Adashino House is the new home of Shogado, a company known for its shikishitanzaku (decorative paper strips), washi paper goods, and Japanese stationery. The project is set within a traditional Japanese machiyatownhouse located in the Saga-Toriimoto Historic Buildings Preservation District of Kyoto. The aim was to create a space where the beauty of washi could be experienced in everyday life, while preserving the quiet dignity of the old machiya and weaving in modern elements that bring freshness to the interior.
SHOGADO
The house is organized in two main areas: a shop that faces the street, and a meeting space that opens onto a garden with a traditional tokonoma alcove. From the road, Shogado’s notebooks and goshuincho (temple stamp books) catch the eye through the windows, drawing people into the space.
Material choices tie the old and the new together. Walnut toned shelves resonate with the deep brown beams of the machiya, while counters and fixtures with a concretelike finish connect to mortar walls and ceramic tiles, introducing subtle contemporary accents.
A long counter accommodates full sheets of Yuzen washi, with a hanging rack behind it that displays bold patterns in their entirety.
Inside the shop, the western side has been opened fully to the attic, allowing natural light to pour in through the mushikomado lattice windows and creating a feeling of openness and air. These mushikomado, named for their resemblance to traditional insect cages, are a key characteristic of tsushi-nikaimachiya. (Typically covered in a thick layer of plaster, they were originally used as a fire prevention measure during the fire-prone Edo period.) Their inclusion offers not only light but also a subtle link to thearchitectural practices of the past.
The original floor level was preserved as a small gesture of respect to the building’s history, while new steps and ceramic flooring introduce a contemporary touch. Furnishings were designed to echo the products they hold.
A former closet was repurposed to house larger items such as fans, boxes, and full paper sheets, while three central island fixtures keep smaller stationery within easy reach.
On both walls, shelving nearly three meters wide presents up to sixty goshuincho at once, showcasing Japanese tapestry with varying colours and motifs.
The meeting room is reached through a door of striped moulded glass, which allows light to pass while softening the view. Inside, muted carpet tones continue the calm palette of the shop.
Photos by Yohei Sasakura
Photo by Ryosuke Fukusada
A sofa and low table face the tokonoma, where visitors can look through snow-viewing shoji to see the azaleas in the garden, plants that have grown alongside the house for nearly a century.
Lighting was carefully planned to support both the atmosphere and the presentation of the products. Spotlights fixed to the beams are angled to softly illuminate the space without creating glare. Pendant lamps made from Yuzen washi paper glow as beautiful features, both familiar and unexpected.
In the shop, lights are set to 3500K to best highlight the colors of the washi paper, while in the meeting space, a warmer 2700K light creates a more intimate and relaxed tone.
Adashino House is more than a store. It is a place where tradition and everyday life meet, where a historic townhouse, its garden, and Shogado’s washi paper come together in harmony. The result is a serene, thoughtful space that quietly connects craft, culture, and the present moment.
Project management : Shogado Co., Ltd. Yasuhiro Matsuo
Spatial design, Product design, Lighting planning : Ryosuke Fukusada
Graphic design : Izumi Nakata
Construction : Persona Co., Ltd. Katsunori Takahashi
Furniture production : MCS Tomohiro Tabata
Furniture production : Y-wood Yasushi Hirobe
Furniture cooperation : Masterwal
Photo : Yohei Sasakura