The Ritz-Carlton Reserve portfolio has expanded, with the opening of a premium all-season alpine resort at one of Japan's top winter sports destinations in Hokkaido. Owned by YTL Hotels, the 50-room Higashiyama Niseko Village resort is the first Japanese Ritz-Carlton Reserve and YTL's fifth destination in Niseko Village, residing at the base of Mount Niseko Annupuri with panoramic mountain views. Niseko Village has been selected as the venue for some

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has opened a new luxury resort and spa in Japan, expanding its luxury Asia Pacific portfolio into the historic mountain region of Nikko. Nikken Sekki led the architecture for the overall project, while rooms and public spaces were designed by Layan Architects + Designers. The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko, showcases a new spa designed to be an urban sanctuary of wellness inspired by the abundance of natural revitalising

Warner Bros. has revealed plans to develop a Harry Potter studio tour attraction in Japanese capital Tokyo. To be located on the grounds of the Toshimaen Amusement Park in the city's Nerima ward, the attraction will become the second Harry Potter studio site, following the opening of the inaugural Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, UK. Since its launch in 2012, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of

Arii Irie Architects have created a 69sq m (743sq ft) gym in Tokyo, Japan, with a transparent PVC partition that creates two distinct areas, without giving the sense of having reduced the already limited space. Cell Tokyo is so-called for its focus on conditioning from the cellular level, with the gym offering nutritional counselling, hydrogen gas inhalation and blood sampling equipment in addition to conventional physical training. Like a cell

Atelier Tsuyoshi Tane Architects' (ATTA) design for the GYRE.FOOD restaurant in Tokyo, Japan, places diners in a forest-like environment of soil and lush greenery to encourage thought about the planet, the climate and where food comes from. GYRE.FOOD is located in a 1,000sq m (10,800sq ft) top-floor space of the MVRDV -designed GYRE complex, which opened in 2007 and comprises five stacked and spiralled boxes. The GYRE name is taken

Designer Jean-Michel Gathy has created a 3D origami-inspired feature wall for Four Seasons ' spa sanctuary in its upcoming hotel in Japan – called Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi. Dominating the spa lobby, the flowing paper structure appears to billow and sweep outwards and has been designed to calm guests as they enter the spa. Gathy’s work is inspired by Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake’s flowing fabrics, as captured

Takeru Shoji Architects (TSA) have created a house in Tsurugasone, Japan, that uses its own lack of self-sufficiency and open, permeable spaces to engage the local community and create opportunities for socialising. Hara House comprises 166sq m (1,787sq ft) vinyl-covered timber frame structure and is based on a simple tent-like triangular shape, but with additional forms of the shape projecting outwards at 90 degrees to its main body. These origami-like

Kerry Hill Architects have designed a spa and wellness resort on a mountainside in Hokkaido – their fourth resort in Japan for hotel operator Aman, following the opening of Aman Kyoto. The Aman Niseko resort is to be an all-season retreat situated among the mountain, forest and river surroundings of Mount Moiwa. It is designed to take advantage of the setting by framing the forest and mountain scenery from inside

Construction of Japan's New National Stadium, which was designed by Kengo Kuma and will be the centrepiece of next year's Olympic Games, has been completed. The stadium will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games, as well as sporting events for their duration. Covering an area of 72,400sq m (780,000sq ft), it has a capacity of around 60,000, with the potential for that to be increased to around

Hotel operator Aman has opened a third resort in Japan that has been designed by the late architect Kerry Hill and his team to capitalise on its lush forest surroundings. The 26-room Aman Kyoto, announced in February, is situated in a hidden garden close to Kinkaky-ji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, near the centre of the prefecture. The 80ac (32ha) Aman Kyoto site comprises 72ac (29ha) of permanent forest

Work has begun on Heatherwick Studio’s latest project in Asia – a landscaped, giant "pergola" in central Tokyo. The mixed-use project will form the heart of Tokyo’s Toranomon-Azabudai district and will sit next to Japan's tallest skyscraper. Heatherwick has been tasked with creating a public realm and a number of low-rise blocks for a development which also includes a 6,000sq m central landscaped square, offices, residential space, retail units, a

Australian architecture group Architectus and interior design practice Wilson Associates (WA) have completed the expansive Skye Niseko resort in Hokkaido, Japan. Situated opposite the Mt. Fuji-lookalike Mt. Yotei, the 105-key hotel boasts a variety of wellness amenities, including three onsen spas, a float tank (said to be the first in Hokkaido), and a gym. Highlights of the spa menu include a number of bodywork services, massage treatments, facials, and stress

DP Architects and interior design specialists Ilya Corporation have joined up to create the Woodleigh Residences – a sprawling, Zen-inspired living community in Singapore. Situated amidst the 10-hectare Biddari Park and the privately accessible Alkaff Lake, the new housing development will boast 667 two- to four-bedroom condos, a swimming pool, and various Japanese-style wellness amenities, including an onsen spa, meditation pavilions, and tatami rooms. Other features of the property will

Tokyo-based architecture studio Line-Inc have transformed a 1930s-era hotel in Hokkaido, Japan into the Unwind Hotel and Bar Otaru. Erstwhile known as the Etchuya Hotel, the building was originally designed by Japanese architect Kuniharu Karasawa, who devised its master plan during the country's pre-war period to appeal to foreign tourists. The site was later purchased by real estate developer Global Agents, which subsequently commissioned Line-Inc to restore the space to

London-based designer Afroditi Krassa has unveiled renderings of her latest project, Lucky Cat – a new dining concept from British celebrity chef and gastronome, Gordon Ramsay. The flagship – Ramsay's first major London restaurant in over a decade – has been described as an "eating house" and "late-night lounge" and will feature a number of Japanese-inspired decorative and structural elements, such as bamboo panelling, indigo fabrics, and sculptures of whimsical

Frozen, Tangled and Peter Pan are coming to Disney's Tokyo theme park, after the operator announced a multi-billion dollar agreement with the Oriental Land Company for the largest expansion in the history of DisneySea. Expected to open in 2022, the development, which has been budgeted at ¥250bn (US$2.26bn, €1.95bn, £1.7bn), will see an eighth port comprising three themed areas opened, as well as a new luxury hotel. The port, says

Construction is nearing completion on the only new stadium being built for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. The 16,000-capacity Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium in Iwate Prefecture will host two fixtures at next year’s tournament. It will first open on the 19 August 2018 for a memorial match between the Kamaishi Seawaves Rugby Football Club and Top League side Yamaha Jubilo, in honour of those who lost their lives

A new cultural destination in London, celebrating Japan and funded by its government, has announced its public opening date. Called Japan House London, the new attraction will offer visitors authentic Japanese encounters when it opens on 22 June, with the best in the nation's art, design, gastronomy, innovation and technology. Almost every aspect of the new space has been derived “from source” in Japan. Japanese interior designer – Wonderwall principal

Philippine property firm Revolution Precrafted, which specialises in producing modular pavilions and homes, has struck a deal to build at least 85 design-driven prefabricated holiday villas on the island Miyako in Okinawa, Japan. The company’s range of boutique luxury properties – ranging in size from 23-60sq m (247.5-645.8sq ft) – are designed by some of the world’s best-known architects and designers, including Daniel Libeskind, Christian Portzamparc, Marcel Wanders, Jean Nouvel

A theme park based on The Moomins will open in Japan’s Saitama Prefecture in March 2019, after its developers confirmed construction plans for the nature attraction in the city of Hanno. Called Moomin Valley Park, the attraction will sit on an area around Lake Miyazawako, owing to the area’s resemblance to the nature-rich homeland of the Moomins. The 190,000sq m (2,000,000sq ft) park will celebrate Nordic culture, with plans calling

The Ace Hotel Group has announced it will open its first property in Japan, with architect Kengo Kuma commissioned to design a “monument to the beauty and unique legacy of Kyoto”, transforming the city’s 92-year-old former Central Telephone Office. The company has partnered with the Japanese NTT Urban Development Corporation to open the Ace Hotel Kyoto in winter 2019. Located on the former grounds of the imperial palace, the project

Japanese architecture giants Nikken Sekkei have partnered with construction firm Sumitomo Forest to create the world’s tallest wooden skyscraper, which they hope will inspire the transformation of “cities into forests” around the globe. Located in central Tokyo, the timber tower, tentatively called the W350, is set to be completed by 2041 to celebrate Sumitomo Forest’s 350th anniversary – a milestone that has informed its anticipated height of 350m (1,148ft). The

The Pritzker-winning architect Shigeru Ban has completed the dramatic Mount Fuji World Heritage Center in Japan’s Yamanashi prefecture, with a design that mimics the famous dormant volcano. Located 20 miles southwest of the natural landmark, Ban’s 3,400sq m (36,500sq ft) facility is formed by an inverted latticed timber cone, that appears mountainous when seen in the large reflecting pool at the front of the complex. Inside, exhibitions tell the story

Hotel giant Marriott International has signed a deal with Malaysia-based YTL Hotels as continues its expansion into the Asian luxury market. The deal will see the pair develop new hotels across Asia – one of the fastest growing sectors in the global hospitality industry. During an official ceremony held at The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur, the two companies agreed to develop two luxury hotels in Malaysia under the JW Marriott and

London architects Sybarite have collaborated with a Japanese fashion giant Onward Holdings to create an authentic Japanese soba noodle restaurant overlooking the River Thames. Located on The Strand, Yen invites diners “to step off the busy street into an all-encompassing Japanese experience” created by the design team using Japanese materiality, design cues and construction techniques. The concept of the design is built around Japanese cultural interpretations of nature and space,

Sports and leisure architects Populous have announced the opening of a new office in Tokyo as the firm continues its global expansion. The decision to establish an office in Japan expands Populous’ global footprint to 15 branches worldwide, including six in the Asia-Pacific region. The organisation now has more than 500 employees around the globe. “Japan offers a wealth of opportunity with its strong culture, burgeoning sports scene and as

A Japanese-inspired hotel spa in Germany, billed as the country’s first, has opened among Bavaria’s Alpine peaks. Located in the town of Rottach-Egern, which sits alongside Lake Tegernsee, the Mizu Onsen Spa is inspired by Japanese minimalism – with clean lines, a neutral colour palette and subtle lighting – allowing guests to fully connect with their senses. German practice rgp architekten and New York studio Design MW have used locally-sourced