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Japanese designer Kohei Takegawa has built a career on the belief that design should do more than just beautify our surroundings—it should enrich our daily lives, spark joy, and foster connection. Raised in Fukuoka, a city known for its blend of urban convenience and natural beauty, Takegawa grew up with a hands-on curiosity about how things are made. From an early age, he found joy in building, crafting, and observing how spaces shape human experience—a curiosity that would later evolve into a deeply considered design practice.
His professional journey took root during his architecture studies in Kobe, where he was mentored by the influential architect Shuhei Endo. It was there that his interest in architecture expanded into a broader mission: to become a designer capable of shaping not only buildings but entire communities. With this vision, Takegawa has developed a body of work that reflects both artistic ingenuity and a keen sensitivity to place.
He has worked with several of Japan’s most respected design studios, including Open A, Riverworks, and Shuhei Endo Institute—each known for tackling creative challenges through bold, award-winning design. Whether through architectural planning, urban revitalization, or product fabrication, Takegawa approaches each project with a deep commitment to sustainability, community engagement, and storytelling.
At Forest Living ISUMI, a hotel and campsite in Chiba, he transformed a neglected woodland into a destination rooted in local materials and eco-conscious thinking. Every deck plank and firewood stack was made from trees harvested on-site. At KOSUGI Core Park, a collaborative initiative between Kawasaki City and Tokyu Corporation, he helped lead the revitalization of a public plaza, designing wooden storefronts and gathering spaces that encourage walkability and spontaneous interaction.
Kohei’s upcycling initiative THROWBACK, part of the SAAI Wonder Working Community in Tokyo, distills his philosophy into objects: industrial waste and forgotten furniture are reimagined and reborn, reflecting his commitment to circular design. Similarly, Street Table Sannomiya in Kobe transforms a station-side plaza into a flexible platform for community life—part experiment, part gathering place.
In all of his work, Takegawa draws inspiration from daily life, city streets, and books on culture, sociology, and design. His approach is intuitive yet rigorous: he begins with an ideal vision, refines it through model-making, and always embeds a story that speaks to the site’s social and historical context.
Now based across Tokyo, Kobe, and Osaka, Kohei Takegawa continues to design spaces that give new function and value to what others overlook. As he seeks to expand his work internationally, it’s clear he is not only a designer of outstanding talent but also a visionary committed to making cities, spaces, and communities more thoughtful, inclusive, and alive.
