The symbols of the restaurants are two large kamado for cooking rice, traditionally found in ordinary farm houses in Japan. The familiar round shape of the stoves contrasts with the sharp, modern style of the open kitchen.
Located in the atrium of an office building, this casual Japanese-style tavern has a 400 square meter (4,306 sq ft) floor area. Dominating the kitchen are two traditional clay kamado (stoves) for cooking rice.
Designer Ryu Kosaka has used traditional Japanese materials in unconventional ways. His emphasis is on simplicity and maintaining the natural appeal of the materials, which he believes gives the overall design a sophisticated feeling.
"The more processed or decorated a space is, the less attractive traditional materials become. It is necessary to expose the natural texture of the materials wherever possible," he says.
The restaurant offers two distinct seating styles' a raised-floor area (koagan) where cushions and low tables adorn raised tatami (woven straw) mats, and a section of taller tables and high backed chairs (doma). The walls of the koagari section are plastered with an ochre mud mixed with straw. This popular wall-surfacing technique not only has a pleasing appearance but the materials also deodorize the room. The rustic texture of the walls contrasts with the sleeker, checkered, wooden ceiling.
The flooring here consists of naguri (traditionally hand carved) wooden boards, woven bamboo mats, and washi (handmade paper), providing guests with various sensations as they walk over the mats in their stockinged feet.
The predominance of natural materials would have resulted in dull uniformity, so Kosaka introduces modern materials such as glass. In a striking example, Kosaka emphasizes the concrete posts in the tatami area with glass casings, instead of hiding them behind wood or mud. "This provides a kind of tension within the space," he says.
The design of Torafuku demonstrates the dynamic balance that is achievable through the thoughtful use of both traditional and modem materials.
Some tables are situated on the terrace in the atrium. Guests can dine in the open without being disturbed by the noise and dust from the streets.
In this room for private parties, guests can feel three different textures with their feet: the irregularly hand cut naguri boards, the cool and smooth touch of bamboo nets, and the soft touch of washi. The ceiling is covered with a basketwork of thinly sliced wood known as ajiro, a traditional style in old aristocratic houses. All these materials are traditional but Kosaka has provided an original twist by introducing new technology to produce them and by using unexpected colors and surfaces.
An uneven floor made from small pebbles covers the more casual doma section of the restaurant, where wooden tables arranged in rows.
The atmosphere of the koagari section is like a chic traditional Japanese rests rant, while the doma section, where large tables and chairs are situated, is more like a casual tavern.
The reception counter comprises a series of wooden boards pressed together and then hand carved with a special chisel, giving a sense of formality to the restaurant.
Cement pillars, normally hidden, are deliberately made conspicuous by glass coverings. The washi-covered walls, tatami-matted floor and ajiro ceiling are all balanced with the pillars to give this private room a very contemporary feeling.
The central feature on the first floor is a large brazier. Modeled after a traditional stove for cooking fish, it contrasts with the modern ventilation hood above.
Chokyaku Yowa
Masaaki Ohashi
Chofu, Tokyo
The name of this restaurant is taken from the title of a story about a fisherman boasting about the size of his catch; the menu accordingly emphasizes saltwater fish. Guests at Chokyaku Yowa cook their own fish over a charcoal fire using gotoku (traditional Japanese grills), in a manner that has been popular in Japan for almost 400 years. The owner loves fishing and keeps a boat for the purpose at a small island, about two hours off the Tokyo coast. Even when he is not fishing in the area, the owner has arranged for the local fishermen to send selected items from their catch to the restaurant every day.
From the outside, the restaurant appears like a white boat floating on a blue sea: within, the dining space resembles the interior of a fishing boat. Guests entering the restaurant are greeted both by the savory aroma of grilled fish and the sight of a large brazier under a striking ventilation hood. A number of porthole-like windows dot the walls, which are covered in washi (handmade paper) in shades ranging from orange to deep red. These paper surfaces are lit from the back, which produces a sunset-at-sea effect.
The first floor features a large irori (sunken hearth), and guests gather around this to place their skewered fish over the hot coals. The wall behind the hearth is also covered with washi. A number of smaller irori are also located on this floor, with large doughnut-shaped blue partitions, which are deliberately reminiscent of life preservers, providing a degree of privacy.
The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed, and guests sometimes even exchange samples of grilled fish with diners at a neighboring hearth by passing the item through the center of the doughnut-shaped partitions! It is the sophisticated yet simple design of this restaurant that encourages this kind of friendly exchange and sets the tone for Chokyaku Yowa.
Located in the middle of a bustling shopping district, the restaurant has a façade that attracts much attention It resembles a fishing boat floating on a blue sea.
On the second floor, guests sit around a large irori, and roast fish and shellfish themselves. Large, blue donut-shape partitions separate each table.
The casual mood of the tavern attracts a lot of local guests who regularly visit and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere. The design emphasizes the freshness and variety of the fish.
Bou's
Masasaaki Ohashi
Shinjuku, Tokyo
The pyramid shape lampshade covered with corrugated cardboard is one of the symbols of the restaurant. Thin, sharp rays of light leak through the joints of cardboard to shine on the floor.
The owner of this restaurant is particularly fond of wine and imports specially labeled wine from his favorite winery in France to serve his guests. He requested that designer Masaaki Ohashi create a place in which people enjoy wine as well as food from a menu featuring an original mixture of French, Italian, and Asian cooking.