Project Name: ITTI OSAKA

Location: Osaka, Japan

Design Team: ninkipen!

Total Floor Area: 83.34 m²

Completion: November 2025

Photography: Hiroki Kawata

Design Features:

Project – Japanese architect Yasuo Imazu of ninkipen! has completed ITTI OSAKA, a minimalist retail space in Osaka that serves as a neutral backdrop for colorful leather goods. The store\'s carefully orchestrated monochromatic palette allows the brand\'s vibrant wallets, bags, and accessories to take center stage.

Imazu achieved a sophisticated visual harmony by calibrating diverse materials within a single ecru tone. Plaster, mosaic tiles, washi paper, limestone, and fabric come together across floors, walls, ceilings, and fixtures to create subtle gradations that animate the space without competing for attention. This meticulous material palette demonstrates how restraint in color can produce richness through texture and tonal variation.

The design deliberately breaks its own rules through strategic interventions. Reclaimed teak timber and polished cedar logs aged over eighty years punctuate the neutral environment, embodying ITTI\'s brand philosophy of being \"neither modern nor classical.\" These natural elements introduce warmth and character while maintaining the space\'s refined aesthetic.

Geometric precision defines the fixture design, where triangular and rectangular columns of varying sizes respond to existing RC columns revealed within wall niches. These architectural elements create a dynamic counterpoint to the organic forms of the leather products displayed upon them. The systematic arrangement of fixtures establishes rhythm and order, transforming the retail environment into a carefully curated gallery.

The resulting interior functions as a blank canvas where individual products emerge as distinct points of interest. This approach reflects a fundamental understanding of retail design: that the architecture should frame rather than overshadow merchandise. By orchestrating materials, limiting color, and balancing geometric fixtures with organic interruptions, Imazu has created a sophisticated environment where customers can discover their perfect accessory amid a sea of possibilities.

Design Team – Founded in 2005 by Yasuo Imazu, ninkipen! is an Osaka-based architectural design firm that has established a distinctive practice centered on material sensitivity and spatial restraint. Operating from Minoh, the studio has built a reputation for creating environments where materials speak through careful calibration rather than bold statements.

Imazu, who graduated from Osaka University with a master\'s degree in architectural engineering in 2001, brings rigorous technical training to his design approach. After gaining professional experience at Endo Takeo Architect and Associates from 2001 to 2005, he established ninkipen! with a clear vision of architecture that balances precision with tactile warmth. His academic involvement as a lecturer at institutions including Osaka University, Kindai University, and Kobe Design University has reinforced the firm\'s commitment to conceptual rigor.

The studio\'s methodology emphasizes material orchestration, creating spatial narratives through subtle gradations and textural relationships. This approach has earned significant recognition, including the JCD Design Award Silver Prize, SDA Award Grand Prix, and the Osaka Architecture Competition Governor\'s Prize. ninkipen!\'s work demonstrates how contemporary Japanese design can honor traditional craftsmanship while embracing minimalist aesthetics. Each project reflects the firm\'s core belief that architecture should provide a refined framework for human experience, allowing spaces to evolve through occupation rather than impose predetermined atmospheres.