Japanese Design as an Object of Material Culture
Everything Japanese is graceful, perfect, and captivating. Wherever you look, you are surrounded by an abundance of beautiful and mysterious things. There is a special, soul-touching beauty inherent in everything produced in Japan, whether it be art objects, clothing, cuisine, or architecture. Every detail is meticulously thought out, and this thoughtful integration of details makes Japanese items unique in their entirety. They embody a love for beauty and harmony. This effect is the result of the Japanese people’s unique perspective on material culture. Every object is imbued with spirit, bearing a trace of divine presence. Hence, the distinctive conceptual nature of Japanese design, where design is the expression of the divine essence of an object, mediated by the artist.
Interior design can equally be considered a part of material culture since it also reflects the core principles and views of the Japanese regarding the world around them and human interaction with that world. Several principles distinguish Japanese interiors from others.
Principle One: Special Organization of Space
Space is organized in such a way that nothing disrupts the harmony of the person within it, allowing for peaceful contemplation. The roots of this approach lie in the religious culture of Japan—a synthesis of Shintoism and Zen Buddhism. Ample air, symmetry, minimalism, and simplicity are key. Materials are chosen so that they don’t draw undue attention. Even small spaces are arranged so that a person does not feel constrained. The size of the room ceases to be a limitation, as effective solutions are found for its proper utilization. Nothing interferes with the natural energy balance within the room.
Principle Two: The Use of Light
Typically, homes built in the Japanese style follow a lighting principle that emphasizes natural sunlight during the day and spot lighting in the evening to highlight specific objects. Large windows, sometimes floor-to-ceiling, allow sunlight to flood the interiors. Screens and paper partitions act as light regulators.

There’s no need for artificial effects to create magic in the space — Japanese designers skillfully use the laws of physics to create light illusions. A paper screen not only softens sunlight but also adds light accents.
In the evening, spot lighting is used to draw attention to individual objects.


Japanese paper lanterns, providing a mystical soft glow, serve as additional lighting and design accents and are highly sought after worldwide.
Principle Three: Harmony Between Man and Nature
To create a sense of natural warmth, Japanese designers abundantly use natural materials in interiors—wood, stone, paper, and so on. The presence of natural materials has a calming effect and carries positive energy. Moreover, it is both trendy and luxurious. The high cost of natural materials is justified by their longevity and resistance to wear, compared to artificial substitutes. The Japanese have long revered wood as a building material and treat it with great care.
The advantage of using these materials is that they harmoniously capture light, giving the interior a warm texture.


Natural materials blend well with artificial ones—glass, metal, plastic—making the space ultramodern.
Miniature home gardens are a significant part of Japanese design. Japanese landscapers are some of the most sought-after specialists on the market today.


The Japanese approach to art deserves special mention as well. While they incorporate art objects into interior design, they do so with characteristic minimalism. A home might feature just one screen and one vase, but these items are carefully chosen to blend with the rest of the interior, serving as the aesthetic focal points of the room.
Art objects are illuminated in a way that draws attention to them. Special lighting systems are developed for displaying art.


As we can see, the Japanese interior, despite its simplicity, is a complex, integrated system where all elements are interconnected into a single harmonious image. The Japanese always select every detail to match the established concept. Like any art form, the artist aims to express an idea through metaphysical symbols. In Japanese interiors, every component represents a specific symbol.
It might be a bamboo or ceramic vase:


A lamp or screen:


A wooden chest, or a flower:


All these elements in their unity inevitably lead one toward the understanding of something grander.
Ideologist Company collaborates actively with artists and designers from Japan, offering a wide range of services for creating unique architectural, design, and landscape projects for various functional purposes. Contact us for assistance, and we will provide you with a personalized offer developed specifically to meet your needs, with the involvement of specialists from Japan.
Interior Design in Japanese Style
Japanese-style interiors, like any other, require careful consideration and planning, but the most successful interiors are those where the effort is invisible. Achieving the elegant beauty and practicality of the style in room design is not easy, but it is worth it.
In a Japanese-style room, the design is characterized by elegant simplicity and muted colors. Nature has had a significant influence on the formation of the Japanese style, so the color palette is based on natural tones from the world around us—earth, wood, and stone. The Japanese interior style uses creamy beige, subdued greens and blues, and natural wood tones.
A traditional Japanese living room doesn’t require much furniture. Everything is arranged so that people sit directly on the tatami mats and enjoy the view of the garden. Of course, modern rooms in Japanese homes are designed with low furniture. Traditional Japanese chests (tansu) with their warm wooden tones and dark metal fittings, ikebana flower arrangements in understated vases, and sliding shoji screens create a sense of warmth and dignity that is characteristic of Japanese style. Such details add depth and aesthetics to any modern, even European, interior.
Features of Japanese Style
The concept of sliding doors is perfect for any apartment or house, as it allows for the conservation of space, often scarce in urban dwellings. Additionally, these partitions help to functionally divide the space and adapt it depending on the situation. Shoji or fusuma can close off a workspace, bedroom, or storage area. Traditional fusuma with elaborate designs are expensive, and shoji, due to their delicate rice paper, are often considered impractical. However, modern Japanese companies offer updated shoji where washi paper is coated with acrylic, preserving the aesthetic while improving practicality. Various patterns and shades of paper enrich the visual space, making it distinctly Japanese.
Another feature of the Japanese interior is the tokonoma niche. No traditional house is complete without it, and even in modern homes, it remains a staple of the Japanese room. Historically, tokonoma appeared in the 12th century when many artworks were imported from China. Over time, the tokonoma became the focal point of the main room, where a scroll or painting was displayed, and in front of it was placed a small table with incense, seasonal ikebana, or a sculpture.
The floor in Japanese interiors is covered with tatami—woven straw mats. Traditionally, tatami are natural yellow or green, but now they can be dyed to match the surrounding space. For allergy sufferers, hypoallergenic tatami made from rice paper or synthetic fibers are available, mimicking the look and feel of the real thing. These innovations make it easier to create Japanese-style interiors today.
Lighting
Lighting plays a major role in Japanese design. Traditional Japanese houses, with their low eaves, were primarily lit in the lower parts, leaving the upper areas in shadow. Sunlight was diffused through shoji screens. Glass, which arrived in Japan much later, wasn’t widely adopted, so direct lighting or reflecting light through glass never became common. Soft, indirect light remains the hallmark of Japanese interiors today.
Japanese Minimalism
Simplicity and some degree of emptiness have always characterized Japanese interiors, reflecting the Buddhist concept of “ma” — the space between things, rather than the things themselves. Japanese rooms don’t require excessive decorative elements or furniture. Smooth walls in warm shades, tatami flooring, a tokonoma, a low sofa, and a small table are often sufficient for a Japanese interior. This minimalism, with its Zen-like aesthetic, is why Japanese architects and designers became key figures in the minimalist movement that emerged in the mid-20th century. This Zen aesthetic, grounded in centuries of tradition, offers the clarity and simplicity that modern life so often lacks.