Diorama, A Former Factory Transformed into a Gallery

Nestled in the rural landscapes of Hokuto, Yamanashi Prefecture—east of the Southern Alps and south of the Yatsugatake mountains—an old factory has been transformed into a gallery. Diorama was conceived by Daniel Kai Hirao, a former Tokyo interior designer, who collaborated with his father, carpenter Morrison Neil Stewart, to bring the project to life.

Despite its remote location—about a two-hour drive from the capital—the gallery draws daily visitors from across Japan and abroad. They are captivated by Hirao’s free-spirited approach to objects, their uses, and value, as well as the way he curates a visually coherent space unfettered by era or category.

‘The oil stains left over from the factory’s days as a plastics plant were deliberately preserved—they now form part of the venue’s patina,’ he explains. ‘The channels in the floor where pipes once ran create beautiful lines, which I highlighted by filling them with gravel to add texture. As for the large original windows, I covered them with oxidized aluminum panels to block natural light and better control the interior lighting.’

Unique Objects, Open Uses

Among the varied pieces on display, one of the most striking is an industrial crucible, over a meter in diameter and depth, once used to melt aluminum. Reused as-is, this object commands attention with its weathered, timeworn presence.

‘I was once asked to design a display using this crucible as a gigantic planter,’ Hirao recalls. ‘Although that project never materialized, I think it would create an incredible visual impact placed at a hotel entrance or in a garden.’

From vintage furniture and antiques to works by emerging artisans, contemporary pieces, and creations by Hirao himself, the objects gathered at Diorama resist being defined by an artist’s name or market price. Instead, they exist in the space as anonymous pieces, proudly asserting their individuality.

‘I’ve never been drawn to the conventional,’ says the gallerist. ‘Rather than famous pieces with predetermined value, I prefer to uncover unique objects found only here and offer them with open, fluid uses. People sometimes ask me what era a piece is from or what it was originally for, but most visitors enjoy freely interpreting the pieces. Foreign visitors especially prioritize their own inspiration, even after I explain the original function.’

A Carefully Crafted Setting

Edo-era storehouse doors are repurposed as low table tops or hung on walls with their weathered plaster intact. A low coffee table by Massimo & Lella Vignelli, steel chairs designed by Hirao, blocks of raw glass, and carefully polished river stones are thoughtfully arranged, creating an installation-like interior. Delicate hand-formed ceramics by contemporary artists rest atop an imposing, timeworn slab of white oak. Many interior designers and architects visit specifically to source these anonymous pieces.

‘There are designer furniture pieces, African folk crafts, animal-motif objects, wooden daruma molds, contemporary art, ceramics… Indeed, there is a wide variety. But as I continued to pursue Diorama’s unique identity, my selection criteria narrowed, and I increasingly favored objects with deliberately ambiguous provenance.’

Perhaps it is precisely because there are always new discoveries to be made here that visitors willingly travel several hours to reach Diorama. Far from fixed market values, the gallery invites each person to exercise their own gaze and rediscover the joy of assigning personal meaning and value to vintage items. In this place, removed from the urban rush, such an approach feels entirely natural.