Supported by the Consulate General of Japan in Dubai,
Nikken Sekkei Dubai and SOBOKUYA will present an immersive cultural installation
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, October 2026: Leading Japanese architectural, engineering and urban design firm Nikken Sekkei, one of the world’s largest practices, and Japanese carpentry studio SOBOKUYA will present CHATAI 2.0 at Dubai Design Week 2026. An expanded cultural installation inspired by Japanese culture, community and human connection, the installation will be exhibited from November 3-8 2026.
Supported by the Consulate General of Japan in Dubai, CHATAI 2.0 builds on the award-winning 2025 installation to expand CHATAI from a place to gather into a wider platform for cultural discovery, creative exchange and shared experiences with contributions from more than ten collaborators.
Nikken Sekkei and SOBOKUYA will present an expanded installation centred on the theme of Family, exploring how shared spaces and experiences can nurture existing bonds and foster new connections among visitors. In line with the UAE’s Year of Family 2026, designated under the directive of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, CHATAI 2.0 expands the original tea pavilion into three complementary spaces—CHATAI, MACHIKAN and HANARE—where visitors can gather, make and encounter Japanese culture.
Together, the three spaces form a poetic, interactive installation that brings people together through Japanese craftsmanship, culture and celebration. Visitors of all ages are invited not only to observe, but to participate—building together, sharing tea, making art and celebrating everyday joys, creating lasting memories along the way.
Takashi Manabe, Consul General of Japan in Dubai, commented: “At last year’s Dubai Design Week, ‘CHATAI’ was met with great acclaim, highlighting the power of architecture and design as a means of showcasing Japanese culture. This year, the initiative is set to expand even further, enriching both the design space and its cultural elements. In light of this broader vision, the Consulate-General is delighted to extend its active support.”
Dr. Fadi Jabri, CEO of Nikken Sekkei Dubai, said: “CHATAI 2.0 is inspired by a simple idea that meaningful connections are created when people come together to build, share and celebrate. Through the theme of Family, we wanted to create a welcoming environment where visitors of all generations can gather, experience Japanese culture and take part in creating something together. By combining craftsmanship, cultural exchange and participation, CHATAI 2.0 reflects our belief that design can strengthen communities and create lasting bonds between people. We would like to thank the Consulate General of Japan in Dubai for its support, as well as our collaborators, whose collective expertise and generosity have helped bring CHATAI 2.0 to life.”
Reflecting the collaborative spirit of CHATAI 2.0, the installation brings together contributions from Kvadrat, Panasonic Electric Works Middle East & Africa, Hiroshima Jozai, Dai Nippon Printing, Nakawake Shoei, Dubai Seiyu, Basara Specialty Japanese Tea, sui ho, Japan Style, Moku landscape, Dubai Audio, Jamila Navagharwala and Shohin Bonsai Dubai. Together, they bring Japanese culture to life through craftsmanship, materials, artistic expression and cultural programming, creating an immersive experience for visitors of all ages.
CHATAI combines the intimacy and calm of Japanese tea rooms, Chashitsu, with the conviviality and closeness of Yatai street stalls, showcasing the richness and beauty of Japanese culture through an immersive experience. Reflecting SOBOKUYA’s philosophy of working with nature, its timber structure uses traditional joinery, with precisely cut components and interlocking joints assembled without nails or metal fittings.
A newly added engawa, a veranda, offers space to gather. In collaboration with Danish textile brand Kvadrat, textiles are incorporated into the sudare canopy, noren curtains, and cushions. The space is enriched by illustrated family stories, a Sogetsu ikebana arrangement by Dubai Seiyu, and calligraphy bearing the word Kizuna—meaning the bonds between people. A pathway of 88 furin, wind chimes, brings the familiar sound of Japanese summer into the landscape of Dubai.
MACHIKAN is a celebration of the city, creativity, and the art of coming together. Shared activities bring people together, and the connections they create are at the heart of MACHIKAN. Throughout Dubai Design Week, everyone is welcome to drop by and join in—whether to try something new, share a celebration, or simply spend time together.
Created by PYNT, Nikken Sekkei’s co-creation platform, this year’s edition brings that spirit into dialogue with CHATAI, inviting visitors to experience Japanese art and craftsmanship through collective making and shared encounters.
A long communal table, built together by the people who gather around it, gives this idea a physical form. Using “Tsunagi” clamps provided by Nikken Wood Lab, visitors join pieces of wood to create a shared place for meeting, making, and celebrating. Designed to be easily dismantled, relocated, and reassembled, the table can adapt to different settings and uses. The table is topped with a Textile Tabletop by Kvadrat Really, made from a blend of existing textile waste.
Once assembled, the table becomes a setting for shared experiences of ikebana, tea ceremony, calligraphy, and origami. Visitors are also invited to create Oiwai-fuda—celebration cards expressing a personal occasion or an everyday joy they wish to celebrate.
Displayed together, the cards invite people to discover and share in one another’s celebrations. The table is first built by people, then becomes a place that builds connections between them.
At HANARE, visitors can wear a traditional Japanese haori jacket provided by Japan Style and enter an intimate space inspired by Japanese craftsmanship, creating a photographic memory of their experience.
Visitors will be able to participate in a range of interactive experiences inspired by Japanese culture, including tea ceremonies, workshops by Basara Specialty Japanese Tea, Japanese calligraphy by sui ho, Ikebana by Dubai Seiyu and Origami by Jamila Navagharwala. The installation will feature opportunities to wear a traditional Haori jacket by Japan Style and participate in cultural photo experiences, creating accessible entry points into Japanese culture for visitors of all ages.
For more than 35 years, Nikken Sekkei has delivered projects across the Middle East that combine Japanese design heritage with a deep understanding of local culture and context. Through its Dubai office, the firm continues to create people-centered environments that foster meaningful connections between people, place and community. CHATAI 2.0 reflects this same philosophy, bringing people together through culture, participation and shared experiences.
About Nikken Sekkei:
Nikken Sekkei is a global architecture and design firm with over 125 years of experience. With more than 35 years of experience in the Middle East, the firm has delivered landmark projects including One Za’abeel in Dubai and Tadawul Tower in Riyadh. Operating through its regional office in Dubai, Nikken Sekkei has recently established a dedicated regional design studio to further strengthen its presence, combining Japanese design heritage with deep local insight to shape the region’s future.
Nikken Wood Lab:
Nikken Wood Lab is Nikken Sekkei’s timber research and development team which advances wood-based architecture by considering CO₂ assessment, regulations, timber sourcing, and reuse from the planning stage. Through the development of fire-resistant timber joints and the “Tsunagi” wood unit, it is bringing wood into settings ranging from large-scale buildings to places close to everyday life.
PYNT:
PYNT is Nikken Sekkei’s co-creation platform for creating new possibilities for cities, connecting stakeholders with architecture and urban experts to develop solutions to social challenges and implement them through collaboration.
Co-Creators
SOBOKUYA
SOBOKUYA is an architecture firm rooted in the tradition of Japanese wood joinery, where each connection tells a story of craft and care. Wood is seen not just as a material, but as a living partner in a dialogue between tradition and innovation, shaping spaces of warmth, connection, and life. Founded in 2006, and later incorporated as a legal entity in 2014 in Hokuto City, Yamanashi, SOBOKUYA has grown from a local practice into a global one, with offices in Tokyo, Vietnam, and Dubai. Its mission is to share the timeless wisdom of Japanese craftsmanship—creating architecture that nurtures community, respects nature, and inspires belonging across cultures.
Collaborators:
Panasonic Electric Works Middle East & Africa (PEWMEA)
A division of Panasonic Marketing Middle East and Africa FZE (PMMAF), is part of the Panasonic Group, founded in 1918. PEWMEA delivers high-quality, innovative solutions across the Middle East and Africa, including Electrical Construction Materials, LED lighting, Fire Alarm Systems, Home & Building Automation, Indoor Air Quality, and solar energy—serving diverse needs across consumer electronics, housing, automotive, industry, and energy sectors.
Kvadrat:
Kvadrat was established in Denmark in 1968 and has deep roots in Scandinavia’s world-famous design tradition. A leader in design innovation, Kvadrat produces high-performance, design textiles, rugs, window coverings and acoustic solutions for commercial and residential interiors. Our products reflect our commitment to colour, quality, simplicity and innovation, consistently pushing the aesthetic, technological and functional properties of textiles through collaborations with leading designers, architects and artists.
Hiroshima Jozai:
Founded in Hiroshima in 1926, Hiroshima Jozai is a TATAMI manufacturer, shortly celebrating our 100th anniversary. Hiroshima Jozai has upheld craftsmanship and the spirit of high quality, safety, and reliability, and created TATAMI that fits modern living for nearly a century. TATAMI delivers comfort and the beauty of Japan with over 1,300 years of history deeply rooted in Japanese culture. The mission is to spread these values worldwide and carry into the future.
Dai Nippon Printing:
DNP, founded in 1876, has a wide range business fields such as business operations across three divisions: Smart Communication, Electronics, and Life & Healthcare, which includes building materials. The Artellion® exhibited this time is a high-quality surface appearance and highly durable decorative panel with custom printing on an aluminum substrate. It has a track record of high-rise building exterior cladding in Shanghai that was built in 1999.
Dubai Seiyu:
Seiyu Ikebana is dedicated to the practice of Sogetsu Ikebana in Dubai. Led by Sogetsu teacher Samia Jaber, Seiyu brings together Japanese tradition and contemporary expression through exhibitions, workshops and classes, enabling cultural exchange through the art form between Japan and Dubai’s diverse nationalities.
Nakawake Shoei 中分 尚楹:
After receiving a license from the Nihon Shogakukan, Nakawake Shoei studied under Kawabe Shofu, founder of the Japan Calligraphy Academy, and was given the pseudonym Shoei. Nakawake Shoei later trained under Egawa Koh, a disciple of Teshima Yukei—one of the Three Brushes of the Showa Era. Her work “Willow” belongs to Yukei’s Shosho style.
Basara Specialty Japanese Tea:
BASARA is a Dubai-based specialty Japanese tea brand, working closely with tea farmers and artisans across Japan. From matcha and sencha to gyokuro and hojicha, we bring exceptional Japanese tea to the GCC, Africa, Europe and beyond. Rooted in tradition and shaped for modern life, BASARA connects Japanese tea culture with people around the world.
sui ho:
Japanese calligrapher and former associate instructor of the Reimei Calligraphy Association. Raised in a family that ran a calligraphy school, she developed her practice through traditional Japanese calligraphy, under Bizan Higuchi. Based in Dubai since 2022, she has collaborated with brands such as Shiseido, Lexus, and Nissan, designed the logo for Animena, and written names on invitations at the Cannes Film Festival. Featured in UAE and international media including Al Bayan, Arab News, and Gates Dubai, she continues to bridge Japan and the Arab world, sharing the beauty and spirit of Japanese calligraphy.
Japan Style:
Japan Style is a Dubai-based Japanese brand dedicated to sharing the beauty of Japanese culture through vintage kimono, traditional textiles and creative upcycling. Guided by the Japanese spirit of mottainai—valuing what already exists—Japan Style transforms treasured fabrics into contemporary fashion and lifestyle pieces, while celebrating Japanese craftsmanship and creating new ways for its stories and traditions to be appreciated across generations and cultures.
Moku landscape:
With more than 30 years of experience in Japan, Moku is a landscape design and research company specializing in garden design, landscaping, spatial design, planning and construction. Moku expanded to Dubai over three years ago, bringing Japanese landscape knowledge and craftsmanship to the Middle East. Its approach draws on this heritage while responding deeply to each site—its culture, climate and character—to create landscapes with meaning, atmosphere and a lasting connection between nature and people.
Dubai Audio:
Established in 1994, Dubai Audio is one of the region’s leading curators of high-performance audio and video. Working with some of the world’s most respected brands, we bring together specialist expertise, considered design and a deep understanding of sound across retail, residential and commercial environments. Our focus is on creating systems where performance, design and the experience of music come together seamlessly.
Jamila Navagharwala:
Jamila Navagharwala is a Dubai-based origami artist and Guinness World Records title holder. Her work spans large-scale paper installations, educational workshops, and community engagement projects inspired by the art of paper folding. At Dubai Design Week, she collaborates with Nikken Sekkei to share the creativity and cultural richness of origami.
SHOHIN BONSAI DUBAI:
Ramy Enab is the only bonsai artist in the Middle East and the only Arabic-speaking bonsai artist in the world. In over fifteen years he has made more than two hundred trees, all grown indoors, to protect them from Dubai’s intense summer heat. He traces their healed scars with 24 carat gold. Alina, perfumer and artist, invented the first bonsai diffuser in the world, Bonsai Hōkōki.
