Makoto Yamaguchi is an architect, born in 1972 in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. With a master’s degree in architecture from the Graduate School of Fine Arts at Tokyo University of the Arts, he established his architect’s office Makoto Yamaguchi Design in 2001. His designs, seemingly simple at first glance, are actually the integration of a multitude of details based on deep deliberation. One of his early works “Villa/Gallery in Karuizawa,” which was featured in T: The New York Times Style Magazine, has been introduced in media outlets worldwide, and has attracted many requests for visits from people around the world including Aesop founder Dennis Paphitis. Yamaguchi’s recent works mainly consist of resort villas and large-scale second homes. His outstanding artistry has earned him international acclaim, winning many awards including Winner of the International Architecture Awards and the Best Residential Project of the Wallpaper* Design Awards.

Naoko Ohta is a Japanese gallerist, curator, editor and senior lecturer. She founded the Tokyo-based company Klee Inc. Paris Tokyo in 1987 and has organized over 100 art exhibitions mainly in photography, both in Japan and abroad. One of her recent works has been the production of the 20th century artist Rosanjin in Paris, Kyoto, Shimane and Tokyo(2013-2016). In 2011, Naoko Ohta initiated the NPO « Tokyo-Ga - describing Tokyo scapes by 100 photographers » of which she is the chairman and chief curator in order to document Tokyo in the aftermath of the triple catastrophe of March 2011. The artworks of the Tokyo-Ga project have been shown in New York, Kuala Lumpur and Miami Airport. In order to promote mutual understanding and tolerance, Naoko Ohta has started to focus on cross cultural projects such as the « Two Mountain Photography Project » between Malaysia and Japan. From 1999 - 2001, Naoko Ohta was the Japanese representative at « Les Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie d’Arles ».