The Miho Institute of Aesthetics was commissioned by the Shumekei philanthropic organization to educate and encourage Japanese aesthetic tradition and environmental awareness in a vigorous academic setting. The school is located in a rural area surrounded by small farming villages and 5 miles from the organization’s esteemed Miho Museum.

The campus is organized on a series of landscaped platforms that follow the natural topography of the site. Central to the campus and scheme is a chapel designed by I.M. Pei, which houses daily non denominational services for the students. The school's material palette is predominately natural stone concrete, and tile to reflect both the local tradition of Shigaraki ceramics and an overall sense of timelessness.