Kagawa:
Timeless
Modern
Maestros of design like Kenzo Tange, George Nakashima, and Isamu Noguchi all have ties to Kagawa. With a wardrobe of authentic LifeWear styles, here’s a journey through the endlessly enduring crafts and architecture of the mid-century period.
- Kagawa Prefectural Government Office East Building
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Since construction was completed in 1958, this Kenzo Tange masterwork has been a symbol of Kagawa. Masanori Kaneko, mayor at the time it was planned, met Tange through a childhood friend, the artist Genichiro Inokuma. In 2022, the building was designated an Important Cultural Property. Wakeiseijaku, the tile mosaic, was created by Inokuma, while the lobby benches and wood-lined cloakroom were made by Sakura Woodworkers. Even with all these grand furnishings, this cultural treasure is also an everyday gathering place.
4-1-10 Bancho, Takamatsu, Kagawa
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- Izumi-ya / House of Masatoshi Izumi
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Masatoshi Izumi met sculptor Isamu Noguchi in 1964 and assisted with his stone carvings for twenty-five years. In 1972, he built Izumi-ya as his private residence. The fine lattice of the modern shoji and the walls of massive stone are monumental. Though the Izumi house is not open to the public, his sculpture Mei can be viewed outside the Tokyo Midtown Hibiya shopping complex, while Shimatachi is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
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- Izumi-ya / House of Masatoshi Izumi
- Cafe “Shiro-no-me”
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Opened in 1962, this cafe was a haunt of Kagawa artists like Isamu Noguchi. Designed by Tadashi Yamamoto, a Kagawa architect and apprentice of Kenzo Tange. Inside, the stone walls feature prototype relief carvings created for the 1964 New York World’s Fair as part of the Japan Pavilion (designed by Kunio Maekawa). Flanking the entrance are stone speaker cabinets each made from three tons of “aji ishi” granite. Cafe tables created by Sakura Woodworkers. A trove of Japanese mid-century style.
2-4 Konyamachi, Takamatsu, Kagawa
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- Kagawa Prefectural Government Office East Building
- Sakura Woodworkers
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Founded in 1948. An encounter in 1964 with American furniture designer George Nakashima led to wider recognition. With only one workshop in Japan, these woodworkers continue to systematically produce iconic designs like the Conoid Chair. Works can be purchased in the showroom, with more on display in the adjoining George Nakashima Memorial Gallery.
1132-1 Omachi, Murecho, Takamatsu, Kagawa
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- Sakura Woodworkers
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- Kagawa Prefectural Government Office East Building
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- Kagawa Prefectural Government Office East Building
- Yo Aoi | Actor, Model
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Born in 1995 in Osaka Prefecture. Began his acting career in 2018. In 2019, he made his TV drama debut in the NHK taiga drama Idaten. Major film roles include Eternally Younger Than Those Idiots and Sin Clock. He’s currently appearing in Densetsu no Head Sho for TV Asahi.
- Yuki Katayama | Actor
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Born in 1996 in Kyoto Prefecture. Active since 2013, she was awarded Best New Artist at the 46th Hochi Film Awards in 2021 for her role in A Madder Red. In 2022, she played her first lead role in The World for Two of Us. In recent years, she has also focused on modeling.
- Photography by Katsuhide Morimoto
- Styling by Shuhei Yoshida
- Hair by Nori Takabayashi
- Makeup by UDA
- Coordination by Satomi Yamada
- Film by Amin Shaikh
- Text by UNIQLO