CHATAI X MACHIKAN Celebrates Japanese Culture And Creates A Place Of Happiness At Dubai Design Week

(MENAFN- Mid-East Info) Supported by the Consulate General of Japan in Dubai, CHATAI X MACHIKAN unites 15 collaborators, three times last year's number Borderless Finance. AI-Native.

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Dubai, United Arab Emirates,November 2026: Leading Japanese architectural, engineering and urban design firm Nikken Sekkei, one of the world's largest practices, and Japanese traditional carpentry studio SOBOKUYA are presenting CHATAI X MACHIKAN at Dubai Design Week 2026. On display through November 8, the expanded cultural installation welcomes families and friends to experience Japanese culture through creative activities, shared celebrations and time together.

Building on the award-winning 2025 pavilion, CHATAI X MACHIKAN explores the theme of Family through three complementary spaces: CHATAI, MACHIKAN and HANARE. CHATAI brings together the calm of a Japanese tea room and the sociability of a street stall. A new veranda provides space to gather, a reflection spot offers a quiet pause, and 88 Japanese wind chimes evoke the sound of summer.

Dr. Fadi Jabri, CEO of Nikken Sekkei Dubai, said:“We wanted to create a little sanctuary of warmth, happiness and joy, where every detail speaks to the heart and every moment invites us to pause, feel, and connect and interact. Surrounded by the gentle scent of tatami, the warm fragrance of Hinoki wood, the delicate jiggling of furin bells, nostalgic Japanese music, beautiful flowers, and, above all, the joy of people coming together - this installation became a poetic celebration of the senses, culture and human connection. We are deeply grateful for the overwhelming support and generosity of 15 collaborators who came together to bring this vision to life. And to our incredible team, for the creativity, and collective effort in making this poetic initiative one of the highlights, if not the highlight of the event.”

Sustainability shapes the installation through reuse and adaptability. CHATAI reuses wood from the previous edition, with precisely cut timber components assembled by SOBOKUYA using traditional joinery without nails or metal fittings. At MACHIKAN, the communal table is assembled using Nikken Wood Lab's Tsunagi clamps to join pieces of wood, allowing it to be easily dismantled, relocated and reassembled for different settings and uses. Its Textile Tabletop by Kvadrat Really incorporates existing textile waste.

Created by Nikken Sekkei's co-creation platform PYNT, MACHIKAN invites visitors to take part in tea ceremonies, calligraphy, ikebana and origami. Matcha color painting is available in both green and brown, while Oiwai-fuda celebration cards invite visitors to share personal occasions and everyday joys.

At HANARE, visitors can wear a traditional Japanese haori jacket supplied by Japan Style and take a photograph, creating a personal memory of Japanese culture and their time together.

Visitors can enjoy free cultural activities, including origami from 3–4 PM and 6–7 PM, and tea ceremonies from 2–3 PM and 6–7 PM on November 7 and 8. Calligraphy takes place from 5–6 PM on November 7, with ikebana from 5–6 PM on November 8.

CHATAI 2.0 is open daily from 10 AM to 10 PM through November 8, 2026, between Buildings 9 and 10 at Dubai Design District (d3). View location.

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.

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