7 New Kengo Kuma Buildings to See in Japan

Kengo Kuma and Associates (KKAA) has featured dozens of buildings across Japan in recent years. One of the firm’s most notable creations is the New National Stadium for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, but the structures are varied and recent designs include a public bath and a Shinto shrine.

KADOKAWA MUSEUM OF CULTURE AND MUSASHINO REIWA SHRINE (TOKOROZAWA, SAITAMA, 2020)

Designed together with Kajima Design, the Kadokawa Culture Museum is inspired by magma rising to the surface. Its asymmetrical granite structure stands out in a regular suburban area outside of Tokyo. Adjacent to this futuristic castle-like building is Musashino Reiwa Shrine, a fusion of past, present, and future. Following religious structural guidelines, KKAA innovates with its materials by constructing metal torii gates and a wire-lined LED-illuminated main gate. This modern take on the Shinto shrine also has a veneer of pop culture, with 88 anime pilgrimage sites inscribed on flags flanking the torii gates, as well as a decorative gold ceiling painted by Yoshitaka Amano, a well-known character designer from the Finale series. Fantasy.

NABESHIMA SHOTO PARK TOILET (SHIBUYA, TOKYO, 2021)

As part of the multi-award-winning Tokyo Toilet project, Kuma is one of 16 leading architects commissioned to design a public toilet in Shibuya in his style. For KKAA, that meant following the call of nature and covering the buildings with organic pieces of angled cedar wood on the exterior and cross sections of cherry and metasequoia wood repurposed as interior décor. There are five independent units of different facilities that blend in with the exuberant nature of Shoto Park. The idea captures the spirit of the times with sustainability, diversity and openness at the heart of this small “bath village”.

HARUKI MURAKAMI LIBRARY (WASEDA, TOKYO, 2021)

Kuma believes that in the future 80% of all architecture will be renovations in some form. “Recycling is exciting and emotional for me,” he says.
The Waseda International House of Literature (also known as the Haruki Murakami Library) is a good example of a renovation of an older structure. The university’s simple rectangular building was painted white and dressed in a three-dimensional wooden canopy, a nod to the reinvented interior of a wooden tunnel penetrating through the building. The KKAA team was inspired by the magical realism of Haruki Murakami’s novel that bends and connects narrative dimensions.

KIMURAYA ONSEN RYOKAN (KUSATSU, GUNMA, 2021)

A perfect balancing act for blending in and standing out, this one-of-a-kind, one-room ryokan is an asymmetrical black fortress made from rare local materials. Magma stones from Mount Asama adorn the exterior, while washi paper mixed with crushed stones lines the interior walls. Curving geometric patterns, both inside and out, resonate with the rippling motions of steam rising from a hot spring, as well as the winding streams near the historic Kusatsu hot spring town.

SANA MANE SAUNA SAZAE (NAOSHIMA, 2022)

Naoshima Island of Art is no stranger to innovative thinking, so this revolving structure is a perfect fit. Both the name and shape of this organic wooden sauna come from sazae, or Japanese turban shell, which embodies the KKAA architectural principle of gently bending into the image of nature. Painstakingly stacked layers of wood create natural folds that translate to terraced seating inside. Natural light is filtered solely through the ceiling opening, creating a meditative experience.

TOTTORI TAKAHAMA COFFEE (TOTTORI, 2022)

Overlooking the Tottori sand dunes, this two-in-one observatory and cafe conceived as a “stairway to heaven” resembles a gentle wave of sand. The warm laminated wood exterior blends with the beige color of the dunes. The interior is in tune with local crafts, displaying pottery and washi paper. The bathroom sinks use a dark green and black glaze, typical of Tottori-origin ceramics, made by Nakai-gama, while the light pendants are decorated with sand-flecked washi paper.

JUGETSUDO TEA SHOP (TSUKIJI, TOKYO, 2022)

KKAA was inspired by the bamboo matcha whisks for the interiors of the Parisian Jugetsudo and Kabukiza stores. This third Tsukiji location follows the same concept with the added element of opening, reminiscent of the bamboo umbrellas used in outdoor tea ceremonies. Flexible bamboo fills the space with organic curves, but deforms it into a bouncy space. It playfully spills out onto the street, ensnaring and inviting patrons into a moment of tea and zen.