Onsen and Ryokan of Japan: Traditional Spa and Bathing Culture

“Some Japanese stories end violently. Others never end at all, but only cut away, at the moment of extreme crisis, to a butterfly, or the wind, or the moon.”—Brian Phillips Visitors from the West look with amazement, and sometimes concern, at Japan’s monolithic social structures and unique, complex culture industry; the gigantic scale of its […]

An insider’s look at the myriad styles of private homes of Japan, showing how Japanese interior design continues to evolve in a new era. Exploring the art and craft of Japanese residential interiors, author Mihoko Iida provides an insider’s look into the wide-ranging interior design of her country’s private homes. Featuring twenty-eight exemplary residences around […]

Building spaces of equilibrium: Norm Architects’ humane simplicity creates environments that feel as good as they look. Guided by ideas of wellbeing, the essence of Norm Architects’ style is balance: richness focused by restraint, simplicity imbued with warmth, complexity heightened by order. Be it architecture, interiors, or furniture, Norm’s unique brand of soft minimalism speaks […]

After over a decade of travel, study and creative collaboration with Japan, Norm Architects’ shares their uniquely Scandinavian view of Japanese aesthetics. The book features richly illustrated dispatches from visits to Japanese landscapes, architecture and cultural sites, shedding light on the influence Japanese traditions have had on the studio’s contemporary projects, such as the ng […]