a sushi bar and a counter serving aburiyaki (Japanese barbecue) grilled meats and vegetables Tucked discreetly behind the sushi bar is a VIP room with walls and floor covered with kakishibu-coated washi (handmade paper dyed with persimmon extract). The partition screens in the room are made of charcoal, which is both an attractive feature and effective at absorbing odor.
Of course one of XEX's most eye-catching features is the stunning view of Tokyo available from almost every table in the restaurant.
Completed in 2002. the Atagoyama Hills building is one of the most contemporary developments in Tokyo. Located on the top floor of this complex, XEX gives guests a fine view of Tokyo both in the daytime and at night.
The Japanese restaurant is divided into two sections: an aburiyaki section and a sushi section. In the former, pictured here, guests watch barbecued dishes being prepared in front of them. The counters are separated by wooden latticework made of wood and charcoal.
The walls leading to the entrance of the Japanese restaurant have been created using the traditional hanchiku process. The irregular surface provides an interesting effect when illuminated from the floor. In the pool, which is made of transparent acrylic boards, the water flows continuously from the tsukubai. The sound of water contributes to the sense of calm in the entrance hall.
A bonus for guests sitting at the sushi counter is a fine view from the wide window. The simple design of the pale wooden counter does not interfere with the scenery or the food.
Guests remove their shoes in the koagari section of the restaurant. The small wooden tables are separated by pressed metallic screens, which resemble bamboo netting. Their cool semi-transparent appearance provides guests with a feeling of spaciousness while preserving privacy.
Torafuku
Ryu Kosaka
Toranomon, Tokyo
The symbols of the restaurants are two large kamado for cooking rice, traditionally found in ordinary farm houses in Japan. The familiar round shape of the stoves contrasts with the sharp, modern style of the open kitchen.
Located in the atrium of an office building, this casual Japanese-style tavern has a 400 square meter (4,306 sq ft) floor area. Dominating the kitchen are two traditional clay kamado (stoves) for cooking rice.
Designer Ryu Kosaka has used traditional Japanese materials in unconventional ways. His emphasis is on simplicity and maintaining the natural appeal of the materials, which he believes gives the overall design a sophisticated feeling.
"The more processed or decorated a space is, the less attractive traditional materials become. It is necessary to expose the natural texture of the materials wherever possible," he says.
The restaurant offers two distinct seating styles' a raised-floor area (koagan) where cushions and low tables adorn raised tatami (woven straw) mats, and a section of taller tables and high backed chairs (doma). The walls of the koagari section are plastered with an ochre mud mixed with straw. This popular wall-surfacing technique not only has a pleasing appearance but the materials also deodorize the room. The rustic texture of the walls contrasts with the sleeker, checkered, wooden ceiling.
The flooring here consists of naguri (traditionally hand carved) wooden boards, woven bamboo mats, and washi (handmade paper), providing guests with various sensations as they walk over the mats in their stockinged feet.
The predominance of natural materials would have resulted in dull uniformity, so Kosaka introduces modern materials such as glass. In a striking example, Kosaka emphasizes the concrete posts in the tatami area with glass casings, instead of hiding them behind wood or mud. "This provides a kind of tension within the space," he says.
The design of Torafuku demonstrates the dynamic balance that is achievable through the thoughtful use of both traditional and modem materials.
Some tables are situated on the terrace in the atrium. Guests can dine in the open without being disturbed by the noise and dust from the streets.
In this room for private parties, guests can feel three different textures with their feet: the irregularly hand cut naguri boards, the cool and smooth touch of bamboo nets, and the soft touch of washi. The ceiling is covered with a basketwork of thinly sliced wood known as ajiro, a traditional style in old aristocratic houses. All these materials are traditional but Kosaka has provided an original twist by introducing new technology to produce them and by using unexpected colors and surfaces.
An uneven floor made from small pebbles covers the more casual doma section of the restaurant, where wooden tables arranged in rows.
The atmosphere of the koagari section is like a chic traditional Japanese rests rant, while the doma section, where large tables and chairs are situated, is more like a casual tavern.
The reception counter comprises a series of wooden boards pressed together and then hand carved with a special chisel, giving a sense of formality to the restaurant.
Cement pillars, normally hidden, are deliberately made conspicuous by glass coverings. The washi-covered walls, tatami-matted floor and ajiro ceiling are all balanced with the pillars to give this private room a very contemporary feeling.
The central feature on the first floor is a large brazier. Modeled after a traditional stove for cooking fish, it contrasts with the modern ventilation hood above.
Chokyaku Yowa
Masaaki Ohashi
Chofu, Tokyo
The name of this restaurant is taken from the title of a story about a fisherman boasting about the size of his catch; the menu accordingly emphasizes saltwater fish. Guests at Chokyaku Yowa cook their own fish over a charcoal fire using gotoku (traditional Japanese grills), in a manner that has been popular in Japan for almost 400 years. The owner loves fishing and keeps a boat for the purpose at a small island, about two hours off the Tokyo coast. Even when he is not fishing in the area, the owner has arranged for the local fishermen to send selected items from their catch to the restaurant every day.
From the outside, the restaurant appears like a white
