Kyoto
DESIGNED BY
Fumihiko Sano
Architect / Artist
Born in Nara in 1981. Apprenticed as a sukiya carpenter at the master craftsman Sotoji Nakamura construction company in Kyoto. After completing his apprenticeship, he worked at design firms including PPMOBLERbeforeestablishing his own practice in 2011. In 2016, he traveled to 16 countries around the world as a cultural ambassador for the Agency for Cultural Affairs, where he undertook a number of projects that interacted with the cultures of each region. Leveraging techniques and sensibilities gained from his unique experiences, he works across disciplines from architecture to art. In recent years, he has expanded his activities to reevaluate and update the value of things deeply rooted in Japanese history and culture, such as forestry and sake.
Major Exhibitions MOT satellite/Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (2017), Design Miami/Basel (2017), Underfined Object/Salvatore Ferragamo (2019), Sense Island (2019), Mind Trail (2020), Did You See Anything There/ Nadoya Ebisu (2021), Leaping Makers/Kyocera Museum of Art, Kyoto (2023) Major Awards EDIDA 2014 ELLE DECO Young Japanese Design Talent (2014), 2016 Agency for Cultural Affairs Japan Cultural Envoy(2016-17), IF DESIGN AWARD (2020), GOOD DESIGN AWARD (2021), FRAME AWARD: Emerging Designer of the Year (2022), Single-Brand Store of the Year (2023), IVS2025 IBM BLUE HUB Grand Prize（2025）, Forbes CULTURE-PRENEURS 30(2025)
FACILITIES
Outline
FabCafe Kyoto is a creative hub that has built up co-creation with craft, universities, corporations, and local government — acting as a "catalyst" that dissolves the boundaries between tradition, technology, and economy. The space is a renovation of a wooden structure approximately 125 years old: serene yet full of energy. Step outside, and you enter a distinctly Kyoto cultural landscape where old machiya townhouses and contemporary studios coexist, and the hands of craftspeople work alongside cutting-edge technology.
Rental Space
The space is available for a wide range of events including presentations, workshops, and product demonstrations. Equipped with large displays and microphones, it supports talk events and seminars, with the added benefit of a café atmosphere that brings comfort to any professional gathering.
Additional Venue Ad-on
The second floor features a 14-tatami Japanese-style room available for workshops and meetings. Ideal for those seeking an alternative to typical meeting spaces, or who want to spread out tools and immerse themselves in making within the calm of a traditional Japanese room. Available for groups only. Monitors for slide projection and whiteboards are available on request.
FLOOR PLAN & DETAILS
Space Specifications (1st Floor)
Total Floor Area: approx. 75㎡ (807.293 sq ft)
Maximum Capacity: 70 people
Ceiling Height: approx. 2 m
Layout
- Standard Table Layout: 20 people
- Seated (Chairs only): 40 people
- Standing: 70 people
Space Specifications
Total Floor Area: approx. 22㎡ (236.806 sq ft) / 8 tatami + 6 tatami
Maximum Capacity: TBC
Ceiling Height: approx. 2.4 m
Attendee Support
FabCafe Kyoto provides full attendee support, backed by expertise developed through managing hundreds of events each year. From reception and registration to program coordination, we ensure seamless operations. We also support corporate training, off-campus classes, international workshops, and exhibitions, including planning consultation and promotional support.
Venue & Access Support
With deep roots in the Kansai community, FabCafe Kyoto can connect you with local partners for flexible venue configurations catered to your event.
Branding & Space Production
To fully bring your event's vision to life, FabCafe Kyoto provides end-to-end support from spatial design and exhibition planning to signage production and printed materials.
We can also design and fabricate custom fixtures and signage using our in-house laser cutters and 3D printers, creating a space that expresses your brand identity down to the finest detail.
TEAM
Kyoto
A city where art, academia, and culture weave together, and creativity breathes through time.
Nestled alongside the Kamo River and Kyoto's historic streetscape, FabCafe Kyoto is a space where art, design, research, and conversation converge. Housed in a renovated 125-year-old machiya townhouse, the space features a menu inspired by Kyoto's materials and culture. Here, visitors can think, converse, and make at their own pace. Researchers, students, travelers, and local creatives gather to unwind, discover, and connect. That is FabCafe Kyoto.
Nagoya
A city of "monozukuri" (making things) where tradition and technology fuse to shape new ideas.
FabCafe Nagoya sits minutes from Nagoya Station, where the city's industrial energy meets the quiet precision of craft. The space pairs warm wood interiors with laser cutters and 3D printers, providing digital tools that put idea-making within reach. Here, tradition and technology fuse, shaping Nagoya's "monozukuri" (the making of things) into something new.
Osaka
A place where the urban vitality nurtured by the culture of the Yodo River basin meets the warm, down-to-earth character that is distinctly Osaka.
What we offer is an experience inspired by L'Informe — an artistic philosophy that pursues beauty unbound by form. We rediscover values dormant in the history and culture of the local community, and create new culture around the themes of formless "sensibility" and "emotion." A distiller has been introduced as a tool to embody L'Informe. Through food and drink experiences enhanced by scent and activities that stimulate the senses, we provide a space where visitors can cultivate their sensibilities, awaken their emotions, and discover new possibilities.
Tokyo
Cultural intersection in a world-class dynamic city.
Located in the heart of Shibuya, FabCafe Tokyo is the first base of the global FabCafe network, established in 2012. It is a space that fuses cafe culture with digital fabrication, where you can enjoy coffee while using tools like laser cutters and 3D printers. It also hosts collaborative events, exhibitions, and workshops, and its open, flexible environment invites entrepreneurs, makers, and creatives to use the space not merely as a venue, but as a platform for experimentation and co-creation.
Compare the features per location
| Facilities | Tokyo | Kyoto | Osaka | Nagoya |
| Space | 1F/ 175.4 ㎡ | 1F/ approx. 75 ㎡ | Store area/ approx. 111.74 ㎡ | 283 ㎡ |
| Capacity | Seated: Up to 60 people Standing: Up to 100 people | Seated: Up to 40 people Standing: Up to 70 people | Seated: Up to 40 people Standing: Up to 70 people | Seated: Up to 70 people Standing: Up to 100 people |
| Kitchen | ||||
| Catering Coordination | ||||
| Sound System | 4 Wireless Microphones | 2 Wireless Microphones | 4 Wireless Microphones | 3 Wireless Microphones |
| Video Equipment | 6 Displays (4 units can be linked for an ultra-wide screen) | 80inch LCD Monitor ×2 (HDMI connection / Full HD class) | 100-inch large monitor unit (HDMI cable connection) | Large 86-inch monitors (1 on North side, 3 on South side) |
| Free Wifi | ||||
| Streaming Service | ||||
| Photo and Video Shooting Services | ||||
| Digital Fabrication Machine | ||||
| Language Support | ||||
| Parking & Shipping support | ||||
| Notable Network | Corporations, Startups, Engineers, Artists, Academic institutions, Researchers | Manufacturing, Academic institutions, Artists, Crafts/Local industries | Real estate, infrastructure, food mCreators, Artists, Architects, Musicians, Academic institutionsanufacturing | Manufacturing, Creators, Artists, Academic institutions |
Compare the features per location
| Facilities | Tokyo | Kyoto | Osaka | Nagoya |
| Space | 1F/ 175.4 ㎡ | 1F/ approx. 75 ㎡ | Store area/ approx. 111.74 ㎡ | 283 ㎡ |
| Capacity | Seated: Up to 60 people Standing: Up to 100 people | Seated: Up to 40 people Standing: Up to 70 people | Seated: Up to 40 people Standing: Up to 70 people | Seated: Up to 70 people Standing: Up to 100 people |
| Kitchen | ||||
| Catering Coordination | ||||
| Sound System | 4 Wireless Microphones | 2 Wireless Microphones | 4 Wireless Microphones | 3 Wireless Microphones |
| Video Equipment | 6 Displays (4 units can be linked for an ultra-wide screen) | 80inch LCD Monitor ×2 (HDMI connection / Full HD class) | 100-inch large monitor unit (HDMI cable connection) | Large 86-inch monitors (1 on North side, 3 on South side) |
| Free Wifi | ||||
| Streaming Service | ||||
| Photo and Video Shooting Services | ||||
| Digital Fabrication Machine | ||||
| Language Support | ||||
| Parking & Shipping support | ||||
| Notable Network | Corporations, Startups, Engineers, Artists, Academic institutions, Researchers | Manufacturing, Academic institutions, Artists, Crafts/Local industries | Real estate, infrastructure, food mCreators, Artists, Architects, Musicians, Academic institutionsanufacturing | Manufacturing, Creators, Artists, Academic institutions |
Compare the features per location
| Facilities | Tokyo | Kyoto | Osaka | Nagoya |
| Space | 1F/ 175.4 ㎡ | 1F/ approx. 75 ㎡ | Store area/ approx. 111.74 ㎡ | 283 ㎡ |
| Capacity | Seated: Up to 60 people Standing: Up to 100 people | Seated: Up to 40 people Standing: Up to 70 people | Seated: Up to 40 people Standing: Up to 70 people | Seated: Up to 70 people Standing: Up to 100 people |
| Kitchen | ||||
| Catering Coordination | ||||
| Sound System | 4 Wireless Microphones | 2 Wireless Microphones | 4 Wireless Microphones | 3 Wireless Microphones |
| Video Equipment | 6 Displays (4 units can be linked for an ultra-wide screen) | 80inch LCD Monitor ×2 (HDMI connection / Full HD class) | 100-inch large monitor unit (HDMI cable connection) | Large 86-inch monitors (1 on North side, 3 on South side) |
| Free Wifi | ||||
| Streaming Service | ||||
| Photo and Video Shooting Services | ||||
| Digital Fabrication Machine | ||||
| Language Support | ||||
| Parking & Shipping support | ||||
| Notable Network | Corporations, Startups, Engineers, Artists, Academic institutions, Researchers | Manufacturing, Academic institutions, Artists, Crafts/Local industries | Real estate, infrastructure, food mCreators, Artists, Architects, Musicians, Academic institutionsanufacturing | Manufacturing, Creators, Artists, Academic institutions |
OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD
FabCafe Kyoto opened in 2015 in a renovated wooden building approximately 125 years old, located just steps from the Kamo River — a waterway of deep cultural significance. In medieval times, the Kamo River was the site of lively music festivals, and it is said that the roots of Japan's iconic performing arts such as Kabuki and Noh also began along its banks as underground expressions of culture. For centuries, the river has been a wellspring of creative culture in Kyoto.
Gojo, Kyoto is a chaotic and vital area where influences from abroad, the new and the old, and clashing values collide to spark unexpected reactions. This is the place we chose as our base for generating new value.
FabCafe Kyoto stands behind everyone who challenges society with creative ideas. Rather than connecting people by profession or method, we aim to be an open space where connections are formed around shared issues, enabling collaboration across disciplines and igniting creative chemistry.
Host your next event at FabCafe.
Based on our experience in creative planning and operation cultivated through the global FabCafe network, we will shape your ideas to fit your purpose. From small talk events to large-scale corporate workshops, exhibitions, and parties, our team will work with you to design an event that turns your vision into reality.