes the feeling of a secluded resort, packaged up neatly into a private residence
By Tianna Williams Published
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Modern, minimalist Japanese houses inspiring avant-garde living
We tour the best Japanese architecture designed by international and local architects – houses that blend tradition and modernity in smart, sleek and sustainable spaces
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
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Landscape architect Taichi Saito: ‘I hope to create gentle landscapes that allow people’s hearts to feel at ease’
We meet Taichi Saito and his 'gentle' landscapes, as the Japanese designer discusses his desire for a 'deep and meaningful' connection between humans and the natural world
By Danielle Demetriou Published
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Campaigners propose reuse to save Kenzo Tange’s modernist ‘Ship Gymnasium’ in Japan
The Pritzker Prize-winning architect’s former Kagawa Prefectural Gymnasium is at risk of demolition; we caught up with the campaigners who hope to save it
By Ellie Stathaki Published
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A new photo book explores the symbolic beauty of the Japanese garden
‘Modern Japanese Gardens’ from Thames & Hudson traces the 20th-century evolution of these serene spaces, where every element has a purpose
By Anna Solomon Published
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The Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s favourite July houses
From geometric Japanese cottages to restored modernist masterpieces, these are the best residential projects to have crossed the architecture desk this month
By Anna Solomon Published
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Get the picture? A new exhibition explores the beautiful simplicity of Japanese pictograms
The simple, minimalist forms of a pictogram are uniquely Japanese, as new exhibition 'Pictograms: Iconic Japanese Designs' illustrates
By Hannah Silver Published
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Stay at Patina Osaka for a dose of ‘transformative luxury’ in western Japan
From nature-inspired interiors to sound-tracked cocktails and an unusually green setting, Patina Osaka is a contemporary urban escape that sets itself apart
By Danielle Demetriou Published
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Louis Vuitton’s duo of Osaka exhibitions celebrate the house’s deep-rooted relationship with Japan
Unfolding in Osaka this summer, ‘Visionary Journeys’ is a transporting trip into the house’s history, while ‘Yayoi Kusama – Infinity’ promises an immersion into the works of the Japanese artist, who is a longstanding Louis Vuitton collaborator
By Jack Moss Published
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Japanese designer Shinichiro Ogata's latest venture is a modern riff on the traditions of his home country
As he launches Saboe, a series of new tearooms and shops across Japan, we delve into Shinichiro Ogata's creative vision, mirrored throughout the spaces and objects, rituals and moments of his projects
By Danielle Demetriou Published
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Goldwin 0’s first-ever performance wear is body-mapped to keep you cool
The ‘Performance Capsule’ from Goldwin 0 – an experimental offshoot of Japanese technical wear label Goldwin – draws inspiration from trail running for its meticulously tested sportswear, which uses experimental ventilation techniques to help you work out in the heat
By Jack Moss Published
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Mayumi Miyawaki’s Fukumura Cottage puts this lesser-known Japanese modernist in the spotlight
Discover the little-known modernist architect through this private home in Japan’s Tochigi prefecture countryside
By Adam Štěch Published
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A Karuizawa house is a soothing, work-from-home retreat in Japan
Takeshi Hirobe Architects play with scale and space, creating a tranquil residence in which to live and work
By Tianna Williams Published
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Take this surprising Japanese beauty tour at the Shiseido Corporate Museum
For the first stop of our Summer in Tokyo beauty series, we delve into Shiseido's compelling archives – full of products, posters and ephemera – a 90-minute Shinkansen hop from the city
By Lara Johnson-Wheeler Published
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Naoshima New Museum of Art is a home for Asian art, and a lasting legacy, in Seto Inland Sea
The Naoshima New Museum of Art opens, marking a seminal addition to the Japanese island's renowned Benesse Art Site Naoshima; we explore Tadao Ando's design
By Ellie Stathaki Published
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2025 Loewe Foundation Craft Prize winner announced as Kunimasa Aoki
The Japanese sculptor describes his work as ‘50 per cent tradition and 50 per cent innovation’
By Francesca Perry Published
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Tune into the rhythm of Tokyo’s most ambitious record shop
Vinyl Delivery Service in east Tokyo’s Skwat Kameari Art Centre is spinning a new narrative for the traditional record store model
By Gabrielle Doman Published
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Wallpaper* checks in at Waldorf Astoria Osaka
‘It’s rare to work on a brand new hotel of this scale in Japan in today’s landscape,’ says designer Andre Fu about Osaka’s newest luxury hotel. Wallpaper* paid it an early visit
By Charlotte Gunn Published
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Behind a contemporary veil, this Kyoto house has tradition at its core
Designed by Apollo Architects & Associates, a Kyoto house in Uji City is split into a series of courtyards, adding a sense of wellbeing to its residential environment
By Tianna Williams Published
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Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa on harmony, nature and their RIBA gong
The SANAA duo are celebrating their RIBA Royal Gold Medal 2025 in London today, and talked to us about self-reflection, the year ahead, and the need to create harmony in our environment
By Ellie Stathaki Published
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Wallpaper* checks in at Rosewood Miyakojima: ‘Japan, but not as most people know it’
Rosewood Miyakojima offers a smooth balance of intuitive Japanese ‘omotenashi’ fused with Rosewood’s luxury edge
By Danielle Demetriou Published

