31 July 2016 // Anona van der Linde //Antwerp

//日本のデザイン

I’ve always had a fascination for Japan: the nature, the large cities, their traditional and modern dressing, and of course their minimal aesthetic that is centuries old and deeply rooted in everyday life... Everything they do and make seems to have a certain simplicity and functionality. 

 Over here we are familiar with Japanese concepts such as Muji, a store that sells good quality products - household goods, clothes, stationary (all things functional; no useless objects to be found) and Uniqlo, a clothing store. But that’s about it. Since I’ve never been too Japan I started surfing the internet for small Japanese store interiors and came across some pretty inspirational places. 

  Beige store

Beige - This concept store is designed by Nendo, a Japanese designer, for the Japanese fashion brand Beige. The brand is named after the color that textile fibers have before they are dyed - their philosophy is simple and functional clothing. The space is not only a shop where you can buy clothes or interior goods, it also serves as a library and gallery. The hanging bookshelves are designed by Nendo. The books are held in place magnetically and the structure also functions as a clothing rack - the hangers for the clothes can be placed and moved to different places on the structure. 

Beige interior by Nendo

Beauty Library - A place that sells organic beauty products and has a small café. They designed a space and service where inner and outer body care are both equally important - so the focus lies on cosmetics, food and drink. In the beauty library you can use the tablets to search for information on the products and try out all the products that are available as is ordering a beverage. This can all be done while enjoying your food and drink. All their products have a QR code so you scan the product and take the information home with you (hence the library) and purchase a product online later. This concept is also done by Nendo. 

Beauty Library by Nendo

Bread Table - This small bakery is designed by Airhouse Design Office. It features a tree growing out of the wooden counter and a large open kitchen, this way the owner of the bakery has a good overview of what is happening in the store. The counter functions as a place to present the food but can also be used as a working top. 

Bread Table

Panscape - Another bakery with really nice interiors is Panscape. They have multiple locations in Kyoto, designed by Ninkipen! They have multiple locations, including the Kyoto and Fukuoka spaces, both designed by Ninkipen! 

The Kyoto bakery has a bread display in the window, using a large log. The Fukuoka place is supposed to be like a ‘bread tunnel’ with large windows that show you the back garden when you pass by. When you’re in the bakery you are connected to the outsides of the store; the front and the back (and you are close to nature, seeing the leaves of the trees outside changing with the seasons). 

Panscape Kyoto

Panscape Fukuoka

Otsuka-Gofukuten - I love how old and new are put together in this small kimono shop in Kyoto. The idea of Otsuka-Gofukuten is to make traditional Japanese clothing fashionable again with this modern kimono shop. Designer Yusuke Seki did the shop interior. The shop is seperated into three different display areas, based on style and price range, making it easier to shop for the customer. People used to wear kimonos in everyday life, but now it’s most often worn for special occasions. The people behind the store want to make the kimono more accessible to wear. 

Kimono shop Kyoto