One designer featured here suggests that he is more concerned with expressing his idea of Japan than with following traditional or contemporary conventions and focuses on selecting and combining materials that he finds beautiful and interesting.
The generation of restaurant designers now creating some of the leading work in this field all have in common a desire to express the fundamentals of Japanese architecture and design in new ways that suit today's restaurant-goers. It is very likely that the innovative techniques and solutions to complex challenges now being worked out by many of Japan's best restaurant designers will continue to attract growing attention from around the world.
The lotus is the design motif of this fashionable Chinese restaurant, Niu. The walls are illuminated in the pink of lotus flowers and the shape and color of lamp shades represent the buds.
Part 1
Contemporary Classics
In this traditionally designed tearoom, Koomon, designer Takayama focuses on the use of one contemporary material, acrylic resin board, within a traditional tea ceremony context.
One popular style of contemporary Japanese restaurant design introduces high-tech, modern materials into traditional contexts, evoking a sense of adventure and excitement in what are otherwise conventional Japanese dining environments. Some of these restaurant designs feature fiber-optic lighting, fittings, and ceilings made of acrylic resin boards, and wall coverings of plastic sheeting or rough fabric woven with stainless steel. A willingness to use synthetic materials in Traditional settings means that these designs offer a new take on the forms of the past.
XEX
Ryu Kosaka
Atagoyama, Tokyo
Guests are first shown to the bar which is connected to both restaurants, for drinks and fine views of Tokyo
Atagovama Hills is one of the new-generation high-rise buildings springing up in Tokyo. Occupying the entire 1,000 square meter (10,764 sq ft) space of the top floor of this building, XEX comprises two restaurants and a bar. Visitors leaving the lift on the 47th storey walk along a marble-floor corridor to the reception desk, where they are warmly greeted and shown to the bar.
The latter is connected to the two restaurants — one Italian and the other Japanese — and is furnished with comfortable sofas and tables separated by wooden latticework.
The three separate sections of the restaurant, each with its own distinct menu and atmosphere, do not limit guests' seating and dining options. If they are dining in the Italian restaurant, for example, they can also order sushi or sake from the Japanese restaurant. Hence, guests select their seating by mood rather than menu, and the role of the bar is not only to serve aperitifs but also to allow guests time to select their preferred dining spot.
To pass from the bar to the Italian restaurant, guests are guided through a long corridor, which is lit from above and below by soft light encased in acrylic panels.
The Japanese restaurant is linked to the bar via a narrow snaking passage with wood-paneled walls and black stepping stones set on white gravel stones.
The designer, Ryu Kosaka, explains that these passageways were designed for dramatic effect.
The rustic surface of the large, hand carved, wooden reception desk in the entrance area imparts a warm and homely feel, and contrasts with the metallic and other shiny materials used here.
The walls, the floor and the sliding doors of VIP room, situated behind the sushi counter, are all covered with washi (handmade paper) and coated with resin. The washi is colored using natural dyes such as persimmon extract or colored grass, and it creates a calm and relaxing atmosphere for guests.
The narrow passageway to the Japanese restaurant from the bar is designed like the entrance to an old temple, with white gravel beneath stepping stones.
"The bar and restaurants are designed in completely different styles. I hope that guests will experience a feeling of anticipation as they move from one area to another, all the while wondering what they will come upon when they arrive.''
The entrance area of the Japanese restaurant features a stone wall built in the hanchiku style, which makes use of white gravel and cement to create a delicate, irregular texture. Opposite this wall are a number of doors, made of carved naguri (traditionally hand carved) wooden boards, leading on to rooms for private parties of between six and ten people. Also near the entrance, a pool of water contained in a clear acrylic pool is set off by a large, rough stone basin, or tsukubai, from which water flows into the pool This tsukubai, which allows those taking part in tea ceremonies to wash their hands before entering, was chosen by the designer as a means of providing a contrast with the smooth, straight lines of the acrylic lining of the pool.
The restaurant includes a sushi bar and a counter serving aburiyaki (Japanese barbecue) grilled meats and vegetables Tucked discreetly behind the sushi bar is a VIP room with walls and floor covered with kakishibu-coated washi (handmade paper dyed with persimmon extract). The partition screens in the room are made of charcoal, which is both an attractive feature and effective at absorbing odor.
Of course one of XEX's most eye-catching features is the stunning view of Tokyo available from almost every table in the restaurant.
Completed in 2002. the Atagoyama Hills building is one of the most contemporary developments in Tokyo. Located on the top floor of this complex, XEX gives guests a fine view of Tokyo both in the daytime and at night.
The Japanese restaurant is divided into two sections: an aburiyaki section and a sushi section. In the former, pictured here, guests watch barbecued dishes being prepared in front of them. The counters are separated by wooden latticework made of wood and charcoal.
The walls leading to the entrance of the Japanese restaurant have been created using the traditional hanchiku process. The irregular surface provides an interesting effect when illuminated from the floor. In the pool, which is made of transparent acrylic boards, the water flows continuously from the tsukubai. The sound of water contributes to the sense of calm in the entrance hall.
A bonus for guests sitting at the sushi counter is a fine view from the wide window. The simple design of the pale wooden counter does not interfere with the scenery or the food.
Guests remove their shoes in the koagari section of the restaurant. The small wooden tables are separated by pressed metallic screens, which resemble bamboo netting. Their cool semi-transparent appearance provides guests with a feeling of spaciousness while preserving privacy.
Torafuku
Ryu Kosaka
Toranomon, Tokyo