Address: 12 Rue Jacob 75006 Paris France
Program: Store
Construction: Sagara Construction Firm/Tsumiki LLC
Floor area: 15.60㎡
Completion: 10/2012
Photographer: Nacása & Partners Inc. Daisuke Shima

Design Firm: Fumihiko Sano Studio
For project inquiry: info@fumihikosano.jp
For press inquiry: press@fumihikosano.jp

This is a close look at the main entrance of the store with a wooden door.

The wooden main door of the store stands out against the surrounding concrete structure of the building.

This is a nighttime view of the main door of the store that has a warm lighting to give the main entrance a certain inviting look.

Upon entry, you are welcomed by this receiving area with dark walls and a door leading to the main store.

The inner door slides open to reveal the warm and inviting store.

This inner door is adorned with a flower decoration under a spotlight.

On the side of the door is a small well-like structure with a water dipper.

This is a closer look at the small well on the side of the door with a wooden water dipper.

The main store has wooden structures that are built into the wooden walls giving the room a consistent tone.

It has a large wooden bar that is attached to the wall on the far side.

This view of the store shows the space for the customers with a built-in wooden bench for the waiting customers.

This is an alcove decoration fitted with a flower vase above the bench of the waiting customers.

This is a close look at the store's specialty which is origata style wrapping.

This is an illustration of the store's floor plan.

This is an illustration of the store's cross section elevation.

This is an illustration of the store's main door with measurements and labels.

MIWA is a store specializing in an “origata” style wrapping located in Paris, France.

“Original” refers to the wrapping of various items where the context of the wrapping is determined either by the content of either good or bad objects. Traditionally, wrapping items in Japan represents the sender’s emotion through a gift. The tradition was developed during the Muromachi era (around 1330s to 1500s) and by the end of the Edo era (around 1860s) includes almost two thousand style variations.

As a design method to incorporate traditional Japanese culture in Europe, the Japanese cypress from Ise Jingu, one of the most famous Shinto shrines in Japan, was used as the finish for the interior wall. The wood material has also been used to construct shrines since ancient times. Since origata was originally derived from the Shinto tradition as a way to offer gifts to god, utilizing wood from Ise Jingu allows for Shintoism to serve as a connection between the program of the project and the architecture.

For the flooring material, slate stone from Ogatsu city, a region of Japan that was impacted by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, was utilized. Although the slate stone was affected by the earthquake, the project attempted to use the available scrap material as a way to revitalize the stone. MIWA serves as a symbol for hope and revitalization to those in the Tohoku area.