Irumagawa Niko Niko Terrace

This store is inside a riverside park located in Sayama city, northwest of Tokyo. This park is a spot for hanami (the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers) and events. 

The building was designed to maximize daylighting and at the same time provide a good view of the park and the cherry trees nearby. The terrace seats can accommodate parents watching over their kids playing in the playground next to the building. 

The timber used in the ceiling (inside and outside)  and in the hand-painted art was sourced locally. This timber is known in Japan as Nishikawa-zai, wood produced in Saitama for centuries that “came from the river west of Edo (Tokyo)”, the river now called Irumagawa that runs in front of this store.