“Rather than updating the machiya to suit contemporary life, I am interested in how contemporary life can be updated within the framework of the old machiya.”—Kazuyo Sejima A taxi can only get you so close to this traditional machiya, tucked at the end of a T-intersection on a pedestrian-only street in Kyoto’s Nishijin neighborhood. But approaching the residence on foot, on a cold evening in early January, the place works its magic before you’re even in the door. It radiates a warm glow, the slatted wood façade revealing a passing glimpse of its residents inside. They’re preparing dinner.
“We’re trying to make machiya livable in the modern era,” muses Sam Brustad, a communications consultant from New Zealand who moved to Japan more than a decade ago. He’s just pulled a…
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Architectural Digest (Digital) - 1 Issue, April 2025