SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) — In an initiative developed by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and creatively directed by Muji art director Kenya Hara, Japan House is set to open in Brazil’s largest metropolis Sao Paulo on Sunday (May 6), with the idea of creating a hub to connect culture from the eastern country to the western world.
The striking four-story space designed by Kengo Kuma features the architect’s signature style with a multi-layered façade made up of hinoki (Japanese cypress) wood slats, alongside modernist Brazilian cobogo hollow brickwork.
Ready for the opening is an exhibition of bamboo art by artist, Chikuunsai Iv Tanabe, as part of a rich programme of design, music, gastronomy and seminars.
Director of Programming at Japan House, Marcello Dantas, explained that Japan House is intended as a platform for communicating Japanese ideas throughout the western world. Alongside the Sao Paulo hub, two other centres are to open in London and Los Angeles.
