Japanese dollhouses are a world apart from Western or even Chinese miniature houses. Instead of heavy furniture and bold decorations, they often feature sliding shoji doors, tatami mats, low tables, and open floor plans that reflect traditional Japanese architecture.
The overall look is simple, balanced, and connected to nature: perfect if you love minimalism in miniature form.
But what exactly sets a Japanese dollhouse apart? And if you’d like to add one to your collection, where can you actually find them today? In this guide, I’ll walk you through the main features of Japanese miniature houses and point you to some of the most interesting kits available online.
updated 21/09/25
Japanese vs. Chinese Dollhouses
Most miniature kits you’ll find fall into Japanese or Chinese styles, so let’s keep the focus there. And let’s see how different they actually are by describing their style:
Japanese Dollhouses
Minimalism: Japanese interiors are about leaving things out, not stuffing them in. Clean, tidy, and peaceful — think Marie Kondo in miniature form.
Sliding doors (shoji): Instead of bulky doors, rooms are divided with paper sliding screens.
Low furniture: While we’re used to chairs and high tables, in Japan you’ll often find mats and floor cushions, with low dining or tea tables.
Earthy tones: Natural wood, neutral walls, and soft lighting create a calm, grounded atmosphere.
Japanese Interior
Japanese sliding doors
Chinese Dollhouses
Historic influence: Chinese architecture has followed similar models for over 2000 years — you’ll recognize features from temples and pavilions.
Furniture style: Traditionally made of polished wood. Since the Song Dynasty, lacquer finishes made them glossy and luxurious; later, mother-of-pearl inlay became popular.
Colors: Much bolder than Japanese houses.
Red = good luck, happiness, wealth
Black = power, stability, trust
Gold & silver = wealth
Blue-green = vitality and new life
Yellow = royalty and high status
Chinese parlor
So in short: Japanese = calm minimalism, Chinese = bold colors and detail.
3 Japanese miniature kits storesto take a look at.
1: 1Man1Garage
At 1Man1Garage, the Japanese-inspired dollhouse kits really stand out. They’re designed with traditional elements like sliding doors, tiered roofs, and the clean lines you’d expect from authentic Japanese architecture. Each kit is laser cut from birch wood, which gives them both durability and a natural, warm look once assembled.
The pieces fit together with precision, so the structure feels solid while keeping the delicate details intact. Some models are even made with open sections that let light shine through, which adds to the serene, almost lantern-like atmosphere of these miniature houses.
They capture the quiet simplicity of Japanese design — minimal, elegant, and balanced — while still leaving room for you to decorate the interiors if you want to turn them into full miniature scenes.
At TheDiyCraftArt, you’ll find a wide range of Japanese-style dollhouse kits that lean more toward the classic DIY miniature world than the artisan one-offs. These kits usually come in 1:24 scale, which makes them a little smaller than the standard 1:12 scale, but still detailed enough to capture the essence of Japanese interiors.
The designs often include sliding doors, wooden frames, tatami-inspired floors, and even tiny gardens or courtyards. They’re charming in their simplicity and very stylish.
Since these are DIY kits, you’ll spend time assembling the pieces yourself, which adds to the fun. They’re also more affordable compared to some artisan houses, so they make a nice entry point if you want to try Japanese dollhouses without committing to a large investment.
One fun find is the Yuzhen DIY Japanese Wooden Dollhouse Kit with LED Lights. It comes with furniture, a little music box, and a dust cover — little extras that make it feel more magical. The wood is thin, precisely cut, so the small parts fit well together.
If you like to create a cozy atmosphere in your home (and who doesn’t?), turning on the lights at night adds a cozy glow. It’s not super large (so perfect if you’re tight on space), but it gives you all the joy of building something beautiful from scratch.
I do hope that you enjoyed this blog post on the Japanese miniature houses, and if you have any more questions about the topic, please leave a message below, and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
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2 thoughts on “What Are Japanese Dollhouses? Style, Features, and Where to Find Them”
These miniatures are just so cute, and every time I visit your website I just want one, but then think to myself, do you really need another dust collector? However, I think buying the kit and making one from scratch could be very satisfying and rewarding, and fill many evenings with a great anti stress hobby to do. Who knows you may even be able to give them to somebody special as a gift to remember you by?
These miniatures are just so cute, and every time I visit your website I just want one, but then think to myself, do you really need another dust collector? However, I think buying the kit and making one from scratch could be very satisfying and rewarding, and fill many evenings with a great anti stress hobby to do. Who knows you may even be able to give them to somebody special as a gift to remember you by?
Hi Michel!
They sure are rewarding to do! And yes, if someday I would be bored with a piece, I could gift it to a school or kids that I know 😉
About the dust: you could put them in a display case or even get a dustcover online for the miniature kits ;-).
Anyway, I wish you happy crafting!
Kind regards,
Lizzy