Harajuku

Designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates, the building is a luminous glass “box” cradling a delicately interwoven timber structure that evokes the branching of a tree. The lattice is formed from small 105×105 mm sections of Japanese cypress (hinoki), with the steel frame deliberately minimised so the whole reads as wood. Light filters through the grid to create a gentle, dappled ambience—the architectural equivalent of komorebi—while terraces open toward the Jingumae greenery and views across to Yoyogi Gymnasium.

Materially, Green Terrace is a primer on low-carbon craft. Hinoki leads the palette for structure and decking, paired with larch LVL and beautifully patterned chestnut flooring; washi (Japanese paper) is woven into wall finishes for a soft, tactile calm. Outside, recycled clay roof tiles are set into paths and cladding, and approximately 1,000 used essential-oil bottles are crushed and remade into exterior elements—sensory storytelling made literal. The project applies traditional kigumi joinery principles and favours domestic species; its nature-positive stance extends to an “Aroma Corridor” garden of 1,598 plants across 43 species that bloom through the seasons.

The experience is multisensory by design. The scent of hinoki greets you on entry, then deepens in the Aroma Laboratory where visitors can sample an ever-changing library of essential oils—often more than 100 at a time—and learn from AEAJ’s digital database. Next door, the Aroma Lounge presents rotating blends, while an Aroma Library holds around 1,400 volumes spanning botany, perfumery and the science of smell. Across the interiors, “Reafs”—delicate artworks made by recycling essential-oil vials—turn sunlight into sparkling reminders of circular design.

For architects, AEAJ Green Terrace is a refined precedent: a compact civic building where hinoki’s warmth, scent and strength are expressed with contemporary clarity—proof that renewable Japanese softwoods can carry both structure and story. For clients, it’s a reassuring model of sustainability that feels effortless, restorative and beautifully made.