In July 2024, we received a message from our client saying, “We’re planning to expand into Japan.”

Having collaborated several times on spatial design projects in Shanghai, they reached out and asked, “Would you be interested in working on the design?”

Since 2018, we had worked together on two projects inside an art space, both of which were bold and challenging experiences for us when we were still a young team.

The knowledge and inspiration we gained from creating those unique spaces together became an invaluable asset for us.

So when we heard they were coming to Japan, we immediately responded with a heartfelt “Absolutely—we’d love to help in any way we can.”

In our past collaborations, the projects were set within art spaces in Shanghai, which allowed us to propose designs with a sense of “extraordinary everydayness.”Left：PSA pop up cafe(2018)  Right：PSA Museum cafe(2020)

Daikanyama in Tokyo, however, is a neighborhood where quiet daily life coexists with refined trends.

Boutique shops, galleries, and high-sensitivity cafés are scattered throughout, constantly generating new cultural movements.

In many ways, this atmosphere reminds us of Shanghai’s Maoming South Road.

For this reason, we wanted to preserve the idea of a “neighborhood coffee shop that blends into daily life,” while also refining the details to create a more sophisticated atmosphere than in our previous collaborations.

The Daikanyama store is a street-level shop with a relatively small frontage.

While this might seem commercially disadvantageous, we felt it could actually be a strength in a community with such a keen sense of style.

Rather than making the space openly inviting to everyone, we focused on crafting a shop with a clear identity—one that resonates deeply with those who truly understand it.Customers who appreciate the space will naturally share it with friends, allowing a small but strong community of like-minded people to grow organically.

In terms of design, we installed a custom-made, simple yet expansive façade that brings the greenery of the pedestrian path directly into the interior.

Inside, the floors and walls are intentionally kept understated, creating an atmosphere that feels like a natural extension of everyday life.

Layered onto this simplicity are custom-built furnishings with distinctive details, expressing Blacksheep Espresso’s dedication to coffee through a space that carries the spirit of a laboratory.