Japanese Taste Retail Outlet by Shunsuke Ohe is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Bronze A' Design Award in Interior Space and Exhibition Design Competition Category.
BronzeInterior· 2026
Japanese Taste Retail Outlet
by Shunsuke Ohe
Client: Shunsuke Ohe
Bronze A' Design Award Winner in Interior Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #183559The Design
About Japanese Taste Retail Outlet
Japanese Taste is a retail outlet located in Kyoto Station in Japan. The store presents crafts, food, sake, cosmetics and daily goods made by artisans, farmers and producers from across Japan. The interior follows Japanese minimalism, using space, light, shadow and restraint instead of decorative motifs. A black toned exterior frames a warm interior of wood, stone and soft light. A large central table works as both display and stage, while vertical lattice elements add depth. The design turns a place of transit into a place of cultural encounter.
The Recognition
About the Bronze A' Design Award
Japanese Taste Retail Outlet is a Bronze A' Design Award winner, a highly prestigious recognition granted to outstanding designs distinguished by creativity, ingenuity, and astuteness. Bronze winners are amply skillful and strikingly creative artifacts that authenticate the vast experience, imagination, and resourcefulness of their designers. Japanese Taste Retail Outlet is expected to be a highly regarded, admired, and cherished object that is notably professional and innovative. This Bronze A' Design Award-winning design incorporates best practices in art, science, design, and technology, and is excellent for its attention to detail. Japanese Taste Retail Outlet splendidly satisfies needs, touches desires, charms feelings, and appeals to curiosity.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- The Japanese products featured here range widely, from crafts and food to sake, cosmetics and everyday essentials. However, these are not merely commodities. They embody the local climate, materials and techniques, the philosophy of their makers, and the aesthetic sensibilities cultivated by the Japanese people. Consequently, this space aims to serve as a vessel that quietly draws out the value inherent in these diverse items and conveys it to our visitors.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Project area : 114.5 sqm / Category : Retail Outlet
- Tags
- stone , wood , tile , Japanese-style , Kyoto , noren , LUSTYdesign , Shunsuke Ohe
- Production Technology
- Ceiling : wall paper / Wall : wood , wall paper , stone , wooden lattice / Floor : pvc tile
- Design Challenge
- At the centre of the space, a large table functions as both display and stage, connecting visitors with products and their stories. Soft fabric like lighting above and vertical lattice elements create warmth, depth, and quiet symbolism. A restrained palette of wood, stone, black, and red brings unity to the diverse product range, forming a subtle spatial framework that allows the products to stand out.
- Research
- A key aim of this project was to transform Kyoto Station from a place of transit into a place of cultural encounter. Through calm fixture planning, restrained lighting, layered sightlines, and a curatorial approach that unifies diverse products, the space invites visitors to pause, explore, and reflect. More than a shop, Japanese Taste presents a contemporary way to communicate the essence of Japanese craftsmanship and sensibility to the world.
- Inspiration
- Kyoto remains an international city open to the world, whilst embracing a thousand years of history and culture. In this city, which welcomes countless visitors from both home and abroad, Kyoto Station is not merely a transport hub, but a gateway that shapes the city’s first impression. This project involves a retail initiative in this highly public space, showcasing and selling goods crafted by artisans, farmers and producers from across Japan.
- Project Duration
- Project Duration : From April 2025 to July 2025 Project location : Kyoto(Japan)
- Operation Flow
- At the heart of the design is minimalism, a principle deeply rooted in Japanese culture. Rather than relying on superficial motifs, the space reinterprets ma, light and shadow, materiality, order, and restraint within a contemporary retail setting. Framed by a black toned exterior, the interior offers warmth, soft light, and calm, creating a quiet contrast to the bustle of the station and inviting visitors to pause and engage.
- Image Credits
- Photograph : NANA TAJIMA by ToLoLo studio
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