Japan House London
Japan House London, located on Kensington High Street in London, is a cultural center housed in a 1930s Art Deco building featuring handmade Japanese Kawara roof tiles repurposed as flooring. Selected in 2018 by Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of a 35-million-dollar initiative designed by Hara Kenya, the venue offers a basement gallery, a spiral staircase around a transparent lift, and a restaurant by chef Shimizu Akira.
London · from the walk “Kensington High Street: Shop, Eat & Explore” · audio ~3 min · Generated
101-111 Kensington High Street, London W8 5SA
- The 1930s Art Deco building housing Japan House London was designed by architect Bernard George.
- Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs planned the 35-million-dollar Japan House program starting in 2014.
- Japan House London opened in 2018 as the third global venue after Los Angeles and São Paulo.
- Creative director Hara Kenya incorporated handmade Kawara tiles from Awaji Island into the interior floor design.
Who served as the chief creative director for Japan House London?
Look at this sleek facade right here on Kensington High Street. You might walk past and think it's just another upmarket shop... but step through those doors, and you'll find yourself transported five thousand miles east, straight to the heart of Japan.......... This is Japan House London, and it's set in a striking nineteen thirties Art Deco building... one with a fascinating past. This structure was designed by Bernard George, who served as chief architect for Barkers of Kensington, creating both the Barkers and Derry and Toms department stores along this very street. So you're standing in what was once part of Kensington's golden age of grand retail.......... Now, in twenty eighteen, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs chose This building for something extraordinary. The Japan House program was planned from twenty fourteen and budgeted at thirty five million US dollars. London was the third Japan House to open, after Los Angeles and São Paulo. And the creative mind behind it all? Hara Kenya... President of Nippon Design Center, Art Director of Muji, and Chief Creative Director of Japan House London.......... Here's a detail most visitors miss. Look down at the floor when you go inside. Almost every aspect of this place is derived from source in Japan, including hand-made Kawara floor tiles from Japan's Awaji Island. These aren't decorative tiles... they're traditional Japanese roof tiles, repurposed as flooring. Every single one was crafted by hand.......... And then there's the philosophy of Monozukuri, the Japanese concept of making things with soul. "It takes a Month to make one pair of the nail clippers on sale," one of the directors has said. A month! For nail clippers! That tells you everything about the standard here.......... Inside, a vast spiral staircase, created and imported from Japan, winds around a transparent circular lift... leading you down to a rotating gallery in the basement. And if you're hungry, head upstairs. The restaurant was created by decorated chef Shimizu Akira, and there's a sake bar separated by an artisanal screen showcasing the craft of Japanese basketry.......... Oh, and one more thing before you go in. Do visit the bathrooms. I'm serious. There's a warmed up toilet seat and a computerized panel that lets you... customize the experience. It's the most Japanese thing in all of Kensington. Entry is free. Enjoy the discovery.