Background of Japan House London

Japan House London is part of a global initiative led by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with two other Japan Houses located in Los Angeles and São Paulo.

Since opening in summer 2018, Japan House London has welcomed more than 2 million visitors, delivered 18 exhibitions and held over 1000 events.

Read about the achievements from our first four years in Japan House London Stories, 2018-2022 (PDF). （日本語はこちら）

Why is Japan House here in London?

Each of the Japan Houses around the world has something special to offer in terms of its location. London has long been an international crossroads for people, culture, and trade. As a global hub for the communication of information, and as a city in which we can share Japan’s diverse attractions, it is the ideal location for Japan House in Europe.

Who designed Japan House?

Katayama Masamichi, one of Japan’s leading interior designers, is responsible for the design of Japan House London’s internal spaces. He is Professor at Tokyo’s Musashino Art University and Founder and Principal of interior design firm Wonderwall.

Who designed the Japan House logo and what does it mean?

The logo was designed by Hara Kenya, the Creative Director for the global Japan House project and President of Nippon Design Center. Hara explains the logo design as follows:

‘The Japan House logo is a single horizontal brushstroke and a careful rendition of the Japanese number ‘one’. It is a finely crafted shape, conveying subtlety of refinement particular to a Japanese sense of beauty.

The simplicity of the shape (一) is in fact a complex culmination of painstakingly considered detail.’