Kengo Kuma: “I’m not at all attached to objects”

My personal style signifiers are minimalist and comfortable clothes – black jackets, sometimes signed Issey Miyake, and always T-shirts. My clothes are like my own creations: sober and simple.

The last thing I bought and liked was a Danish chair for my furniture collection. The design is human and intimate. I have Mies van der Rohe and Hans Wegner chairs; architects often like uniformity but I like experimenting with different styles.

The place that means a lot to me is The Opposite House in Beijing – although I’m slightly biased as it’s my own design. It’s a hotel, but the use of natural materials like wood and stone makes it cozy and warm. It is an oasis. Everything is minimal — a stainless steel pool, wooden water basins — to make one feel serene and uncluttered.

The design that most inspired my work is a set of black ceramic tiles given to me in China. These influenced my design for the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, especially the gray roof. I like the beauty of Chinese ceramics, and the materials that are of a place.

The best book I’ve read in the last year is first person singular by my good friend Haruki Murakami. His novels have a kind of tunnel structure and I apply this same design philosophy to my buildings. We inspire each other.

My style icons are farmers. I like the work clothes and the simplicity of this local vernacular. My grandfather taught me how to grow vegetables and was a mentor to me. Another icon is Sen no Rikyu – a 16th century Japanese tea master who elevated the ritual to an art.

The best gift I’ve given recently was a sketch, for a client, made on a tenugui “handkerchief” – a gift napkin used to wrap gifts. I like to draw on tenuguis. They are applied with a special dyeing process and have a rough texture, but are elegant nonetheless.

And the best gift I’ve received is a huge shipment of vegetables from the mayor of Sakai-shi City in Osaka Prefecture. I design small buildings for the community there, and as a thank you, he gave me all kinds of fresh produce – eggplant, cucumber, ginger – all of which were irregularly shaped, not shiny like supermarket produce. They were a different kind of delicious.

The last music I downloaded was by Ryuichi Sakamoto, who worked on The Last Emperor. We are long time friends and I was influenced by his music. It remains very contemporary.

In my fridge you will always find Japanese sake, especially old sake from the Masuizumi label. They make two- and five-year-old sakes that are full of unique flavors. You will also find genmai brown rice which has a rich nutty flavor.

My style icons are farmers. I like the work clothes and the simplicity of this local vernacular

The works of art that changed everything for me, they were Japanese gardens. These are, to me, more spectacular than any painting. Muso Kokushi was a 14th century designer who influenced my own work so much – his use of moss and stone was wild and stunningly beautiful. He is considered a “national Zen master”.

I recently rediscovered funazushi, a type of fermented sushi that was popular before refrigeration. Some can’t eat it because of the smell, but I especially like the crucian variety. You won’t find this in Tokyo, but rather in seaside prefectures such as Toyama-ken and Fukui-ken.

The only artist whose work I would collect if I could is not so much an artist as an art form: Chinese and Japanese calligraphy. These scrolls are impressive; I love the contrast of rice paper and ink.

The grooming staple I never part with is Hatumugi rice soap. I have tried many others but this is the best. It is made with seeds and is very cleansing.

One indulgence I would never give up is… Nothing. My tastes are simple.

One item I would never part with is… Nothing. I am not at all attached to objects.

My favorite room in my house is my terrace in Tokyo. I love outdoor spaces and I have a collection of all kinds of plants here. Every morning small birds come to feed and it is a serene setting.

In another life, I would have been a veterinarian. I love animals, especially cats.

The best advice I’ve ever received came from a university professor who said: “Do not refuse anything, accept everything. He encouraged me to be open to all new things – places, people, foods. We traveled together in the Sahara and it was so revealing.

A university professor told me: “Don’t refuse anything, accept everything”

The best memory I brought home is a cheap classic Chinese shelf that I bought from some store in Beijing. It is now in my living room and contains all my memories. I travel the world – we have projects in over 30 countries – so my taste in souvenirs is eclectic.

I have a collection of rice papers from all over Asia. I have lots of different textures, all in different shades of white, and each relates to a specific place. I use them to make photos with pen and ink.

The last item of clothing I added to my wardrobe was a T-shirt with a picture of a cat that I bought in a small shop in Okinawa-ken. I love cats and quirky things that aren’t mass produced, and this t-shirt is fun and comfy.

The things I couldn’t do without are pencils. I draw whenever an idea comes to me, so I carry pencils everywhere with me, in all my pockets. I don’t care which brand, as long as I have a piece of paper and a pencil handy…

The buildings that changed everything for me are by Frank Lloyd Wright. He came to Japan and found the essence of our culture in a way we couldn’t. This was reflected in his buildings, especially Fallingwater, the Pennsylvania home he designed in the 1930s. It literally brought me to tears.