Peaceful Japanese Home With Stunning Views of Mount Fuji
This architect-designed home blends Japanese and Western influences and maximizes coastal and mountain views
Incorporating both French influences and Japanese traditional architecture, this home stands on a hill overlooking the seashore of Kamakura, Japan, with Mount Fuji faintly visible in the distance. Each floor has a different style inspiration — Western, Japanese and resort style — all coexisting organically. The home also offers its owners, a French artist and his Japanese wife, a multitude of stunning vistas to admire.
The house was designed by architect Hitoshi Saruta of CUBO Design Architect, who knows the area well.
The leitmotif of the project, a modern harmony between Japan and the West, can be felt throughout the building, starting with the exterior. To preserve the original feel of the street, an existing fence made of Ōya stone — a type of volcanic rock found in Japan — was disassembled and reinstalled as a retaining wall. The entrance’s crisp look comes from the combination of maki (Podocarpus) trees on the roof of the garage, acetylated wood louvers accentuated by the straight lines of the reinforced concrete skeleton and a smart lattice gate of hiba (Thujopsis, a type of pine).
The leitmotif of the project, a modern harmony between Japan and the West, can be felt throughout the building, starting with the exterior. To preserve the original feel of the street, an existing fence made of Ōya stone — a type of volcanic rock found in Japan — was disassembled and reinstalled as a retaining wall. The entrance’s crisp look comes from the combination of maki (Podocarpus) trees on the roof of the garage, acetylated wood louvers accentuated by the straight lines of the reinforced concrete skeleton and a smart lattice gate of hiba (Thujopsis, a type of pine).
The stairs were left in their original place, but a concrete wash finish, a stepping stone, and a bed of horsetails were added for a modern Japanese look.
The front door is made of iron treated with zinc phosphate.
The husband, an artist, designed the garden — the couple collected every stone themselves.
When the homeowner asked Saruta to design the house, he provided a drawing he had made of his preferred layout. He says they would often meet and discuss the design for as many as 13 hours a day. The architect convinced the artist that the layout could be organized better.
The result is a plan that places the entrance hall at the center, with the main building on the right done in a Western tradition and the left wing in a Japanese style.
The result is a plan that places the entrance hall at the center, with the main building on the right done in a Western tradition and the left wing in a Japanese style.
The floor of the entrance hall is tiled with Genshō stone (a type of slate), the ceiling features Douglas fir and the stepping stone to the Japanese side is granite.
All the materials were selected by the couple. The artist brought the antique settee from France — it belonged to his mother.
All the materials were selected by the couple. The artist brought the antique settee from France — it belonged to his mother.
The most striking part of the ground floor is a room centered on Japanese traditional architecture. The couple selected the lumber for the alcove pillars and the ceiling together with the architect. The tatami mats on the floor are custom.
The 178-square-foot room faces the garden and the surrounding forest. The sliding paper screens, glass doors and shutters that compose three of its walls can all be stowed in wall pockets to open up the fantastic view. The roof is supported by thin steel pillars that have been painted black.
The porch is a near-exact reproduction, down to the ratio of the area of bamboo and cypress boards, of an engawa — a transitional space between inside and out — that the owner saw in a book on sukiya architecture, a style dating to the late 16th century.
This is the guest bathroom on the ground floor of the Japanese wing, just behind the traditional tatami room. The two cubes on the left side of the cypress bathtub are faucet handles designed by the architect.
The study looks like a living room. The Japanese red pine tree visible through the window was preserved as the focal point of the garden.
Although the main building is mostly rendered in Western style, the ground floor continues to incorporate Japanese motifs, while the second floor has European features. Just close these shoji doors and you’re instantly transported to the world of Japanese design.
The bedroom is connected to the study in the previous photo.
Raisng the bamboo screen offers another view of Mount Fuji.
Raisng the bamboo screen offers another view of Mount Fuji.
This bathtub, adjacent to the bedroom, provides a serene view of the mountain.
A hallway on the ground floor.
The home, built on a gentle slope, has an underground two-car garage accessible by an elevator from the first and second floors.
This view from the elevator on the second floor offers a glimpse of the living room, to the right, and the kitchen, to the left. The sliding door between the kitchen and the hall echoes the design of the master bedroom, but while the ground floor uses tamo ash in keeping with the Japanese motif, this door is made of teak, which has a deeper brown that fits better with the European theme.
The owner’s artistic sense shines in the living room.
The black corner at the back of the room is a fireplace, similar to one the owner had growing up.
The views are especially dramatic at dusk — and unobstructed by the balcony railings of glass.
The large kitchen includes a dining space. The wife requested a layout where one side could be used for cooking and the other for cleanup. The terrace behind the kitchen leads to a guest room.
The structure of the guest room is reinforced concrete, which provides good soundproofing.
This photo looks back across the terrace from the guest house toward the kitchen. The terrace serves as an open-air living space. A staircase leads to the rooftop.
The combination of blue sky and white stairs is reminiscent of a Greek isle.
The roof provides a view of Mount Fuji along with refreshing sea breezes.
The pool and wooden decks were also designed by the owner.
As night falls, hidden strips light up the edges of the pool, adding even more magic to the scene.
This house was created with the aim of expressing different themes on each floor. The ground floor offers the flavor of Japan, with its stone garden and forest scenery on three sides; the upper floor presents a Western European appeal and allows for comfortable relaxation year round; and the rooftop is a mini resort, with its sparkling pool and a 360-degree view punctuated by the iconic peak of Mount Fuji.
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Read more stories about homes around the world
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Shop for home products
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Kamakura, on the east coast of Japan, just south of Tokyo
Size: 5,468 square feet (508 square meters)
Designer: CUBO Design Architect
Builder: Daido Kogyo Co.
The living-dining room on the second floor presents a view of the coastline and Japan’s iconic Mount Fuji. Other rooms offer additional views.