From a box to a space.
Chowa began as a kiri-bako practice, partnering with prestigious brands to share the value of Japanese craft through the humble box. Kiri-bako remains the heart of our story.
Yet many who visited our TriBeCa showroom for the boxes asked for more: the same harmony, throughout their homes. In response, we acquired Serious Construction, the builder behind our showroom founded by Yudai Kanayama, and formed Chowa Space.
Today we design, build, furnish, decorate, and style private homes, stores, and restaurants from beginning to end, a practice we call Interior Art. Each project is a unique work, serial numbered like a piece of art.
Our woodshop in Brooklyn is where our team builds every piece of original furniture and millwork for our spaces. Making it ourselves lets us control each detail, from raw timber to final installation.
Through our space projects, we began developing a furniture line with partner factories in Japan and Finland. Most pieces are made for our own spaces, but we are preparing to make them available for purchase soon.
As Chowa grows into a lifestyle brand, our own spaces have become central to telling its story. Each one conveys, directly or quietly, the delicate craft of kiri-bako. These are the four locations we operate in New York City and Tokyo.
Featured in The New York Times. A phone-free, photo-free Brooklyn teahouse and design shop, with exclusive events and guided tours available on request.
Our first space, overlooking downtown New York from TriBeCa. Designed to showcase the spirit of craftsmanship behind our kiri-bako and box works.
Our first Tokyo project, set in the former residence of Prime Minister Takeo Miki. A great honor, now home to private hosting and tea ceremony.
Our second Tokyo space and our first open to the public. Exceptional cocktails and warm energy, built around one idea: tell your mother you love her.
A launch event in collaboration with The Mercer Hotel in New York. Every detail was crafted for a single night.
A luxury retreat in the attic of an original Shaker house in Old Chatham, New York, in harmony with Shaker craft.
A private residence in Silo Ridge, an exclusive community in Amenia, New York. Designed for our very first client.
A private space in Daikanyama, Tokyo, home to a James Turrell artwork. Completed in December 2025.
Since 2024, Ray Suzuki and Yudai Kanayama have taken more than 12 projects from first sketch to completion, working alongside licensed architects, industry specialists, and leading artists. Their exacting, distinctly Chowa approach has been featured in The New York Times, Monocle, and more prestigious publications. They shape each space around the client's vision while keeping full control of its making, which they believe is the only way to deliver a project that succeeds for both sides.
Yudai brings a decade of building and running his own New York restaurants. After graduating from FIT, he founded The Izakaya in the East Village, a gathering place for the culture and fashion world, followed by Dr. Clark in Chinatown, whose outdoor kotatsu tables drew wide attention during the pandemic. Frustrated by local contractors, he founded Serious Construction, acquired by Chowa in 2024. He leads construction on site alongside our carpenters, and with his wife runs Subject, a respected American antiques dealing house.
Ray leads the details of design language of Chowa Space. His pursuit of chowa, harmony between Japanese tradition and the classic and contemporary spirit of New York, shapes every project. A background in graphic and motion design gives his spaces their precise proportions, graphic detail, and deliberate pairing of materials. Ray translates ideas into technical drawings and realistic build plans, working with architects and furniture designers, and directs carpenters on site until each detail is resolved.