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Shinichiro Ogata

  • Tokyo, Japan

Reimagining Japanese heritage through contemporary design, architecture, and ritual.

The Bio

Shinichiro Ogata was born in Nagasaki, on Japan’s west coast. In 1998, he founded his creative studio Simplicity, which became a space to explore a wide range of practices—from restaurants and tea houses to interiors, objects, and custom architecture. Later, he created OGATA, a brand conceived not as a label but as a way to share a way of being—one deeply rooted in Japanese aesthetics, craftsmanship, and ritual, extending across spaces, objects, and lived experiences.

Today, Ogata lives and works between Tokyo and Paris. Across everything he does, he brings a deep respect for natural materials, time, and the quiet intelligence of craft. He doesn’t see himself as a traditional architect, but rather as a cultural translator — someone who carries the spirit and heritage of Japanese making into different contexts, shaping architecture, spaces, and experiences that feel both grounded and timeless.

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Get In Touch

The Products
  • Suiteki Suiteki
    • Suiteki
    • 380 EUR
    • Shinichiro Ogata
    • ex. VAT
  • NUNOGI Vase NUNOGI Vase
    • NUNOGI Vase
    • 1.375 EUR
    • Shinichiro Ogata
    • ex. VAT
  • NUNOGI Three Tier Box NUNOGI Three Tier Box
    • NUNOGI Three Tier Box
    • 1.760 EUR
    • Shinichiro Ogata
    • ex. VAT
  • Copper Cup Tower Copper Cup Tower
    • Copper Cup Tower
    • 18.000 EUR
    • Shinichiro Ogata
    • ex. VAT

The Conversation with Ogata san

You were born in Japan, a place where tradition and craft are deeply intertwined. What do you remember most vividly from your childhood that still influences your design philosophy today?

I was raised in an environment rich in nature, surrounded by mountains, the sea, and rivers.

Born and raised in Nagasaki—a place that has long served as a gateway for Western culture, as seen in its historical ties with Portugal—I grew up within a layered cultural landscape.

Although I was not consciously aware of it in my early years, living in a place shaped by the continuous encounter of different cultures naturally cultivated an openness toward perspectives beyond Japan, and a quiet sensibility to receive, reinterpret, and carry them forward in my own way.

Who or what first inspired you to design? 

There was no single individual in particular, but I was deeply influenced by the innovative cultural movements that emerged in New York during the 1990s. The city’s energy, shaped by its urban density and constant experimentation, offered a sensibility that felt both raw and refined, leaving a lasting impression on how I perceive contemporary culture.

My work is my sense of purpose. As one individual, being engaged in the act of carrying a culture forward—connecting it to future generations—is my ikigai.

You often speak about the balance between the visible and the invisible. How do you approach that balance when designing a space or an object? 

I believe that by allowing for what is seemingly nothing, what truly exists becomes visible. Absence is not a lack, but a necessary condition for presence to emerge—an understanding rooted in the concept of zero. Meaning quietly reveals itself through 空 (Kū), 間 (Ma), and 無 (Mu).

I always position myself as the one who experiences, connecting everything through a human, lived sensibility.

Is there a message you hope your work will continue to carry after you?

OGATA’s purpose is to create a virtuous cycle in which natural resources and the environment are protected, while people are able to live rich, meaningful lives.

Rooted in a culture born in Japan that values living in harmony with nature, OGATA seeks to extend this sensibility beyond borders. In the face of today’s global environmental challenges, I believe this is the most urgent priority. 

Beyond distinctions of East and West, culture or religion, it is essential for humanity - that people and nature coexist and thrive together, allowing all of us to live with true depth and fulfillment.