Japanese artist Yukihiro Akama makes beautiful hand-carved wooden houses. In his workshop in rural Yorkshire, he had lined up a row of small houses for me to look at. All in different stages of completion. Tall or squat, curved or geometric, textured or sometimes charred, they create a neat, calm and decidedly magical street. Although each one is unique, Akama has a distinctive style.
Akama moved to England with his family in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. This massive 9.0-magnitude undersea earthquake off the coast of northeastern Japan triggered a devastating tsunami that caused widespread destruction, over 15,000 deaths, and the Fukushima nuclear disaster. The irony of being driven to make imaginary homes and villages is not lost on me.
I’m sure art teachers need little guidance to see how his sculptures could inspire art projects in school. He told me that teachers have already sent him photographs of their students work. With ideas and projects already formulating in my mind, I wanted to know more about his background, influences and process. There is a free presentation at the bottom of this post for art teachers to use in the classroom.
Akama had already completed an architectural degree and was embarking on a career in architecture when the 2011 tsunami hit and changed his path. Buildings were already his calling.
I asked whether he felt his wooden houses were influenced by Japanese architecture. He replied that they stem from his imagination, though his travels around Asia may have played a role in shaping them. However, he did point out one particular design—a low structure with a curved roof—which he acknowledged as being inspired by Japan.
I wondered if he had been influenced by any other artists and he talked about his interest in Japanese architect Terunobu Fujimori. Below is a house by Fujimori and the connection is clear.
Akama was kind enough to share pages from his sketchbooks. Neatly imagined houses sit in an empty landscape. Little pointed roofs, stilts and beams and tiny windows litter every page. They have a very otherworldly feel.
He showed me some blocks of wood where he had started to sketch out the outlines of some houses, explaining that he would first cut out the large areas using a jigsaw and then carve by hand and use a variety of hand tools to create different textures.
Some of the houses he creates are burnt with a blow torch, some varnished, some white-washed, some rendered with a mixture of clay and sand.
Below, we can see a shelf of houses in-progress, cut and shaped and ready for their surfaces to be detailed and textured.
More miniature worlds by Yukihiro Akama.
Yukihiro Akama’s work offers a refreshing return to something simpler in a world that increasingly leans towards digital, screen-focused, and AI-driven interactions. His intricate, handmade sculptures of miniature homes evoke a sense of nostalgia and timeless beauty, reminding us of the value in craftsmanship and the appeal of natural materials. The meticulous care and attention to detail in each piece make them not just art, but a reminder of the value of craftsmanship. His popularity, therefore, may lie in our collective yearning for authenticity in an era that often feels disconnected. Akama’s work is a celebration of the handcrafted and the human touch—qualities that continue to captivate audiences across the globe.
Click the image below to access the free presentation about Yukihiro Akama’s work and/or the Card Constructed Homes project.
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