KASASAGI
About Company
Bringing Japanese aesthetic sensibilities and craftsmanship into the future of space.
A design-build architectural studio that expands traditional kogei from objects into architecture and spatial experience.
Guided by the philosophy of “delivering beauty in its rightful form,” KASASAGI Inc. is a design-build architectural studio that connects the aesthetic values embedded in Japanese culture, together with the techniques and materials of traditional kogei, to contemporary architecture, interiors, and spatial design.
By confronting the realities of distribution systems and market pressures that often obscure the value of true handcraft, the company seeks to create an environment in which artisans’ dignity is respected and their skills and passion can be meaningfully sustained within contemporary society.
In 2025, KASASAGI established “KASASAGI STUDIO,” a first-class registered architectural office dedicated to applying traditional kogei to architecture and interior spaces.
Built on a network of more than 1,000 partner workshops across Japan, the studio has developed a distinctive integrated design-build framework that enables artisanal materials and craftsmanship to be fully realized within spatial projects.
What defines the studio is its approach: rather than constructing spaces from ready-made products or catalog specifications, it begins with the materials themselves and the techniques of the artisans who shape them.
Alongside conventional architectural design methods, KASASAGI incorporates a “kogei-based formative process,” in which the design of an entire building grows out of materials and handcraft. Through this approach, the essential beauty of Japanese craftsmanship is elevated into spatial experiences that feel contemporary, refined, and deeply resonant.
Business
We apply the techniques and materials historically used in traditional kogei to the architecture and interiors of residences, commercial facilities, hospitality venues, and public spaces, designing environments infused with the spirit of craftsmanship.
Rather than treating craft as mere decoration, we translate the philosophies and skills embedded in materials and handwork into singular spatial experiences.
Traditional kogei materials and techniques can be difficult to incorporate within conventional architectural supply chains and construction systems.
By handling both design and construction as one integrated process, we support the implementation of traditional craftsmanship in space while ensuring quality, safety, and precision.
Through collaboration with more than 1,000 partner workshops across Japan, we connect region-specific techniques, materials, and aesthetic traditions to each project in the most appropriate way.
This allows us to realize expressions and textures that cannot easily be replicated by mass-produced alternatives, while bringing artisans’ skills into contemporary spaces.
Rather than simply reusing traditional techniques as they are, we also engage in research and development to adapt materials and methods for contemporary architecture and interiors.
In doing so, we explore new applications and scales for kogei without compromising its essential character.
Beyond architecture and spatial design, we are also engaged in communicating the ideas, aesthetic sensibilities, and material richness that underpin Japanese culture and craftsmanship.
Rather than treating kogei as a relic of the past, we reinterpret it as a living value within contemporary life and space, connecting it to broader cultural contexts.
