Suspended Whimsical Wooden Boat Sculpture
Airborne Weathered Boat Sculpture Amid Lush Greenery Evokes Whimsy.

Fujimori’s Tea houses In Nagano

Terunobu Fujimori is an architect and historian of architecture. He began his building career relatively late, in his early forties. Before that, he had forged a solid reputation as an academic.

In 1991, Fujimori was commissioned to create a small family museum: this was the (dazzling) beginning of his career as an architect. Kengo Kuma himself describes the façade of the building as “one of a kind that no one has ever seen before in modernism”.

Flying Mud Boat (空飛ぶ泥舟)

The architect’s eccentric and unique style is diametrically opposite to that of his contemporaries Ando Tadao and Ito Toyo, devotees of conceptualism and simplicity. Fujimori prefers tradition, natural elements and oddity blended with originality for his projects. In 2003 he began to design teahouses, which he reinvents in totally surprising forms.

Takasugi-an (高過庵)

Takasugi-an (高過庵)

Fujimori had already built several experimental teahouses when he began to design his own house. Takasugi-an is perched at a height of 6 metres in his home town of Chino in Nagano prefecture. The name literally means “a house built too high”!

The little teahouse is accessible by two freestanding ladders cut from chestnut trees on the nearby mountain. As is customary in Japan, you remove your shoes halfway up, on a platform designed for that purpose.

True to Fujimori’s aesthetic, the building looks more like a treehouse than a teahouse. It’s built from mud plaster, with a copper roof. Inside, you can’t stand upright because of the reduced height, but the most spectacular thing about climbing up there is probably the uninterrupted view. This is the architect’s most famous teahouse, but remains the private property of its strange designer.

Flying Mud Boat (空飛ぶ泥舟)

Flying Mud Boat (空飛ぶ泥舟)

Flying Mud Boat is a teahouse designed for travelling. The idea is that it can be installed in any environment and any climate.

The exterior, reminiscent of a walnut shell, is made up of two halves. The upper part is a wood shingle roof. The lower part is made from mud plaster, the natural material dear to the architect. These two organic materials have very good thermal properties. The wooden interior and circular windows create a cosy and welcoming atmosphere.

Suspended by slender cables, the structure seems to float in the air, defying the laws of gravity.

Besides his personal Takasugi-an, the realization of La Collina Omi-Hachiman is undoubtedly Fujimori’s most daring and accomplished architectural project. Dating from 2015, this building for a confectionery brand seems to have come straight out of a Studio Ghibli anime.

The craftsmanship and imperfections of Fujimori’s creations lend them a typically eccentric character. They are inspired by ancient Japanese traditions and the harmonious union of the natural and the human. Fujimori’s meticulous work has inspired young architects, such as the two founders of the Bow-Wow workshop who are taking over the reins today.

And for more awesome content about Japan, follow Jordy Meow on Instagram ! 🎵

Who Am I

Jordy Meow
This is me!

I am Jordy Meow, a French photographer based in Tokyo. I explore offbeat places in Japan.

Instagram

Emerald forest, Cradling sapphire heartbeats— Nature whispers love. エメラルドの森が、 サファイアの鼓動を包む— 自然は愛をささやく。 #LakeToyoni #Hokkaido #HeartShapedLake #AerialView #NatureLovers #offbeatjapan #japan
Steam dances on wind, Nature's warm embrace, serene— Sky whispers above.  風に舞う蒸気、 自然の温かい抱擁、静か― 空が上でささやく。  #onsen #japan #serenity #naturebath #culturalheritage #offbeatjapan #tranquility
Pink blooms, sapphire sky, Fields alive, sakura sigh— Rural whispers bloom. 桜咲く 翡翠の空の下 田舎の声 #sakura #cherryblossom #hanami #rurallife #japan #offbeatjapan #japaneseculture
Emerald pastures, A whimsical cow greets clouds— Nature's gentle jest.  翡翠の野原、 ふわふわの雲に笑う— 自然の優しい冗談。  #offbeatjapan #japan #artinnature #greenthailandscape #whimsicalart #cowart #sereneviews
Soft waves kiss the light, Stone lantern in dusk's embrace, Gold whispers to blue. 静かな波 黄昏の灯籠 金が青に囁く #offbeatjapan #japan #serenesunset #japaneselantern #duskbeauty #tranquility #japanesegardens #eveningcalm
Waterfall whispers, Sunbeams dance with lush green life— Harmony's embrace.  滝のささやき、 日光は緑と踊る— 調和の抱擁。  #waterfall #forestmagic #japaneselandscape #naturephotography #serenity #offbeatjapan #japan
Pearl bridge in the wind, White and blue in harmony, Sky whispers softly. 風に白橋、 調和する青、 空は静か。 #AkashiKaikyoBridge #PearlBridge #offbeatjapan #Japan #EngineeringMarvel #ScenicJapan #UrbanNature #BridgeViews
Azure seas below, Cliffs embrace in vibrant hues, Nature's tapestry.青い海 鮮やかな崖たち 自然の織物#offbeatjapan #japan #okinawa #naturephotography #islandparadise #coastlineviews #japantravel