SPRING IN KYOTO

Through a series of chance encounters, a European family was entrusted with an unoccupied house in Kyoto, a house to be kept for the duration of a spring. Little is known about the current owner, other than that he bought the house, built in the 1930s, some ten years ago, that he owns a cedar forest in the hills north of the city, and that he collects Japanese lacquer objects and furniture.

The initial disconnect felt by the temporary residents faded as a series of daily rituals took hold: morning flower picking, contemplation of the garden from the tea pavilion overlooking the house, reading sessions lying on the ground on tatami mats, the stone access path which is watered to cool the entrance, the paper doors and windows being gently opened and closed according to the time of day.

Neighbors and visiting friends observe with discretion the residents inhabiting the spaces in such an unusual way and watch with mild amusement as their taste for staging develops. The tea ceremony has thus become a tasting of green tea pastries in the music room, to the sound of vinyl records left by the owner inside the house.

Day after day, the family has the impression of feeling in this house the gentle charm of familiar things so present in Yasujiro Ozu's films.

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Photos: Julien T Hamon
Set design: Charlotte de la Grandière
Text: Garnier & Linker

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Featured products
(from up to bottom, left to right)

1_ KAMI round table
2_ KAMI console
3_ KUMO sconce
4_ KURA small sconce
5_ KAMI round table
6_ NEZU large lacquered table lamp
7_ NEZU large lacquered table lamp and GAKU large centerpiece
8_ KAMI cupboard
9_ KAMI KITAYAMA sideboard
10_ KAMI coffee table
11_ KAMI coffee table and MASU boxes
12_ KUMO sconce

A traditional Japanese indoor archery target stand with a circular, beige top, situated inside a room with wooden flooring and walls. A pair of white traditional Japanese archery gloves are placed on a small wooden platform near the bottom right corner.
A traditional Japanese-style room with tatami mats on the floor, wooden framed shoji sliding doors, and an alcove with a small table and a framed artwork leaning against the wall.
Interior with sliding shoji doors, a wall sconce light, wooden accents, and a flower arrangement on a counter.
A room with a table featuring a sculpture resembling a UFO at the center, and a box with a spherical object beside it, with textured wallpaper in the background.
Japanese-style room with tatami mats, a shoji screen window, a wooden platform, a wall-mounted light fixture, and a black rotary phone on the platform.
View from inside a traditional Japanese room looking out through shoji doors to a small, minimalist alcove with a tall, beige ceramic vase on a tatami mat floor, illuminated by soft natural light.
Interior of a traditional Japanese room with tatami mat flooring, wooden cabinetry, a round low table, and some books and a rectangular wooden box on the floor.
A traditional Japanese room with sliding doors, tatami mats on the floor, and wooden accents. In the background, there is a kitchen area with a dark-colored countertop and some utensils or small objects placed on it.
A tabletop display features a picture of two empty glass goblets on a black tray, with a color palette and a white paper with text in the foreground. In the background, there is a wooden table with a magazine or book, a glass of drink, and two stacked books.
A traditional Japanese room with wooden frame and shoji screen, reflecting a garden with trees and foliage outside.
Room with shoji-style window, low table with teapot and glasses, and stack of books on a small shelf.
Interior of a traditional Japanese room with shoji sliding doors, tatami mat flooring, and wooden accents, viewed from an angle.
Traditional Japanese building with tiled roof partly obscured by green and red leaves of nearby trees, with mountains and a cloudy sky in the background.
A small stream flowing through a garden with lush green trees and bushes, a wooden gate in the background, and a tiled roof above. The scene is peaceful and lush, with stepping stones crossing the stream.