#japanese-architecture

#japanese-architecture

Founded in 2020 by Masato Igarashi, IGArchitects is an architectural practice based in Tokyo and Saitama, Japan. The studio, one of the winners of the ArchDaily 2025 Next Practices Awards, explores enduring architecture through a careful yet assertive treatment of structure, scale, and materiality. Prior to establishing his own practice, Igarashi worked at the large-scale firm Shimizu Sekkei as well as the Suppose Design Office, gaining experience across projects ranging from major developments to smaller, concept-driven works.

designboom visits Japan's inaugural Hiroshima International Architecture Festival 2025, which runs from October 4 to November 30 across the twin cities of Fukuyama and Onomichi. Conceived as a triennial event by the Kambara-Tsuneishi Cultural Foundation, the festival invites 23 architects and artists from Japan and abroad to explore the future of cities and the role of architecture in revitalizing local communities through a series of exhibitions, site-specific installations, and talks.

Jacques Marie Mage has once again demonstrated its mastery of blending art, culture, and luxury eyewear with the release of the Kurokawa, a shield-style aviator that pays homage to the groundbreaking Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa. Known for his role in the Metabolist movement of the 1960s, Kurokawa's designs celebrated adaptability, modernism, and cultural identity. These same themes are evident in Jacques Marie Mage's latest addition to its Kyosho collection, a series dedicated to celebrating icons of Japanese art and culture.

The washitsu's versatility is central to its continued relevance, being used for activities from reading and sleeping to hosting a family altar.