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Camera obscurer

In Chiba, photographer Shinichi Ito found the perfect canvas for his laid-back style. Near the sea, he has crafted a cosy refuge within the wood and concrete shell of an unusual property.

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Photographer

Despite its geographical proximity to Tokyo, Chiba has many surprisingly remote corners. When the photographer Shinichi Ito was looking for somewhere to escape from the big city he saw this house close to Kujukuri Beach.

It was old by Japanese standards but not traditional. With its mix of concrete and wood, it combined distinctive design with good views and plenty of light and fresh air. It also came with a garden and was only a short walk from the sea.

Kitchen counter with potted plants, fresh fruit, and cooking utensils beside hanging pans and textured concrete walls.
Kitchen: Sunlight floods into the kitchen-dining room from the south-facing terrace
Two brown nagoya chickens foraging in a garden with plants and trees under a blue sky.
Helpful pets: Ito keeps a breed of chicken called nagoya, which lay eggs every day
Tatami-covered staircase with a folding NY Chair by Takeshi Nii and wooden lattice wall detail.
Stairway: The stairs to the third floor are covered in tatami. Folding “NY Chair” by Takeshi Nii, designed in 1958. “For some reason, I’m not a big fan of new things,” Ito says.
Modern concrete and wood house with elevated design near Chiba Beach, featuring a white car parked underneath.
Exterior: “I like that the skeleton is very solid and the design is simple,” says Ito.
Photographer Shinichi Ito's third-floor studio workspace with wooden beams, desk, computer, bookshelves, and white pendant lamp.
Studio: The third floor has Ito’s workspace, where he edits and retouches photographs, and a tatami room for visitors.
Wood-panelled hallway with exposed beam ceiling, vinyl records stacked on floor, woven rattan stool, and built-in bookshelf with multicolored books.
Second floor: Second floor, at the top of the stairs is a 1950s rug and rattan school. A bookshelf doubles as a partition.
Kitchen-dining room with wooden ceiling beams, stainless steel sink, and dining table opening to terrace.
Kitchen dining room: Ito got the second-hand restaurant sink from a friend.
Sunlit bedroom with wooden walls, exposed beam ceiling, handmade bed with striped blanket, and modern sculptural wall art.
Bedroom: Ito renovated the walls if the bedroom himself. The bed is also handmade.
Third-floor workspace with wooden beam ceiling, large windows overlooking forested landscape, and a folding chaise lounge by Takeshi Nii.
Third-sloor workspace: The workspace has stunning views to the sea. Folding chaise by Takeshi Nii. Ito specialises in design and architecture photography and co-authored *Mod East*, a record of Japanese architecture of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
Wooden living room with vintage furniture, fireplace, and day bed by Hans Wegner.
DIY DJ: The living room has vintage furniture throughout, including a day bed by Hans Wegner. An occasional DJ, Ito has a vast record collection. He made the audio rack and the long table himself.

At first Ito kept one foot in Tokyo, living there and coming to Chiba at weekends to work on the house. His retreat was originally built in 1980 as a second home for a Tokyo gallery owner. Ito restored the building bit by bit, doing the repairs himself and adding mostly vintage furniture at a leisurely pace. When the earthquake struck in March 2011, the house sank 20cm but the structure was fortunate enough to have been left undamaged.

From the powerful winds to the hot summer sun, the house is constantly exposed to the elements. Swimming on the wild Chiba coast takes nerve, which is why it’s a favourite with surfers. Ito swims every day in the summer and into early autumn.

Gradually, he has moved to the house full-time and his only property in Tokyo now is a shared office. He’s constructed a tepee in the garden and built a chicken coup too.

It’s typical of Ito’s impeccable low-key style that he didn’t choose a house in a more obviously fashionable spot. “I like the fact that this place isn’t a tourist destination or a popular swimming beach,” he says. “It’s good for thinking.”

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