A Serene Installation of Sakura and Stillness: How Kewai Brought Its Delicate Japanese Universe to Milan Design Week
April 13, 2025- Milan Design Week 2025, KEWAI, The Sense of Spring Collection
In a city vibrating with ideas, form, and function, Kewai whispered. At Milan Design Week 2025, the Tokyo-based brand offered a fleeting moment suspended in petal-pink stillness.
For its debut at Milan Design Week, Kewai unveiled its Sense of Spring installation at TENOHA Milano in the Navigli district—a delicate ode to impermanence. Bathed in natural light, thousands of hand-cut cherry blossoms drifted gently above reflective pools of wood and glass, casting transient shadows like kōyō (autumn leaves) in reverse. A multisensory pause, rooted in wabi-sabi, it was spring sculpted into existence—not through bold strokes, but through the “barely perceptible” (kehai), the brand’s namesake.
Founded in 2024, KEWAI is a philosophy made tangible. It speaks to those who seek meaning in the minimal and rhythm in the quiet. “We propose a lifestyle that embraces the ‘sense’ of nature,” the team explains. “Even amidst modern noise, we offer serene, fulfilling moments intertwined with the seasons.”
In a world rushing toward what’s next, KEWAI reminds us that some of the most beautiful things happen in the in-between. In the flutter. In the light that shifts. In the pause before bloom.
KEWAI’s Philosophy:
Led by Creative Director Taiki Kawase, KEWAI explores a lifestyle rooted in attentiveness. Its very name stems from “kehai”—a barely perceptible shift, a subtle presence. In this collection, spring is not a theme but a texture. A season sculpted.
The Sense of Spring collection interprets the sakura, Japan’s eternal springtime symbol, not just as decoration, but as philosophy. Ephemeral yet grounding, the collection channels the concept of wabi-sabi—the beauty of impermanence, the quiet power of imperfection.
A Design Language of Feeling
For Taiki Kawase, this collection is born from a longing. “During the pandemic, I felt separated from nature. When I reconnected with it, I realized how essential it was as a companion.” This realization took shape in the form of designs meant to be sensed before they are seen.
Kewai crafts permanence in softness. objects are made to last, to be cherished. They tell a story. They listen to the room. “We aim to express a presence—a subtle atmosphere or emotion,” says Kawase. “Something you feel before you even understand it.”
Kewai creations are grounded in thoughtful philosophy, crafted with artisanal skill, infused with feeling, shaped by purpose, and designed to form a connection with the hearts of those who live with it. “Through our work, we hope to reinterpret and share the beauty and craftsmanship of Japanese traditions―refined over centuries―with a contemporary audience.“
The Collection: Four Petals of Design
The Sense of Spring collection holds a piece of spring’s soul, folded gently into form:
Sense of Spring Chair – Sakura
Cherry blossoms caught mid-drift. Layers of translucent petals create a silhouette that feels mid-air, as if lifted by wind. It is not a chair. It’s a pause.
Sense of Spring Side Table – Sakura
A transparent surface gathers petals like memories—delicate, incidental, quietly elegant. A surface for tea, or thought.
Sense of Spring Bookends – Sakura
Petals curled by a breeze hold pages in place. Books become part of the garden, moments of knowledge grounded by nature.
Sense of Spring Flower Vase – Sakura
A bloom within a bloom. Plants sit within sakura-shaped folds, as if the flowers are offering the vase a place to rest too.
Every petal—thousands of them—was hand-cut and layered by artisans, creating an atmosphere rather than a display. It’s this commitment to detail and emotion that turned TENOHA into a gentle world apart.
The Space: A Whisper in Navigli
The choice of venue is no coincidence. TENOHA Milano is one of the city’s most refined portals into contemporary Japanese culture. A bookstore, a concept shop, a design haven—it offered the perfect canvas for Kewai’s poetry of petals.
As guests wandered through the installation, many described the experience as emotional:
The design beautifully captures the feeling of spring and cherry blossoms.”
“You can clearly see the attention to detail in every aspect.”
“It’s so poetic and moving.”
“I’d love to see this in hotel or hospital lounges.”
“I hope you create pieces that reflect other seasons or different moods as well.”
About Taiki Kawase
Taiki Kawase Born in Tokyo in 1986, studied design and art at the Department of Design, Tokyo University of the Arts. He envisions the future alongside entrepreneurs and works across a wide range of areas, including branding for companies and businesses, product and service development, spatial design, and graphic design. With over 90 awards worldwide.
Kewai – “Sense of Spring Collection”
📅 April 7–13, 2025
⏰ 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
📍 TENOHA MILANO (Navigli District)
📫 Via Vigevano 18, 20144, Milano, Italy
🌐 tenoha.it
📧 contact@kewai.co.jp
🖼️ See the Collection: kewai.co.jp/about
📸 @kewai_inc
For more on eco-luxury lifestyle and news, follow our Instagram and contact us to subscribe to our VIP network, which offers special invites, discounts, and upgrades.
