Would Be Dollhouse From A Wes Anderson Movie Shines in ‘Living In A Japanese House’

As was the case with previous books showcasing Japanese architecture that I wrote about, I faced an embarrassment of riches as to which homes to showcase from the 35 dwellings in Living In A Japanese House by design and craft writer Kanae Hasegawa (Phaidon, November 2026).

I chose two that are noticeable for their open floor design.

“Feels like a dollhouse from a Wes Anderson film” is how its owner, Nobuko Uehara describes her house in Miyamoto (Osaka) which is my first pick.

This 2017 cube (‘cuboid’) of 538 square feet (50 square meters), designed by Tato Architects / Yo Shimada, sits in the middle of parking lots and apartment buildings. The outside is fairly ordinary and similar to what one could see in Elizabeth or Newark in my state of New Jersey or in Jamaica, Queens to name 2 locations.

Inside the ordinary shell, “13 triangular and pentagonal floors arranged like a spiral staircase” are spread on 7 levels. The interior stands out for its wall-free design. Partitions can be used when need or want arises.

Part of that open-space quest can be traced to the owner’s appetite for collecting objects and displaying them for all to see rather than hide them in closets.

. “Friends who come criticize my house constantly. They say it’s cluttered like a trash bin, or that there are too many things, making it dangerous for children and the elderly. But this is a house for our family, not for anyone else, so it’s fine,” says Uehara. “What she enjoys most is observing her beloved cat’s movements.”

In that same free flowing floor spirit is the Fluctuating Room (Tokyo) designed by Shinji Sonoda Architects (2024).

The one room unit (430.6 square feet / 40 square meters) on 1st floor of a 2 story home is occupied by the owner Kyoko Arakawa while her parents live upstairs.

Partitions suspended from the ceiling allow her to to reshuffle the space when the mood strikes.

This marks the return of Tokyo Thursdays after a 1 year hiatus. Home for Tokyo Thursdays # 340

(Excerpts and photos from Living in a Japanese House by Kanae Hasegawa, published in November 2026, reproduced with permission of Phaidon Press, ©Phaidon)