Urban photographer Ken Ohyama is passionate about cities and the various structures that form them. The Japanese photographer has a knack for taking oft-overlooked elements of urban environments like highways and housing projects, and highlighting their beauty by forcing us to look at them in ways we never have.
In a series of photographs titled “Architectural Dollhouses” (the Japanese titled is kawaii bldg), Ohyama photographs nondescript urban buildings from cities across Japan and edits out the backgrounds, leaving just a cutout of the structure. The seemingly simple process renders each building almost as a miniature dollhouse. But the reduction also has the additive effect of highlighting each structure, emphasizing columns, windows, plants and electric wires that would have gone unnoticed.
Ohyama’s collection is now becoming available as a 192-page photobook featuring over 120 kawaii buildings and accompanied by several essays. The book is out September 9, 2026 but can be preordered through the publisher for an autographed copy, or on Amazon.
There are even some lovely surprises hidden within the pages!
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