Modern by Tradition. A survey of Japan’s contemporary architecture scene

The contemporary architecture of Japan has long been among the most inventive in the world, recognized for sustainability and infinite creativity. No fewer than seven Japanese architects have won the Pritzker Prize.

Since Osaka World Expo ’70 brought contemporary forms center stage, Japan has been a key player in global architecture. With his intentionally limited vocabulary of geometric forms, Tadao Ando has since then put Japanese building on the world’s cultural map, establishing a bridge between East and West. In the wake of Ando’s mostly concrete buildings, figures like Kengo Kuma (Japan National Stadium intended for the Olympic Games, originally planned for 2020), Shigeru Ban (Mount Fuji World Heritage Center), and Kazuyo Sejima (Kanazawa Museum of 21st Century Art of Contemporary Art) pioneered a more sustainable approach. Younger generations have successfully developed new directions in Japanese architecture that are in harmony with nature and connected to traditional building. Rather than planning on the drawing board, the architects presented in this collection stand out for their endless search for forms, truly reacting on their environment.

Presenting the latest in Japanese building, this book reveals how this unique creativity is a fruit of Japan’s very particular situation that includes high population density, a modern, efficient economy, a long history, and the continual presence of disasters in the form of earthquakes. Accepting ambiguity, as seen in the evanescent reflections of Sejima’s Kanazawa Museum, or constant change and the threat of catastrophe is a key to understanding what makes Japanese architecture different from that of Europe or America.

This XL-sized book highlights 39 architects and 55 exceptional projects by Japanese masters — from Tadao Ando’s Shanghai Poly Theater, Shigeru Ban’s concert hall La Seine Musical, SANAA’S Grace Farms, Fumihiko Maki’s 4 World Trade Center, to Takashi Suo’s much smaller sustainable dental clinic. Each project is introduced with photos, original floor plans and technical drawings, as well as insightful descriptions and brief biographies. An elaborate essay traces the country’s building scene from the Metabolists to today and shows how the interaction of past, present, and future has earned contemporary Japanese architecture worldwide recognition.

The editor:

Philip Jodidio studied art history and economics at Harvard, and edited Connaissance des Arts for over 20 years. His TASCHEN books include the Architecture Now! series and monographs on Tadao Ando, Santiago Calatrava, Renzo Piano, Jean Nouvel, Shigeru Ban, Richard Meier, Zaha Hadid, and soon Norman Foster.

Featuring striking photography by an expert in the field, this exploration of Japanese Brutalist architecture celebrates the surprising beauty and grace of buildings forged in concrete.

Emerging in the devastating aftermath of World War II, Brutalist architecture in Japan is characterized by its geometric shapes, functionality, and unconventional use of concrete ― which is often left unfinished to showcase the material’s inherent textures and imperfections. Japanese Brutalism represented a radical departure from traditional Japanese architecture, drawing inspiration from the global Brutalist movement but incorporating unique elements that reflect Japan’s culture and history.

A leading expert on Japanese Brutalism, Paul Tulett has traveled throughout the country to photograph extraordinary examples of this aesthetic. In over 200 dynamic and impeccable photographs he captures the elements and paradoxes inherent in the buildings themselves: the rawness of concrete juxtaposed with elegant design; a harmonious integration into urban landscapes; and a global, modernist approach that maintains traditional Japanese elements.

Highlighting the work of architects such as Kenzo Tange, Tadao Ando, and Arata Isozaki, this unique volume shows how a blend of global influences and Japanese sensibilities has left an indelible mark on the architectural landscape of Japan, making Japanese Brutalism an intensely captivating and enduring style.

About the Author:

Paul Tulett has a Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Environment and has been photographing Japan’s architecture since 2018. He features his images on his popular Instagram account: brutal_zen. His work has been published in a number of publications including The Guardian and Fast Company. He lives in Okinawa, Japan.

Illustrations: 200 color photos, 135 watercolors, 16 historical prints, 14 plans, 6 maps

he Art of Japanese Architecture explores the simplicity, asymmetry, sensitivity to the natural environment, and use of natural materials that are the hallmarks of Japanese architecture. These elements are explored and clarified in this cultural and historical overview of the rapidly changing world of Japanese architecture.
Beginning with a discussion of prehistoric pit dwellings and concluding with a description of significant modern buildings, David and Michiko Young, authors of the 2006 American Horticultural Award-winning book, The Art of the Japanese Garden, analyze the major changes in architecture caused by the introduction of Buddhist culture, the development of feudalism, the influence of Western culture and the adaptation of the international style in contemporary buildings.

This book chooses 58 projects in Japan and classifies them into four categories(cultural&commercial, educational, public and multipurpose) in order to describe the kernel of Japanese architecture.