a century old house turns into a stayable gallery of japanese woodcarving craft

OUKA ‘stayable gallery’ opens in Japan’s woodcarving town Inami

Located in Inami, Toyama Prefecture, OUKA is the seventh accommodation developed by Bed and Craft, a hospitality initiative focused on connecting visitors with Japan’s regional craft traditions. Situated along the Daimon River in a town known for its woodcarving heritage, the project occupies a renovated Showa-era residence that has been transformed into what Bed and Craft describes as a ‘stayable gallery,’ a hybrid space where accommodation, architecture, and craftsmanship intersect.

Founded in 2016, Bed and Craft has developed a network of restored buildings throughout Inami, a town home to more than 80 woodcarving studios. In addition to accommodation, the initiative includes a brewery, bakery, restaurant, craft shop, and aromatherapy store, creating a broader framework that supports local production and cultural exchange. OUKA expands this network through a spatial concept centered on the experience of living with craft.

Bed and Craft OUKA, a ‘stayable gallery’ set along Toyama’s Daimon River | all images courtesy of Bed and Craft

A RENOVATED SHOWA-ERA HOME BECOMES OUKA, A GALLERY FOR LIVING

The project, developed by Corare Artisan Japan, led by architect Tomotsugu Yamakawa, occupies a former residential building overlooking the cherry tree-lined Daimon River. Conceived as a two-bedroom residence, OUKA combines architecture, furniture, lighting, and everyday objects into an environment shaped by contemporary Japanese craftsmanship. Rather than presenting craft as exhibition pieces, the project incorporates objects into daily routines, allowing guests to engage with materials and making processes through direct use.

The renovation was guided by Japanese designer Masanori Oji, whose work frequently explores the relationship between industrial design, manufacturing, and craft production. Drawing on long-standing collaborations with makers throughout Japan, Oji approached the residence as a domestic setting in which furniture, lighting, tableware, and decorative objects contribute to the overall spatial experience. Materials, textures, and hand-finished surfaces become integral components of the architecture rather than separate elements within it.

A defining intervention occurs at the entrance, where part of the ground floor was opened to create a semi-outdoor threshold that functions as both entry sequence and garage. At its center, a large stone selected for its naturally seat-like form establishes a transition between landscape and interior. Positioned to face a future garden of kainyo, traditional windbreak groves characteristic of the Toyama region, the stone acts simultaneously as landscape feature, seating element, and gathering point.

Zaisu floor chairs by Isorok Fabrik in Hiroshima, designed for flexible, sofa-like comfort on tatami

MASANORI OJI CURATES OBJECTS FROM ACROSS JAPAN’S CRAFT REGIONS

Throughout the residence, Oji curated works from craft producers across Japan. The interior includes pieces by Inami woodcarvers IPPA, brass manufacturer FUTAGAMI in nearby Takaoka, Wajima-based AIZAWA Wood Works, and porcelain maker JICON from Arita. Together, these objects form a domestic environment that highlights the relationship between regional production techniques and contemporary living. Among the featured works are AIZAWA Wood Works’ Bandsaw Trays, carved from single blocks of timber using nested cutting techniques that minimize material waste while emphasizing the grain and character of the wood. Cast brass lighting and accessories by FUTAGAMI introduce a contrasting material presence, while the company’s Twist Veil pendant lamp filters light through spiraling brass elements, creating layered patterns of illumination throughout the dining area.

Furniture was commissioned from workshops selected by Oji and tailored to the spatial qualities of the residence. In the dining area, TENON’s TAO Half-Arm Chairs accompany a circular table carved by woodworker Komei Tanaka. Nearby, a raised tatami platform replaces a conventional sofa arrangement, encouraging alternative modes of sitting and social interaction. The seating strategy continues throughout the house with handcrafted zaisu floor chairs by Hiroshima-based Isorok Fabrik, designed to support a range of postures while maintaining the informal qualities of floor-based living.

dining table carved by woodcarver Komei Tanaka, paired with brass pendant lighting by FUTAGAMI

PORCELAIN, BRASS, AND CEDAR SHAPE OUKA’S SENSORY ATMOSPHERE

Materiality plays a central role in shaping the atmosphere of OUKA. Porcelain tableware by JICON introduces muted tones and simplified forms developed through experimental blends of porcelain stone sourced around Arita. Brass, cedar, stone, and hand-finished wood surfaces recur throughout the interiors, establishing continuity between architecture, furniture, and objects. The relationship between space and ritual extends to the bathing area, which is visually connected to the living space and conceived as part of the shared domestic environment rather than a separate room. This approach reflects the project’s broader emphasis on integrating craft into everyday life.

Through the adaptive reuse of a Showa-era residence and the integration of objects produced by contemporary artisans, OUKA presents a model in which hospitality, architecture, and craft production operate within a single spatial framework. The project positions craftsmanship not as a static display, but as an active component of daily experience shaped by material use, making traditions, and domestic rituals.

everyday craft objects designed by Masanori Oji are placed throughout OUKA, forming a lived-in gallery