All About Japan

TP So Delicious You'll Want to Eat It

Toilet paper that gives fruit roll-ups a whole new meaning.

Community Maintains Traditional Thatched Roofs

Once a flourishing post town, Ouchi-juku is home to many traditional thatched-roof residences, and residents adhere to an annual tradition of harvesting pampas grass every November to preserve their classical and eco-friendly roofs.

Timber Slats Catch the Light on Awaji Island

The IZUE architecture firm, powered by three talented architects, decided to construct the perfect island getaway on the Seto Inland Sea.

Laser-Cut Seaweed Makes Beautiful Sushi

Wrap your sushi rolls in beautifully patterned, laser-cut nori!

A Modern Twist for Lacquer

Once used for salad bowls and decorative plates, lacquerware has found a new shape to wrap its sleek exterior around—iPhones.

6 Foreigners Making Waves in the Countryside

Most of the subjects of this story didn't see themselves where they are now—but all of them found something incredible in the Japanese countryside, leading each to develop a unique and indelible bond to the local community.

Using Carbon Fibers for Earthquake Reistance

Unveiled on November 13, 2015, Kengo Kuma's three-story "fa-bo" has been billed as the world’s first use of carbon fibers as earthquake-resistant material.

Public Toilet Looks Like a Mountain of Dessert

Artist Minako Nishiyama conceived of the project as part of the 2015 Oita Toilennale, perhaps the world’s first art festival dedicated to toilets.

400-Year-Old Bathhouse Gets a Facelift

Faced with a dwindling clientele, Gunma's Maruhon Inn asked KuboTsushima Architects to redesign its bathhouse. The result is welcoming space that invites guests to relax and rejuvenate.

Finalists Announced for New 2020 Tokyo Stadium

Two competing groups have offered proposals coming in at just under ¥150 billion, which is about half of what the original Zaha Hadid stadium was going to cost.

Origami-Style Lamp

Neither scissors nor glue are needed for this DIY project that can brighten up any room.

Minimalist Sushi Shop is All About the Counter

Opened in June 2015, the small and intimate space at Tokyo's Yoshii is defined by a long, continuous reclaimed wooden counter that offers a truly minimal dining experience.

Live Simply

Thinking of relying on the bare necessities when it comes to putting a roof over your head? Well, Muji has got you covered.

120-Year-Old Storehouse Reborn as Living Space

Aptly named the Rebirth House, this century-old storehouse survived the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake to be reborn as a stunning living space.

Decorate Your Lair with Sith Lords

Furniture manufacturer IDC Otsuka has unveiled its Star Wars/Premium Home Collection—a set any Jedi Master would love to get their hands on!

6 Designer Public Restrooms

While the public restroom has largely been shunned as an architectural subject in the Western world, in Japan it stands as its own archetype.

Live in a Tokyo Rubik's Cube

Takuro Yamamoto Architects have designed a brilliant little home that makes maximum use of Tokyo's cramped land space.

Learn Japanese Vocabulary with Chocolate!

Chocolates that teach Japanese onomatopoeia words unveiled at the 2015 Paris Design Show.

What Time? Kanji Time!

Strut the streets of Tokyo with this high-fashion kanji watch.

Incredible Bamboo Grove Office in Nagoya

Mamiya Shinichi Design Studio’s new office space in Nagoya City is an elegant homage to the postmodern aesthetic.

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