Japanmade at 3daysofdesign: Where Japanese Craft Meets Scandinavian Clarity

Discover Japanmade at 3daysofdesign 2026, where OEO Studio curates contemporary Japanese design rooted in craft, material and heritage.

By Catherine Mo | May 14, 2026 | Category design

Conceived by Jens H. Jensen in collaboration with OEO Studio, the Japanmade exhibition at the upcoming 3daysofdesign 2026 in Copenhagen, will bring together a tightly edited selection of Japanese brands that continue to produce locally, working in close alignment with small-scale makers and longstanding craft traditions.

Set within a 75-square-metre space in the Nordhavn district, the exhibition is not expansive, but intentional. It trades scale for clarity, a decision that feels entirely in keeping with its ethos.

Craftsmanship remains central to the MAS furniture collection, with each piece shaped through a meticulous process of woodworking and hand-finishing.

A shared design language

At its core, Japanmade explores the quiet affinities between Japanese and Scandinavian design. Both traditions prioritise restraint, proportion and a deep respect for material.

For OEO Studio, this is not a new conversation. The practice has spent more than two decades working closely with Japanese artisans and manufacturers, developing a design language that moves fluidly between cultures.

Soft natural light and pared-back forms allow the materiality of the timber pieces by MAS to take centre stage in this serene dining setting.

The result is what the studio describes as a form of ‘compelling minimalism,’ an approach that pares back without ever feeling austere, where every detail carries weight. Within the exhibition, that philosophy is expressed spatially. The installation unfolds as a sequence of moments rather than a singular display, each piece positioned to allow for both visual clarity and material appreciation.

The collection’s understated language extends across tables, seating and storage pieces, all united by clean lines and tactile finishes.

Material as narrative

If there is a unifying thread running through Japanmade, it is material intelligence. Lighting studio New Light Pottery, based in Nara, presents sculptural lamps that combine washi paper, glass, ceramics and lacquered brass, materials chosen not for effect, but for their inherent qualities.

Every curve is refined by hand, highlighting the maker-led process behind the collection’s deceptively simple forms.

Nearby, MAS explores the possibilities of Hinoki, a Japanese cypress more commonly associated with construction than furniture. Under the direction of Wataru Kumano, the brand reconsiders the material’s softness and grain, transforming it into pieces that feel both experimental and deeply rooted in tradition.

Elsewhere, Naowashi continues a 300-year-old papermaking practice, using locally grown fibres to produce washi that is both delicate and remarkably strong.

Each contribution reinforces the same idea: that design is not imposed on a material, but drawn from it.

Stacks of sustainably sourced timber speak to the brand’s ongoing commitment to longevity, craftsmanship and responsible production.

Craft, redefined

What is particularly compelling about Japanmade is how it reframes craft. Rather than positioning it as nostalgic or purely decorative, the exhibition presents it as something active; evolving, responsive, relevant.

Brands like Sekisaka demonstrate this shift clearly, translating centuries-old techniques into objects suited to contemporary living.

Deep green stained timber introduces a richer, moodier dimension to the otherwise minimalist collection.

Similarly, Sheep takes a familiar object, the candle, and elevates it through careful material selection and process, using soy wax and essential oils to create products that are as considered as they are functional. In each case, the emphasis is not on ornamentation, but on refinement. On doing less, but doing it better.

Designed to exist in quiet dialogue with nature, the collection’s outdoor pieces embrace simplicity and permanence.

Why it resonates now

There is a reason exhibitions like Japanmade feel particularly relevant at this moment.

As the design industry grapples with questions of sustainability, authenticity and longevity, there is a growing appetite for objects that carry meaning, pieces that reflect not only aesthetic choices, but ethical ones.

Japanmade responds to this shift with clarity. By foregrounding local production, material integrity and close designer-maker relationships, it offers an alternative to more industrialised modes of design.

It suggests that the future of design may lie not in scaling up, but in refining what already exists.

Supporting Japanese craftsmanship and the artisans who keep these traditions alive has been central to New Light Pottery’s mission.

A South African reflection

For South African audiences, the themes explored in Japanmade feel strikingly familiar. There is a long-standing tradition of craftsmanship within the region, from hand-thrown ceramics to woven textiles, that similarly prioritises material, process and locality.

Studios such as Southern Guild and Wiid Design, alongside makers working in clay, wood and fibre, echo many of the same principles seen in the exhibition.

There is also a growing movement towards smaller-scale production, where designers work directly with artisans, often within their own communities with an emphasis less on volume and more on value.

Muted tones and softened edges give these sculptural plastic trays by Sekisaka a distinctly contemporary sensibility.

A quieter kind of influence

As Copenhagen once again becomes the centre of the design world each June, Japanmade offers a counterpoint to the noise, a space defined by clarity, material honesty and a deep respect for craft.

And in doing so, it leaves a lasting impression. Not through scale, but through substance. Japanmade Vol.1, will debut during 3daysofdesign 2026 from 10-12 June at Damfærgevej 2 in Copenhagen.

Credits

Images: Masaaki Inoue, Bouillon; Masaki Ogawa; Tomooki Kengaku; Hiroki Kawata; Kyoto Kataoka