We were consulted on the idea of creating a bar based on the concept of a sake called 'kokushu', which is made in Japan. Alcoholic drink has been produced spontaneously in many parts of the world. In Japan, sake, a brewed liquor made from rice, and shochu, a distilled liquor made mainly from rice, barley and potatoes, have been produced. Sake represents local culture, and descriptions of sake appear in ancient texts such as the Kojiki ; Japan’s oldest surviving historical account and was completed in 712. How to create a bar that embodies such Japanese climate, history and culture? The idea was then to bring together textured materials with different stories to form a single space with the counter at its centre.

In addition to the timbers I have collected for some time, the materials from different parts of Japan, each with a different time and story - rafters from a temple in Nara, pillars from a private house in Kanagawa, boards from a townhouse in Kyoto, shelves from a house in Nagano, shingles from a temple in Yamagata, bamboo from a thatched roof and floor boards from a private house in Nagano - were gathered under a sloping roof-like ceiling and replaced with elements and functions different from their original. Textured materials with different stories emerged and came together to create a space centred around the counter. 

The history and culture of the various regions of Japan are mixed with these materials, which are unique, creating a space where you can feel the time that the materials have passed through without being aware of it.