{"id":96533,"date":"2026-05-19T00:00:05","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T00:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/?p=96533"},"modified":"2026-05-20T03:46:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T03:46:36","slug":"where-japans-sense-of-place-meets-the-worlds-development-ambition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/where-japans-sense-of-place-meets-the-worlds-development-ambition\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Japan\u2019s sense of place meets the world\u2019s development ambition","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Japan is entering a pivotal moment in design and development, as global investment, demographic change, rising costs, tourism and sustainability reshape how the country builds and reimagines space. Across architecture, hospitality and real estate, the most compelling projects balance ambition with a deeper sensitivity to place, community and long-term value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jules Kay<\/strong>, Managing Director of PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards and Events | \u00a9 PropertyGuru<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Jules Kay, managing director of PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards and Events, said this is clear in winning developments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn 2026, Japan\u2019s development has shifted towards hyper-local, bespoke design and integrated lifestyle living. You can see this in Jean Yip Developments\u2019 dual win for Best Developer and Best Lifestyle Developer\u2014it demonstrates that even affordable condos need to deliver curated daily experiences. K2-Design\u2019s regional projects show the same principle: architecture must respond to nature as much as it does to luxury.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Roy Fong and Russell Wee of Jean Yip Developments accept the Best Developer award, among several honours received at the 2025 PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Japan) | \u00a9 PropertyGuru<\/div><\/div><\/a>
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Keisuke Kawaguchi accepts accolades on behalf of K2-Design Architect & Associates Co., Ltd., the most awarded company at the 2025 PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Japan) | \u00a9 PropertyGuru<\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div>
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Yokohama Symphostage by Obayashi Corporation, named Best Office Development, and Four Seasons Hotel Osaka by Curiosity, Best Hotel Interior Design, point to a market where design excellence is measured through precision, experience and relevance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A selective but active market<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
\u00a9 Maido Real Estate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Japan Association of Real Estate Appraisers sees the market as active yet selective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJapan\u2019s real estate market remains on a recovery track overall, though it has seen increasingly selective interest by use type and region. Investment is concentrated in urban redevelopment areas, regions with good transportation access, tourist destinations, and industrial clusters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alan Cadot, founder of Maido Real Estate in Osaka, sees investors looking beyond Tokyo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTokyo’s entry point has become very high. The gap between acquisition cost and realistic yield has compressed to the point where the math is increasingly difficult to justify.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cadot sees value in what development overlooks. \u201cJapan has a remarkable heritage that deserves a second life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reuse as design strategy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The growing focus on renovation and adaptive reuse is one of the strongest themes running through Japan\u2019s built environment today. Yasuaki Onoda, president of the Architectural Institute of Japan, said the country is now paying closer attention to how its existing building stock can be managed and used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJapan has a lot of building stock, including good buildings and not-so-good buildings. Society is now focusing on how we can manage these buildings and how we can develop a methodology for using them properly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Anton Wormann<\/strong>, Founder and CEO of Anton in Japan Media and Japandi Houses and a Member of the Independent Judging Panel of the 2025 PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Japan) | \u00a9 PropertyGuru<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For Anton Wormann, founder and CEO of Anton in Japan and Japandi Houses, renovation is not just a market response. It is a design philosophy rooted in memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s fundamental to what we do. Renovation allows you to work with what already exists, not just the structure, but also the surroundings and the story of the place. Of course, structurally it\u2019s not always possible to preserve everything, but from a character perspective, it\u2019s something we always try to maintain and build on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Florian Busch, founder and owner of Florian Busch Architects, places this within a deeper Japanese understanding of impermanence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cImpermanence and sustainability are not opposites. Change is a natural part of our existence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His work, including Vertical Landscapes and Warehouse 3 in Otaru, explores how buildings and cities can evolve without losing their character. In that sense, sustainability is not only about permanence, but adaptability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Winners of the 2025 PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Japan)<\/strong> gather with fellow honorees from Sri Lanka, the Middle East and China for a celebratory group photo following the international luncheon at The Athenee Hotel in Bangkok on Dec 12, 2025. | \u00a9 PropertyGuru<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Global capital, local intelligence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Japan\u2019s ability to balance international demand with local identity is also shaping the market. For Franck Giral, founder and CEO of ABD Architecture LLC, Hokkaido continues to show strong potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNiseko remains our core market, while Furano is an emerging alternative with its own distinct appeal. Furano tends to attract a more domestic audience, whereas Niseko continues to draw strong international interest. Together, they highlight the broader potential of Hokkaido for property development.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ABD Architecture, a Japan-based architecture and project management firm led by licensed first-class architect Giral, works largely with foreign and Western investors. Its value lies in translating Japan\u2019s regulatory, construction and approval systems for international clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur clients are primarily foreign and Western investors. With a Western mindset, full bilingual fluency, and 1st Class Architect qualifications in Japan, we bridge the gap between clients and the local system\u2014builders, authorities, and approvals\u2014making the process simple and transparent. That is our core added value.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Eddie Guillemette<\/strong>, CEO of Midori no Ki (MnK) and Chairperson of the Independent Judging Panel of the 2025 PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Japan) | \u00a9 PropertyGuru<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Eddie Guillemette, CEO of MnK Niseko and chair of the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Japan) judging panel, said the resort market remains resilient, though buyers are becoming more strategic as new development grows more complex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOverall, demand remains strong for well-priced properties. With new residential developments in Niseko, we are seeing more institutional investors, Japanese developers and Japanese buyers entering the market with the aid of domestic financing. For international retail buyers, the combination of construction price increases, tighter building regulations, and infrastructure challenges, has made existing properties look more attractive than they had in the past. \u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For MnK, which is celebrating 10 years of its real estate business, the opportunity extends beyond transactions. The group\u2019s integrated model links real estate, property management and hospitality to create long-term value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think you can only create lasting value when your interests are aligned with your clients.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Risonare property in Shimonoseki<\/strong>, Yamaguchi Prefecture, designed by Klein Dytham Architecture | \u00a9 Hoshino Resorts<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Experience as the new differentiator<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In hospitality, Yoshiharu Hoshino, CEO of Hoshino Resorts, said Japan has moved away from the imported Western design models that shaped the bubble era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn the 1980s, during the previous bubble economy, the prevailing trend was to import Western influences, which proved to be unsustainable. Amidst the current acceleration of investment in the tourism industry, we are seeing the emergence of many modern designs that reflect both Japanese identity and local character.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hoshino said differentiation is now harder to achieve through physical infrastructure alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt the same time, we have entered an era where differentiation through physical infrastructure alone is difficult; there is now a growing need for spatial design conceived from the starting point of unique service experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
This artist\u2019s rendering shows the Basegate Yokohama Kannai<\/strong>, a facility that integrates a 33-story tower, OMO7 Yokohama and the repurposed former Yokohama City Hall into a major mixed-use hub. | \u00a9 Basegate Yokohama Kannai<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That thinking is visible in projects such as HOSHINOYA Nara Prison, OMO7 Yokohama, KAI Kusatsu and OMO5 Tokyo Otsuka, where compact rooms, heritage architecture and local experience become part of the design strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham, co-founders of Klein Dytham architecture, also see Japan as a place where long-term client relationships allow ideas to develop with depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat is interesting in Japan is that you can keep these long relationships with clients. We have worked with Hoshino Resorts for over 20 years and with Tsutaya for almost 20 years. Somehow in Japan, you can maintain these really nice relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their work resists formula-driven design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe pride ourselves on designing things that are not made from a recipe. We work with the client and try to do something iconic, something that stands out, something fresh, new and always different. We do not have a recipe book as such, but we have a spirit in our work and we let each project evolve itself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“In 2026, Japan\u2019s development has shifted towards hyper-local, bespoke design and integrated lifestyle living.”<\/p>Jules Kay<\/strong>, Managing Director of PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards and Events<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Designing for use and continuity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For Jo Suganuma, representative in Japan, managing director and principal of Gensler Tokyo, development in Japan is moving quickly in response to an aging population, technology and changing expectations around work and urban life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDevelopers are creating mixed-use environments that combine living, working, shopping, and cultural experiences. These \u201ccities within cities\u201d are designed for convenience, community, and resilience. However, they also raise concerns about their scale and impact on the existing urban fabric.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Workplace design is also changing as companies adapt to hybrid work, employee well-being and global business expansion. Suganuma said Gensler\u2019s work in Japan is shaped by global research, but must remain grounded locally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt the same time, success in Japan requires a deep understanding of local culture and business practices. As our founder, Art Gensler, said, \u2018You cannot be global unless you are local first.\u2019 This philosophy ensures that every project reflects both global expertise and local authenticity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe fundamental shift is that Japanese real estate is no longer about prestige alone.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Collaboration as design practice<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Several leading architects described a shift away from architecture as a single-author discipline toward a more collaborative, layered process. Kumiko Inui, president and principal architect of Inui Architects, said architecture in Japan is increasingly expected to create places, programs and communities through use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRather than focusing solely on design as a source of value, there is now a demand to create new places, programs, and communities through the interplay of architecture and its use.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her mixed-use development in front of Nobeoka Station reflects that approach, bringing together citizens, municipal officials, community designers, operators, transportation companies and engineers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Akihisa Hirata, founder of akihisa hirata architecture office, described architecture as a living landscape rather than a fixed object.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am trying to make something like a natural environment within an artificial architectural space. I would like to make something like a living organism as an architectural landscape, where people can act freely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His philosophy of \u201centanglement\u201d expands that idea further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe key word of my architecture practice is entanglement. I am interested in creating spaces where people, nature and architecture can connect, much like the movement of a butterfly between flowers. What I want to create is an environment where people can move freely and discover their own relationship with space.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tomohiro Hata, founder of Tomohiro Hata Architect and Associates, also begins with what endures beneath urban change. In TOTTEI Green Hill, he looked to Kobe\u2019s ocean horizon and mountain range as lasting elements in a city whose surface is constantly rewritten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood design lies in capturing the \u2018genesis of its order\u2019 inherent in the landscape of a place. By connecting architecture with these enduring, certain elements across time, the building does not remain closed off. Instead, it resonates with the site’s certainties, bringing a richness that seems to expand the boundaries of physical space.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
The lobby lounge at Ryukyu Hotel & Resort Nashiro Beach<\/strong>, Okinawa Prefecture | \u00a9 Kojiro Nakajima, Mokei-Camera<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Regional resilience and sustainability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Outside Japan\u2019s largest cities, design is increasingly tied to resilience, culture and regional sustainability. Hajime Ishimine, CEO of Kuniken Ltd. Inc., said development trends in Okinawa are shaped by disaster preparedness, carbon neutrality and local identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSince the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011, the development of buildings and infrastructure has required not only enhanced seismic resistance but also the need for development and infrastructure planning in locations prepared for tsunami disasters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Sunset view at Ryukyu Hotel & Resort Nashiro Beach | \u00a9 Koji Okumura, Forward Stroke<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Kuniken\u2019s work spans remote island development, resort sustainability, public buildings and cultural restoration. Ishimine said Okinawa\u2019s future must respond to its distinct environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is the development perspective that Okinawa\u2014with its unique history, culture, and natural environment within Japan\u2014should inherently pursue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company\u2019s work on Naha City Hall, Kitadaito Village and the Shuri Castle restoration reflects how regional development can connect engineering, heritage, tourism and sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Japan\u2019s benchmark is evolving<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What emerges is a more layered picture of Japan\u2019s built environment. The strongest projects are no longer defined by prestige alone, but by how clearly they respond to place, purpose and long-term value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Across Japan, that shift can be seen in projects that understand what already exists, from a warehouse in Otaru and a station-front district in Nobeoka to a resort in Niseko, a hotel in a former prison, a civic icon in Okinawa and mixed-use districts rising in Tokyo and Osaka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Japan attracts renewed international attention, its most important design lesson may be that progress does not require erasing memory. It requires knowing what to preserve, what to transform and what to create next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As PropertyGuru\u2019s Kay said, \u201cThe fundamental shift is that Japanese real estate is no longer about prestige alone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

www.asiapropertyawards.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Japan is entering a pivotal moment in design and development, as global investment, demographic change, rising costs, tourism and sustainability reshape how the country builds and reimagines space. Across architecture, hospitality and real estate, the most compelling projects balance ambition with a deeper sensitivity to place, community and long-term value. Jules Kay, managing director of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":7,"featured_media":96577,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1055,292,692],"tags":[773],"class_list":["post-96533","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ares-2026","category-articles","category-propertyguru","tag-propertyguru"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhere Japan\u2019s sense of place meets the world\u2019s development ambition - Bridges Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/where-japans-sense-of-place-meets-the-worlds-development-ambition\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Where Japan\u2019s sense of place meets the world\u2019s development ambition - Bridges Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Japan is entering a pivotal moment in design and development, as global investment, demographic change, rising costs, tourism and sustainability reshape how the country builds and reimagines space. 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