Kengo Kuma on Light, Wood, and the Art of Absence

Set amongst the rolling peaks of Shikoku in Kochi Prefecture, Japan, the tiny mountain town of Yusuhara—often called “the town above the clouds”—is almost entirely cloaked in lush forestry. Remote and serene, it might easily be mistaken for a place lost in time. And yet, nestled among the cedars, contemporary architectural riches abound.

Dotted between the trees, like jewels set into a necklace, are six striking cedar wood buildings, each blending cutting-edge techniques with traditional craftsmanship and a tangible deference to the beauty of the natural surroundings.

Yusuhara’s architectural prestige is largely thanks to one individual: the world-renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. A visionary known for weaving ancient aesthetic sensibilities into contemporary forms, Kuma’s relationship with Yusuhara began in the 1980s, when the then-up-and-coming talent was commissioned to revive the highland town’s beloved pre-war theatre.