Growing up in the suburbs of Okayama, Japan, Masamichi Katayama first witnessed the impact of design at his father’s furniture shop, Kotobuki-ya. It was there, nestled within the five stories beneath their home, that the future designer observed locals picking out interiors, often in the form of unassuming bookshelves or tables. “My father was such a hard worker, and he even worked on the shop’s holidays,” remembers Katayama, founder and principal of Wonderwall Inc., a prestigious studio based in Tokyo. “My entire family was very committed to the business, and when the business was going well, we were all happy.”