Please ask — we answer honestly, project by project, from the standpoint of transport and local partnership.
A tea room, a washitsu, a tokonoma — materials from Japan, made by Japanese hands.
From the first conversation to completion, and to the placing of the final piece, wanova carries the work as one.
1. Begin with one object, or with an entire room.
A tokonoma in one corner. Or a whole room in the Japanese manner.
Neither is a smaller commission.
2. The problem is not finding the right craftsmen. It is everything that comes after.
When you set out to build a true Japanese space abroad, the real difficulty is not locating good makers. It is everything that follows.
3. Why the real thing is possible, far from Japan
We do not act as main contractor on site. We hold to the Japanese side — design, making, supervision — which is exactly why we work with your architect and builder as collaborators, never as rivals.
Design — partnership with Japanese architects, craftsmen, artists and galleries steeped in traditional Japanese architecture, with deep experience of working abroad.
Materials — selected and sourced in Japan: miyama-sugi and other named timbers, tatami faced in Kumamoto's finest igusa, hon-minoshi washi, the earth for the walls. And with each material, we bring what stands behind it — its history, its story, its meaning.
Making — Japanese craftsmen travel to site where the work requires it, in collaboration with your local builders and architects. Local building codes and permissions are handled with your design team and local partners.
And when a timeline or a budget cannot support the standard the work requires, we say so at the first conversation.
4. How it proceeds — six steps
5. The materials, and what stands behind them
Rare, and not always to be had — and when it cannot, we say so rather than substitute.
Miyama-sugi — cedar grown in the sacred forest of Ise Jingu, the head shrine of all shrines in Japan.
Kiso hinoki — cypress from the old imperial forests.
Hon-minoshi washi — the paper that decides the quality of light through shoji.
Tatami — faced in top-grade Kumamoto igusa.
Earth — the walls begin with the choice of soil.
Rare, and not always to be had — and when it cannot, we say so rather than substitute.
6. Architecture and art, in the same room.
The space and the work are selected together, from the beginning. Neither is an afterthought.
Together with Japanese artists and our gallery partner in Tokyo and New York, wanova selects works for the room they are going into — from Living National Treasures to makers still at their wheels today. Never from a catalogue. A painting, a lacquer, a single vessel — often, this is how a first collaboration begins.
On the day of completion, every work settles into its place, and the space is finished as one composition.
7. Selected work
Private Residence · Tea Room
Tokyo · 2023 — sukiya carpentry, igusa tatami, shoji
Wa Café · High-end Commercial
Tokyo · 2022 — sukiya carpentry, bamboo, washi lighting
More at Works
Completed projects overseas, including work now in progress, will be added to this page as they reach the stage where they can be shown.
8. The first bowl of tea, in your finished tea room.
wanova makes tea, in Roppongi, Tokyo. Tencha sealed into a jar in spring and left for half a year before it is ground — our Matured Matcha.
wanova makes tea, in Roppongi, Tokyo. Tencha sealed into a jar in spring and left for half a year before it is ground — our Matured Matcha.
And the jar travels. In the Edo period, jars of Uji tea were carried to the shogun's court in formal procession — the ochatsubo dōchū. A tea jar going on a journey is nothing new.
In your completed tea room, we cut the seal, grind the leaf on a stone mill, and whisk the first bowl. Through to the kuchikiri gathering held on the day of completion, we can be with you — so that not only the space, but the time that flows in it, remains Japanese.
Frequently asked questions
Which countries and regions can you work in?
How long does it take?
It depends on scale; as a guide, a tea room or washitsu runs one to two years from first conversation to completion. The full schedule is presented at the planning stage.
Can we work with our own architect and builder?
Yes — collaboration is the default. wanova holds to the Japanese side of the work: design, making, and supervision. Local regulations and site work stay with your team, in coordination with ours.
Can we commission just a small tokonoma?
Yes. Partial joinery, a single piece of furniture, a single work of art — begin with one object, or with an entire room. Neither is a smaller commission.
What about care and maintenance afterwards?
We provide care guidance for each material, and arrange repair from Japan where needed.
Is everything in English?
Yes. Consultations, documents, and site coordination are handled in English. Interpretation for Japanese craftsmen on site is part of our role.
©︎ WANOVA / SATOYAMA Marketing Office Ltd.
Roppongi, TOKYO