A Platform for Living
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One North Face tent sits atop a deck; another caps the main building, which contains a kitchen and dining area.Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
A view of the mountains from the village of Kawakami, en route to the Kobayashis’ property.Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
The long, lean Kobayashi complex includes a bathroom and storage room in the structure on the far right.Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
The rooftop tent can be accessed from the interior via a wooden ladder or—for the more athletic—via a series of wall-mounted climbing holds, made by Vock and carved from persimmon-tinted hardwood.Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
The couple stockpiles wood under the deck.Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
Translucent fiberglass panel walls form a permeable, fiber-reinforced plastic membrane between indoors and out.Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
Setsumasa and Mami Kobayashi are ready for adventure.Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
Mami and Ishii Hideaki (a friend and .......Research employee) prepare lunch in the cozy main building. The room is rustic and utilitarian, with a double-decker wood-burning stove, tons of open storage, and a sink fashioned from galvanized buckets. But there’s an underlying high-design ethos: The wire baskets are handmade classics from Korbo, a Swedish company, and what looks like a paper-wrapped box in front of the stove is actually a leather cushion by Japanese artist Nakano.Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
A view of the surrounding tree canopy.Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
Inside one of the Kobayashis' North Face tents.Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
Scenes from a weekend in the woods feature many .......Research products, including camping cookware and striped wool blankets.Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
Designed by Shin Ohori of General Design Co., the structure—Setsumasa bristles at the word “house,” since his desire was for something that “was not a residence”Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
Food is served in traditional camping cookware.Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
Setsumasa and Hideaki toss on the rain fly. The solar panel in the foreground supplies daytime electricity.Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
A stockpile of wood sheltered from the elements.Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
Mami and Goo the Kishu dog return from a frolic in the forest, which the couple, along with Hideaki, has thinned and trimmed back over many weekends. It’s an idyllic escape and a world away from the concrete expanse of Tokyo.Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
When the Kobayashis arrive, first step is unloading their truck.Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
Even in cold weather, they open the sliding doors to let the fresh air in.Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
The building that shelters their bathroom also contains a large pantry and storage closet, filled to the brim with camping and outdoor gear.Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
A peek inside the bathroom, where a raised topographic map doubles as reading material and travel inspiration.Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
The yellow North Face tent looms over the top of the main building.Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
Setsumasa Kobayashi reclines on a striped wool blanket from his 2010 'Horse Blanket Research' line.Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
A weekend visitor packs up his gear in the morning.Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
Weekends at the retreat are relaxed, consisting mostly of chopping firewood or sitting around the fire pit on the deck.Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
The dreadlocked Ishii Hideaki grins at the gate to the Kobayashi's property.Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
The ultimate luxury: a hot bath in the clawfoot tub, with the fiberglass door open wide to the woods.Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
Hideaki and Goo the dog scout the scene.Photo by: Dean Kaufman -
A solar array (on the left-hand side of the photo) powers the lights and outlets (and laptops) during the day.Photo by: Dean Kaufman
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