Tokyo’s architectural landscape is a dynamic fusion of history and innovation. Prior to the WWII bombings, the city was comprised of low-rise, traditional Edo-period buildings that were eventually destroyed. Today, the vibrant metropolis acts as a gate to the future, where landmarks such as the Tokyo Skytree, the world’s tallest tower, have pushed the boundaries of architecture and construction technology. Architects such as Kenzo Tange, known for his work on the Yoyogi National Gymnasium, and Kengo Kuma, designer of the Japan National Stadium, have left indelible marks on the city’s skyline. In parallel, Tokyo’s dense urban fabric has driven contemporary architects to develop an impressive and pioneering language of tall, compact buildings with an array of uses: residences, office spaces and commercial centers that incorporate cutting-edge sustainable and earthquake-resistant technologies have managed to transform the city into an urban landscape filled with architectural character and innovation.
With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in Tokyo based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.
How are these architecture firms ranked?
The following ranking has been created according to key statistics that demonstrate each firm’s level of architectural excellence. The following metrics have been accumulated to establish each architecture firm’s ranking, in order of priority:
- The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2024)
- The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2024)
- The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2024)
- The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2024)
- The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2024)
Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of Tokyo architecture firms throughout the year.
Without further ado, here are the 30 best architecture firms in Tokyo:
30. atelier HAKO architects
![© atelier HAKO architects](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/media/143623586956007.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© atelier HAKO architects
Poetically simple, yet humorous architecture. A simple house that colors your life with a casual way of living, rather than cutting off the elements.
We freely and flexibly conceive a one-of-a-kind “life container” where you can get a glimpse of the personality of the resident in the shape and appearance of the space.
Some of atelier HAKO architects’s most prominent projects include:
- House at Akatsuka, Tokyo, Japan
- House at Minamikarasuyama, Tokyo, Japan
- House in Shimomaruko, Tokyo, Japan
- House in Oiso, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
- House at Komazawa, Tokyo, Japan
The following statistics helped atelier HAKO architects achieve 30th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
Featured Projects | 2 |
Total Projects | 10 |
29. OSO
![© OSO](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/media/mediadata/uploads/1650874738184OSO_Deloitte_Summit_05.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© OSO
OSO is a Tokyo-based, architecture and design office with an international perspective. The office was established in 2017 by two partners – Esteban Ochogavia and Michael Sypkens – who formerly worked together at Kengo Kuma and Associates.
The current work involves both domestic and international projects ranging from shop interiors to large-scale offices and residential developments.
As an evolving office, we are exploring ways of finding new meaning in local forms and practices. We are not only interested in the built environment and its architectural heritage, but also the wider context of art, culture, and tradition that shape the present.
Some of OSO’s most prominent projects include:
- K House, Kamakura, Japan
- Deloitte Summit, Vancouver, Canada
The following statistics helped OSO achieve 29th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
A+Awards Finalist | 1 |
Featured Projects | 2 |
Total Projects | 2 |
28. IKAWAYA Architects
![© IKAWAYA Architects](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/media/mediadata/uploads/15299602197457b0f8d59-ed05-424f-8ee1-75f562f1b5f6.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© IKAWAYA Architects
IKAWAYA Architects is an office based in Tokyo. Its work revolves mainly around residential projects.
Some of IKAWAYA Architects’s most prominent projects include:
- Sky Cave House & Clinic, Tokyo, Japan
- Seven Gardens House, Kunitachi, Japan
The following statistics helped IKAWAYA Architects achieve 28th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
A+Awards Finalist | 2 |
Featured Projects | 1 |
Total Projects | 2 |
27. SEISHO TAKASHI ARCHITECT’S STUDIO
![© Satoshi Asakawa](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/media/mediadata/uploads/1648453434952夕景山影.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© Satoshi Asakawa
For “Architecture that is only there, attached to it”!
[NO STYLE]
We don’t have a fixed style.
We will always derive the appropriate answer for the place and request from the clean state.
[MAKE the FUTURE]
I’ll think about architecture in a long span.
With the “experience and accumulation” and “flexible ideas” so far, we aim for architecture that leads to the future.
[with YOU]
While sharing the excitement of creation, we will proceed with the design in the process of accumulating empathy.
Some of SEISHO TAKASHI ARCHITECT’S STUDIO’s most prominent projects include:
- Niki-K, Japan
- Totsuka-Y, Kanagawa, Japan
- Niki-H, Hokkaido, Japan
- FUSSA-K, Tokyo, Japan
- YYS, Tokyo, Japan
The following statistics helped SEISHO TAKASHI ARCHITECT'S STUDIO achieve 27th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
Featured Projects | 3 |
Total Projects | 7 |
26. GARDE
![© GARDE Co., Ltd.](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/media/1487815945254shenzhentradecenter_05.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© GARDE Co., Ltd.
GARDE is a leading design company founded in 1985. We began providing retail design, branding and consulting services in Japan. We now have offices in Italy, Paris, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Kuala Lampur, Los Angeles, New York and we provide services on a global scale.
GARDE designs the interiors of luxury fashion stores, boutiques, hotels, department stores, shopping centers, corporate offices and high-end residences. It offers customized services to satisfy clients’ needs through its global network of talented designers and a cutting-edge knowledge of the latest trends. GARDE provides services from original concept design to implementation and construction.
Some of GARDE’s most prominent projects include:
- THE DRAPE, Osaka, Japan
- Doota Shopping Mall, Seoul, South Korea
- adidas Japan Headquarters Office & Showroom, Tokyo, Japan
- SUSHI B, Milan, Italy
- Emporium Men, Baku, Azerbaijan
The following statistics helped GARDE Co., Ltd. achieve 26th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
A+Awards Winner | 1 |
A+Awards Finalist | 1 |
Total Projects | 11 |
25. Camp Design inc.
![© Camp Design inc.](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/media/1493638719181hashiranoma01.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© Camp Design inc.
Camp Design inc. is based on architecture, from a small scale like a joinery to a design that affects a large scale like a city. Focusing on the design of living spaces, we also work on apartment complexes, stores, churches, and meeting places. In addition, we operate “Todo”, a specialized manufacturer of joinery, and design changes in distance, relationship, and feel through joinery.
Some of Camp Design inc.’s most prominent projects include:
- Wing Wall House, Nishitokyo, Japan
- House Between Pillars, Nishitokyo, Japan
- House in Midorigaoka, Kobe, Japan
The following statistics helped Camp Design inc. achieve 25th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
Featured Projects | 3 |
Total Projects | 3 |
24. hiroyuki moriyama architect and associates
![© Archi Photo Co.Ltd.](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/media/14266833609723.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© Archi Photo Co.Ltd.
hiroyuki moriyama architect and associates is a first-class architect office based in Tokyo. Its work revolves mainly around residential and commercial architecture.
Some of hiroyuki moriyama architect and associates Inc,’s most prominent projects include:
- Company Building in Kanagawa, Japan
- Apartment in Katsushika, Tokyo, Japan
- Apartment in Minami-Azabu, Tokyo, Japan
The following statistics helped hiroyuki moriyama architect and associates achieve 24th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
Featured Projects | 3 |
Total Projects | 3 |
23. KIAS
![© Keikichi Yamauchi Architect and Associates](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/media/mediadata/uploads/1549297676541FOUR_LEAVES_02.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© Keikichi Yamauchi Architect and Associates
KIAS is an architectural design studio based in Tokyo.
Some of KIAS’s most prominent projects include:
- Asymmetric House, Chiba, Japan
- Four Leaves, Karuizawa, Japan
- House in Minami Karuizawa, Karuizawa, Japan
The following statistics helped KIAS achieve 23rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
Featured Projects | 3 |
Total Projects | 3 |
22. frontofficetokyo
![© Takumi Ota Photography](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/media/1477091537619from_street.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© Takumi Ota Photography
frontofficetokyo is a multi-disciplinary architecture and planning office in Tokyo. Our work is strongly influenced by research on the urban context and ways of living in a highly urbanized world. Our starting point is that the city is the new nature, and in that case new kinds of architecture and urban form are needed. At larger scales we are focused on regional and master planning that incorporates social issues and science, from energy to economics, and population change, in order to develop a more resilient and sustainable future. At the smaller scale we are working on ways to create flexibility in the workspace and in retail design, allowing users to take part in the process of building an office or shop through the lessons of daily experience and need.
Some of frontofficetokyo’s most prominent projects include:
- D Flat, Tokyo, Japan
- Oyamadai House, Tokyo, Japan
- m house, Tokyo, Japan
- akasaka apartment, Tokyo, Japan
The following statistics helped frontofficetokyo achieve 22nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
Featured Projects | 3 |
Total Projects | 4 |
21. TAPO Tomioka Architectural Planning Office
![© TAPO Tomioka Architectural Planning Office](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/media/mediadata/uploads/1558658315526004HH_Exterior.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© TAPO Tomioka Architectural Planning Office
TAPO Tomioka Architectural Planning Office is based in Tokyo, Japan. Its work is centred around residential architecture.
Some of TAPO Tomioka Architectural Planning Office’s most prominent projects include:
- Horizon House, Omaezaki, Japan
- Villa in Sakura, Sakura, Japan
- Villa in Chonan, Chonan, Japan
- Villa in Fuji, Narusawa, Japan
- Villa in Raizan, Kawabaru, Itoshima, Japan
The following statistics helped TAPO Tomioka Architectural Planning Office achieve 21st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
Featured Projects | 3 |
Total Projects | 6 |
20. Asai Architects
![© Asai Architects](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/media/mediadata/uploads/1580371155907007_katori_jinja.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© Asai Architects
We are always thinking of “How Design contributes to our lives.” Good design gives you a lot of joy. And when the design comes up to “Art”, your life will be something full of exploration. Design exists in everything, from the small things such as pen, up big things like the cities. And it also exists in various media. What we are good at is the design of architecture and something near the scale of architecture. We will collaborate with the client and sometimes a variety of specialists, as to play a help to enrich your life.
Some of Asai Architects’s most prominent projects include:
- OFFICE Miura Koumuten, Tokyo, Japan
- House I, Tokyo, Japan
- SARA, Tokyo, Japan
- Kameari Katori Shrine, Tokyo, Japan
The following statistics helped Asai Architects achieve 20th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
Featured Projects | 4 |
Total Projects | 4 |
19. TOKUJIN YOSHIOKA DESIGN
![© TOKUJIN YOSHIOKA DESIGN](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/media/14757794503552013_Rainbow_Church_01.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© TOKUJIN YOSHIOKA DESIGN
Born in 1967. He worked under Shiro Kuramata and Issey Miyake, and established his own studio, TOKUJIN YOSHIOKA INC. in 2000. Active in the fields of design, architecture and contemporary art, he is highly acclaimed globally. The “Sakura Torch” for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the glass bench exhibited at Musée d’Orsay called “Water Block,” the crystal prism architecture “Rainbow Church,” the natural crystal chair “VENUS,” and the glass teahouse “KOU-AN” are some of the many masterpieces announced. Many of his works are chosen as part of permanent collections in world renowned museums, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Musée National d’Art Moderne and the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A).
Some of TOKUJIN YOSHIOKA DESIGN’s most prominent projects include:
- KOU-AN Glass Tea House, Kyoto, Japan
- Reality Lab. Issey Miyake, Tokyo, Japan
- Rainbow Church, Tokyo, Japan
- Issey Miyake Marunouchi, Tokyo, Japan
- Issey Miyake London, London, United Kingdom
The following statistics helped TOKUJIN YOSHIOKA DESIGN achieve 19th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
Featured Projects | 4 |
Total Projects | 5 |
18. Koichiro Oniki / ODS
![© Takumi Ota Photography](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/media/1481701004718HMKG_101_DC51374.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© Takumi Ota Photography
Born in Tokyo in 1977. Graduated from Waseda University with a degree in Architecture and entered Nikken Sekkei in the same year. Later moved to design studio nendo, and worked on projects around the world as spatial design chief director for 10 years.
Established “ODS / Oniki Design Studio” in 2015.
Some of Koichiro Oniki / ODS’s most prominent projects include:
- Hermès Gion-mise, Kyoto, Japan
- Artglorieux, Ginza, Chuo, Japan
- SHIRO Tamagawa, Tokyo, Japan
- STUDIOUS 3rd, Tokyo, Japan
- STUDIOUS USED, Tokyo, Japan
The following statistics helped Koichiro Oniki / ODS achieve 18th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
A+Awards Winner | 1 |
A+Awards Finalist | 1 |
Featured Projects | 2 |
Total Projects | 11 |
17. Jun Mitsui & Associates Inc.
![© Jun Mitsui & Associates Inc.](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/mediadata/projects/232011/c2549485.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© Jun Mitsui & Associates Inc.
Our mission is to contribute to society through exciting urban planning and architecture. We are committed to creating varied experiences for the users of our developments while employing environmentally conscious and sustainable design to help establish a safe and comfortable world for future generations.
We have completed numerous international projects with designs based on our combined experiences of both Japanese and American culture. Drawing upon the creative talents and international savvy of our team, we seek to contribute to the enhancement of the built environment and to the creation of cities and architecture worldwide.
Some of Jun Mitsui & Associates Inc.’s most prominent projects include:
- DE BEERS Ginza Building, Ginza, Chuo, Japan
- The Jewels of Aoyama, Minato, Japan
- The Ice Cubes, Jingūmae, Shibuya-ku, Japan
- The Yellow Diamond, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
The following statistics helped Jun Mitsui & Associates Inc. achieve 17th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
Featured Projects | 4 |
Total Projects | 4 |
16. Endo Architect and Associates
![© Endo Architect and Associates](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/media/mediadata/uploads/1543395467580LAS03.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© Endo Architect and Associates
Architecture is “current circumstance”. The built form is thus an integrated part of its environment. I do not just make architecture as an object, but I wish to involve the surrounding context, influence others, and design something like a mass of air which wraps around architecture, people, and activities all together. It is more than an action to express architecture, but also an action to mark the “current” time using architecture as a resource.
The importance in designing this “current circumstance” in each region is to know what the “social capital” is in that area. A lot of the community has not realised their value and therefore they have not known the existence of their “social capital”. They are too close to understand themselves what their capital is. Architects today, when designing as professionals, are required to find the regions’ social capital and report back to the community. I believe that those important social capital needs to be utilised and well expressed through its architecture.
Some of Endo Architect and Associates’s most prominent projects include:
- Villa in Tsurudamari, Nagano, Japan
- Anniversary Hall University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- La Cienega West, Nagano, Japan
- Homigaoka Kindergarten, Toyota, Japan
- Villa in Miyama, Nagano, Japan
The following statistics helped Endo Architect and Associates achieve 16th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
Featured Projects | 4 |
Total Projects | 6 |
15. aoydesign
![© aoydesign](https://blog.architizer.com/wp-content/themes/architizer/assets/images/blank.png)
© aoydesign
By increasing dialogue, we aim to be a building that is suitable for that place and that person, and that you can feel attached not only to the client but also to the city. We value the texture and texture that increases our presence over time. We are designing as a couple, so we will propose from various perspectives. We also help you find properties such as land and condominiums from the perspective of architects. I try to design carefully, believing in work that can reach my hands and heart. We can’t accept a lot of work at the same time, so it may take a little time, but please feel free to contact us.
Some of aoydesign’s most prominent projects include:
- Museo Hair Salon, Osaka, Japan
- Sakae Aromatic
- Kashi-Kobo Yodogawa, Komatsu, Japan
- h14k, Saitama, Japan
- h17t, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
The following statistics helped aoydesign achieve 15th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
Featured Projects | 4 |
Total Projects | 7 |
14. Fumihiko Sano Studio
![© Fumihiko Sano Studio](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/media/1402541256222002.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© Fumihiko Sano Studio
Born on 1981 in Nara Prefecture. Sano began his career as an apprentice as a Sukiya carpenter at Nakamura Souji Komuten in Kyoto. After working at a design office, he created an independent studio in 2011. Utilizing the construction methods, materials, and sense of space gained from the onsite experience, Sano utilizes the Japanese culture of today as a basis for concepts and designs.
In 2016, he visited 16 countries around the world and carried out a project to create a tea room as a place of hospitality in each location. Aiming to create new value for the culture of various regions, he continues to carry out cross-disciplinary works in architecture, interior design, product design, and artwork.
Some of Fumihiko Sano Studio’s most prominent projects include:
- MoyaMoya, Higashikurume, Japan
- En yu-An, Taito, Japan
- MIWA, Paris, France
- Material Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
- Shichu no Sankyo, Ginza, Chūō-ku, Japan
The following statistics helped Fumihiko Sano Studio achieve 14th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
Featured Projects | 4 |
Total Projects | 9 |
13. Nikkei Housing System
![© NIKKEN HOUSING SYSTEM LTD](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/media/mediadata/uploads/1676354327958009_Facade_Entrance.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© NIKKEN HOUSING SYSTEM LTD
Since Nikkei Housing System was founded in 1970, we have built about 100,000 housing as a professional architecture firm. We are holding an exhibit to think over the past, present, and future of dwelling units with a spotlight on our representative projects since our foundation and how they have changed over the past 50 years as they respond to what’s expected of housing by the new generations, society as a whole, and people at the time.
Some of Nikkei Housing System’s most prominent projects include:
- BAMBOO LAMINATED LUMBER STRUCTURE
- CHARM PREMIER GRAND GOTENYAMA II, Tokyo, Japan
- Wellcare Garden Fukasawa, Tokyo, Japan
- CHARM PREMIER Kakinokizaka, Tokyo, Japan
- PROUD Ebisu Hillside Garden, Tokyo, Japan
The following statistics helped Nikkei Housing System achieve 13th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
A+Awards Finalist | 2 |
Featured Projects | 5 |
Total Projects | 11 |
12. Takashi Yamaguchi & Associates
![© Takashi Yamaguchi & Associates](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/mediadata/projects/222011/3b0221c8.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© Takashi Yamaguchi & Associates
Takashi Yamaguchi & Associates was established by architect and architectural theorist Takashi Yamaguchi. The firm has designed a breadth of structures, from residential homes to spaces of devotion.
Some of Takashi Yamaguchi & Associates’s most prominent projects include:
- MOGANA, Kyoto, Japan
- White Temple, Kyoto, Japan
- Glass Temple, Kyoto, Japan
- Breathing Factory, Takatsuki, Japan
- House in Ise, Mie Prefecture, Japan
The following statistics helped Takashi Yamaguchi & Associates achieve 12th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
A+Awards Finalist | 1 |
Featured Projects | 4 |
Total Projects | 9 |
11. YUUA
![© YUUA](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/media/142627791727919105_02_50917.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© YUUA
YUUA is a first-class licensed architectural firm located in a 100-year-old traditional Japanese townhouse in the quaint neighborhood of Koenji, Tokyo. We place great importance on the dialogue with our clients to create the narrative of every design together, adjusted to the user and location. We offer multilingual design, consulting and supervision services for a wide range buildings and spaces. Through our design, we hope to create value for both the city and society. From a single apartment renovation to large real estate development, please feel free to contact us with your inquiries.
Some of YUUA’s most prominent projects include:
- 1.8-M Width House, Toshima, Japan
- 360° House, Sapporo, Japan
- NOIE -cooperative house-, Nakano, Japan
- coniwa -cooperative house-, Tokyo, Japan
- In-Between Dwelling, Tokyo, Japan
The following statistics helped YUUA achieve 11th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
A+Awards Winner | 1 |
A+Awards Finalist | 3 |
Featured Projects | 6 |
Total Projects | 5 |
10. Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP
![© Photo.Koji Fujii / Nacasa&Partners Inc](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/media/1488910736449b0cc63cd-5b5d-4a73-8703-6f332870b49c.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© Photo.Koji Fujii / Nacasa&Partners Inc
Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP was established in 2002 by Hiroshi Nakamura. He believes in constructing an organic relationship between “architecture, nature, and the body” through “microscopic design” that is close to natural phenomena, people’s behavior, and emotional movements. And we aim to harmonize them with “architecture that can only be found there” based on the history, culture, industry, materials, etc. of the region. In recent years, he has found the essence of this in traditional Japanese architecture and garden culture, and is working to reconstruct them.
Some of Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP’s most prominent projects include:
- Sayama Forest Chapel, Tokorozawa, Japan
- Ribbon Chapel, Onomichi, Japan
- Kamikatz Public House, Tokushima, Japan
- Bird’s Nest Atami, Atami, Japan
The following statistics helped Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP achieve 10th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
A+Awards Winner | 2 |
A+Awards Finalist | 2 |
Featured Projects | 4 |
Total Projects | 4 |
9. TDSTUDIO
![© TDSTUDIO](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/media/145550731180703.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© TDSTUDIO
tdstudio is a small, collaborative, and diverse international architectural office based in Tokyo. At tdstudio (Tsushima Design Studio), we strive to create more memorable and enchanting spaces through the utilization of trans-formative architecture. Through thoughtful transformations of the projects site, existing structures, architectural landscapes, and the surrounding environment we are able to create an overall clarity within our architectural projects which helps us to define more “TANGIBLE SPACES.”
In all of our projects we are committed to the creation of Architecture which sensitive to its surroundings not only now, but also throughout the lifetime of the building and beyond. Programmatic functioning, site conditions, regional context, the surrounding environment, as well as local culture’s and technologies are all carefully studied and implemented into each individual project.
Some of TDSTUDIO’s most prominent projects include:
- Mei Zhou Church, Hangzhou, China
- Y-House, Japan
- Tianzhu Marketing Center, Beijing, China
- Shanghai Wujifang, Shanghai, China
- N-House, Tokyo, Japan
The following statistics helped TDSTUDIO achieve 9th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
Featured Projects | 6 |
Total Projects | 6 |
8. Yohei Kawashima architects inc.
![© Daici Ano](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/media/mediadata/uploads/1630912578767jnin_012.jpeg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© Daici Ano
Yohei Kawashima architects was founded in 2014 by Youhei Kawashima and is based in Tokyo, Japan. The firm is well versed in the design of large-scale apartment buildings as well as retail architecture.
Some of Yohei Kawashima architects inc.’s most prominent projects include:
- M_building, Miyakojima, Japan
- JINS Sendai Izumi, Sendai, Japan
- O_apartment, Miyakojima, Japan
- S_apartment, Miyakojima, Japan
- N_apartment, Miyakojima, Japan
The following statistics helped Yohei Kawashima architects inc. achieve 8th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
Featured Projects | 6 |
Total Projects | 10 |
7. kasa architects
![© kasa architects](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/media/mediadata/uploads/1572534242362S-0498.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© kasa architects
We want to create places, not buildings. We share our clients’ ideas and wishes, discovering the joys and comforts of a new way of life. We value the qualities of a place, and we want to create rich spaces by pursuing the possibilities of architecture.
Some of kasa architects’s most prominent projects include:
- Share House Funabashi, Japan
- house in kodaira, Japan
- house in ageo, Japan
- house komoro, Komoro, Japan
- house koenji, Tokyo, Japan
The following statistics helped kasa architects achieve 7th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
Featured Projects | 6 |
Total Projects | 18 |
6. Akira Koyama + KEY OPERATION INC. / ARCHITECTS
![© Akira Koyama + KEY OPERATION INC. / ARCHITECTS](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/mediadata/projects/212011/bea6a11c.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© Akira Koyama + KEY OPERATION INC. / ARCHITECTS
Our aim is to find the simplest and the most innovative space composition, construction method or other architectural technique that does tackle the different problems and give a coherent, clever, logical solution. In order to do so, we will investigate and analyze the customer’s requirements, observe the urban context, understand the social interactions, acknowledge local history, culture, regulations and natural environment, study building materials and techniques.
Some of Akira Koyama + KEY OPERATION INC. / ARCHITECTS’s most prominent projects include:
- yotsuya tenera, Tokyo, Japan
- Fudomae Apartment with Six Voids, Meguro City, Japan
- Sakuragicho Residence, Yokohama, Japan
- House Taishido
- Komachi Building, Shibuya, Japan
The following statistics helped Akira Koyama + KEY OPERATION INC. / ARCHITECTS achieve 6th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
A+Awards Winner | 2 |
A+Awards Finalist | 2 |
Featured Projects | 7 |
Total Projects | 24 |
5. Florian Busch Architects
![© Florian Busch Architects](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/mediadata/projects/162012/2ee87a2b.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© Florian Busch Architects
Florian Busch Architects is an office practicing architecture, urbanism, and socio-cultural analysis. Based in Tokyo, FBA draws on a worldwide network of expert consultants, architects and engineers, accumulating several decades of experience in the ἀeld of building. Understanding architecture as the result of interactions between multiple ἀelds, FBA, from the outset of any project, devises speciἀc strategies working in feedback processes with a diversity of consultants to drive the project towards solutions beyond the imagined.
Florian Busch Architectural Design Office is an office that engages in research on architecture, urban planning, society and culture. Based in Tokyo, we have a network of numerous engineers who have decades of experience and trust in the architectural world.
Some of Florian Busch Architects’s most prominent projects include:
- House in Takadanobaba, Tokyo, Japan
- House in the Forest, Hokkaido, Japan
- ‘A’ House in Kisami, Shimoda, Japan
- L House in Hirafu, Abuta District, Japan
- House that Opens up to its Inside, Yūkarigaoka, Sakura, Japan
The following statistics helped Florian Busch Architects achieve 5th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
Featured Projects | 11 |
Total Projects | 15 |
4. emmanuelle moureaux INC.
![© Daisuke Shima](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/mediadata/projects/172011/fcd7bbaf.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© Daisuke Shima
Born in 1971, France. Emmanuelle Moureaux is a French architect living in Tokyo since 1996, where she established “emmanuelle moureaux architecture + design” in 2003. Inspired by the layers and colors of Tokyo that built a complex depth and density on the street, and the Japanese traditional spatial elements like sliding screens, she has created the concept of “shikiri”, which literally means “dividing (creating) space with colors”. She uses colours as three-dimensional elements, like layers, in order to create spaces, not as a finishing touch applied on surfaces.
Some of emmanuelle moureaux INC.’s most prominent projects include:
- Forest of Numbers, Tokyo, Japan
- Sugamo Shinkin Bank / Shimura Branch, Azusawa, Itabashi-ku, Japan
- Sugamo Shinkin Bank / Nakaaoki Branch, Kawaguchi, Japan
- 100 colors no.35, Kurashiki, Japan
- 100 colors no.37, Oslo, Norway
The following statistics helped emmanuelle moureaux INC. achieve 4th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
A+Awards Winner | 2 |
A+Awards Finalist | 2 |
Featured Projects | 14 |
Total Projects | 24 |
3. Nendo
![© Nendo](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/media/1394493253615roof_and_mushrooms04_daici_ano.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© Nendo
Giving people a small “!” moment. There are so many small “!” moments hidden in our everyday, but we don’t recognize them, and even when we do, we tend to unconsciously reset our minds and forget what we’ve seen. But we believe these small “!” moments are what make our days so interesting—so rich. That’s why we want to reconstitute the everyday by collecting and reshaping them into something that’s easy to understand. We’d like the people who’ve encountered nendo’s designs to feel these small “!” moments intuitively. That’s nendo’s job.
Some of Nendo’s most prominent projects include:
- Tenri Station Plaza CoFuFun, Tenri, Japan
- Kaleidoscopic Ivy, Japan
- kojimachi terrace, Tokyo, Japan
- Top image: Stairway House, Tokyo, Japan
- Roof and Mushrooms Pavilion, Kyoto, Japan
The following statistics helped Nendo achieve 3rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
Featured Projects | 21 |
Total Projects | 17 |
2. NIKKEN SEKKEI LTD
![© Eiichi Kano](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/media/mediadata/uploads/1697527154843AI_TOWER_27_Eiichi_Kano.jpg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© Eiichi Kano
At Nikken Sekkei, we take an integrated approach to our projects as a professional service firm. Across all in-house disciplines of architectural design: urban design, research, planning and consulting — our teams work collaboratively to deliver better solutions for clients.
Some of NIKKEN SEKKEI LTD’s most prominent projects include:
- Showa Gakuin Elementary School West Wing, Ichikawa, Japan
- JR Kumamoto Railway Station Building, Kumamoto, Japan
- Ariake Gymnastics Centre, Tokyo, Japan
- On the water, Nikko, Japan
- Yamato Konan Building, Tokyo, Japan
The following statistics helped NIKKEN SEKKEI LTD achieve 2nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
A+Awards Winner | 3 |
A+Awards Finalist | 9 |
Featured Projects | 26 |
Total Projects | 40 |
1. Kengo Kuma and Associates
![© Kengo Kuma and Associates](https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/media/1394548368838YWBM_for_web_03.jpeg?fit=max&w=1680&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip)
© Kengo Kuma and Associates
Kengo Kuma was born in 1954. He established Kengo Kuma & Associates in 1990. He is currently a University Professor and Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo after teaching at Keio University and the University of Tokyo. KKAA projects are currently underway in more than 50 countries. Kengo Kuma proposes architecture that opens up new relationships between nature, technology, and human beings. His major publications include Zen Shigoto(Kengo Kuma – the complete works, Daiwa Shobo), Ten Sen Men (“point, line, plane”, Iwanami Shoten), Makeru Kenchiku (Architecture of Defeat, Iwanami Shoten), Shizen na Kenchiku (Natural Architecture, Iwanami Shinsho), Chii-sana Kenchiku (Small Architecture, Iwanami Shinsho) and many others.
Some of Kengo Kuma and Associates’s most prominent projects include:
- Teahouse in Coal Harbour, Vancouver, Canada
- Botanical Pavilion, Melbourne, Australia
- V&A Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
- MASSIMODECARLO Pièce Unique, Paris, France
- Darling Square, Sydney, Australia
The following statistics helped Kengo Kuma and Associates achieve 1st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Tokyo:
A+Awards Winner | 5 |
A+Awards Finalist | 2 |
Featured Projects | 46 |
Total Projects | 47 |
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An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlighted
A Guide to Project Awards
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- Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value
- High quality, in focus photographs
- At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building
- Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings
- Inclusion of construction photographs
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