Japanese Architecture Guide: Exploring Traditional & Modern Architecture

If you weren’t in Japan, how could you pick out a building designed by a Japanese architect? You will find these buildings in major cities around the world. The 4 World Trade Center in New York, the V&A Dundee in Scotland or the Kuala Lumpur International Airport T1 — all these were designed by Japanese architects. From centuries-old Japanese tea houses to modern high-rise buildings, Japanese architecture shares a number of core concepts and design principles. This guide helps you understand the essence of Japanese architecture and how, even in the modern world, it remains true to certain core concepts and design idioms. We look at historic structures and trace the principles that resurface in contemporary design. From the sea-bound Itsukushima Shrine in Hiroshima to Senso-ji Temple in central Tokyo, each traces an unbroken continuum to modern landmarks like the V&A Dundee or the Tokyo Skytree. What is Japanese Architecture? When you come to Japan, you will notice traditional structures such as temples, shrines, and wooden machiya houses existing alongside a highly modern urban landscape. Despite their differences, they share an architectural tradition shaped by a close rel...