Japanese Architecture Research Articles

Two modes of relating to nature in contemporary Japanese architecture

The text questions the relationship between architecture and nature in the context of Japanese culture. The close connection with nature is noticeable incorporated into contemporary architectural approaches undertaken by Japanese authors such as Tadao Ando and Kengo Kuma. In some works by these architects it is possible to follow not only the manifestation of architecture in nature, but also the way in which nature is expressed in architecture. However, Ando's and Kuma's architecture, as the subject of analysis, will not be discussed in terms of a quasi-ethical and socially-engaged understanding of the importance of ecologically oriented approach in dealing with the environment, nor as a high-tech options developed within the paradigm of green design trend. The intention is through projects by the aforementioned architects recognize and examine the cultural and philosophical dimension, which is undoubtedly related to their naturally-oriented architecture. Interpretation of the relation to nature of the Japanese tradition raises questions of a specific connection of nature and beauty that is the framework of this culture. The aim of the text is to establish a theoretical focus that would enable a wider and clearer view of certain contemporary tendencies in Japanese architectural practice.

現代日本の建築家によるピロティ形式の住宅の設計意図

The piloti, elevating the building above ground, is one of the most characteristic modernist structural types. This element also has spatial implications, as recognized by Le Corbusier's “Five Points” and exemplified in his “Villa Savoye (1928-31)”. After World War II a number of such houses made their appearance in Japan. Here we aim to illustrate and examine how Japanese architects of the time extrapolated a design theme from this model, based on a study of such work as it appeared in architectural publications. Initially, two aspects of the piloti concept were selected, and each scheme was then subjected to a “KJ-method” analysis (originated by KAWAKITA Jiro). First, we scrutinized the architect's intention in adopting a piloti scheme. Secondly, we attempted to assess each architect's distinct view of the spatial character of the prototype, as exemplified in his deployment of the piloti model. At this point, the composition of each house was assessed with regard to two aspects involving the relationship between building and ground, namely the interrelation of building to site and to its natural gradation. Finally, the mediation between each architect's thinking and the final composition has been plotted in terms of this dual classification.

米国アーツ・アンド・クラフツ運動下におけるラルフ・アダムス・クラムの日本建築観とその受容に関する研究

Ralph Adams Cram's architectural book, “Impressions of Japanese Architecture”, reflects his view and appreciation of 7-12 centuries Japanese temples and shrines, which style logically developed from the exigencies of wooden construction, and his idea against Westernization in Japan. Its subject matter was actually understood as a close resemblance to the architectural ideal advocated by “The Craftsman” magazine in the American Arts and Crafts Movement, reflecting an ideological Western architectural trend, a return to honesty and simplicity in construction. In this architectural journal, after 1910s, the texts of Japanese architecture in Cram's “Impressions” became even associated with the Organic Architecture, in the seeking of American national and future style.

후지모리 테루노부 건축의 돌출기둥에 관한 연구

This paper aimed at investigating into the origin and meaning of the Japanese architect Terunobu Fujimori`s `piercing column`, and drew a conclusion as follows. First, the piercing column that made its first appearance in his architect debut work Jinchokan Moriya Historical Museum (1991) was conceived unexpectedly from pencil lines on a sketch that went through over the building`s roof. And the tree-like natural treatment of the column`s surface was influenced by Takamasa Yoshizaka`s description of a Mongolian mud-house. Second, most of piercing columns in his later works have nothing to do with a structural role as in Jinchokan, but were designed for a visual effect and as a symbolic gesture. Again, they allude to a tree in nature through a roughly peeling treatment of the surface. Third, considering his ideas in History of Humankind and Architecture (2005), his column could be related to a universal origin of architecture and a symbol of the sun-god faith, and in particular to independent columns of Japanese Shito shrines, such as `Onbashira` in Suwa and `Iwanebashira` in Izumo. That is to say, the Fujimori column is a medium that implies the animistic nature-faith of Japan. Nevertheless, Fujimori`s naturalism hints at a disquieting quality through an intentional artificiality and a provocative conflict between structure and finish of a building, which might be one aspect of the modern condition, `uncanny`.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and the Making of Japanese Postwar Architecture

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, designed by Japanese architect Kenzō Tange, is an eloquent visual account of the vexed nature of postwar Japan's contested history. It played an important role in the contentious debates over postwar internationalism and an emerging Japanese nationalism among Japanese architects and critics, and catalyzed the development of a new “non-Western” modern architecture.

Ari Seligmann. Review of "Materials and Meaning in Contemporary Japanese Architecture: Tradition and Today" by Dana Buntrock.

Ari Seligmann. Review of "Materials and Meaning in Contemporary Japanese Architecture: Tradition and Today" by Dana Buntrock.

Review: International Architecture in Interwar Japan: Constructing Kokusai Kenchiku, by Ken Tadashi Oshima

Ken Tadashi Oshima. International Architecture in Interwar Japan: Constructing Kokusai Kenchiku . Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, 2010, 320 pp., 20 color and 220 b/w illus. $60 (cloth), ISBN 97802959899440. Ken Tadashi Oshima’s International Architecture in Interwar Japan represents a new phase in English-language writing on architecture in Japan, but should be required reading for scholars and students working in modern architectural history regardless of location. As its title suggests, the book articulates how elite architects and their clients in interwar Japan combined a transnational modern subjectivity and modernist stylistic and thematic concerns with local context, in both design work and modes of practice. Oshima makes his case through close readings of the work of three architects: Horiguchi Sutemi, Antonin Raymond, and Yamada Mamoru. As a monograph on the three architects and incisive view into architectural practice in interwar Japan, the book is important for modern Japanese architectural history. But it makes an equally, if not more, significant contribution to a much larger readership as a model for recognizing and more accurately representing the simultaneously local and transnational nature of self-consciously modernist architectural practice anywhere in the twentieth century. Global history approaches—examining the transborder flows of ideas, forms and materials or their synchronous implementation and transformation in different locales, for example—are one way to overcome the overdetermined and inherited emphasis on national borders that stubbornly refuses to relinquish its hold on architectural history (including the particularly insidious substrain, “the uniqueness of Japan”); so is showing how a specific set of practices can be both international and locally specific. This is precisely Oshima’s project. The book’s subtitle, Constructing Kokusai Kenchiku, introduces the argument. As Oshima explains, modernist Japanese architects active in the interwar period understood their work as part of a transnational continuum and had personal and professional ties with colleagues in Europe, but expressed this condition in a specifically local language, in reference to the history, …

Qingdao

Qingdao, a coastal city in China, is located in the south of Shandong Peninsular by the Yellow sea. Its strategic location as an important port in northeast China has given the city a glorious past. The city’s urban development was flavoured with the German and Japanese architecture until it was recaptured in 1949. The liberalization of China since 1978 led to the launching of a series of preferential policy packages to spur foreign investment. Geographical proximity with South Korea and Japan helped generate strong economic synergies to drive the city’s growth. This profile captures the historical, economic and infrastructure development before and after the spatial development and housing provisions were introduced. The paper finishes by addressing the sustainability and environmental challenges that the city is increasingly facing now. The data used is drawn mainly from secondary sources, but also considerably from interviews and formal communications with the relevant officials of the urban authorities in Qingdao.

Analysis on Creative Thinking of Contemporary Japanese Architects from the Angle of National Characters

In Asia, contemporary Japanese architecture owns bright national characters, and meanwhile is geared to international standards. As an embodiment of nationalism, national characters have a direct influence on the creative thinking of architecture. Japanese people owns the double character of enlargement and reduction, as well as opening and closure, and the insularity character of delicacy and love of nature, thus contemporary Japanese architects own the nature of combining the “big” and the “small” as well as opening and closure, and the architecture form, aspiring after the creative thinking of harmonious coexistence with the nature, is delicate and subtle.

Building new towns in China – A case study of Zhengdong New District

In the past 20years, China has seen the active redevelopment of old towns and construction of new towns around booming cities. Zhengdong New District is one of them. Zhengdong (150sqkm) is located in central China, and was planned by the Japanese architect, Kisho Kurokawa (1934–2007). After the plan was approved in 2001, Phase I of 33sqkm was constructed in 5years with monumental buildings and grand plazas. Why did this foreign designed project receive tremendous support from the Chinese government during its planning and implementation? What are the problems of redeveloping new towns at such a fast pace? With these crucial policy and praxis questions, the authors studied the project on site and visited the stake-holders. This paper describes the birth of the plan and discusses how it was developed and nurtured into being by the various forces of government, developers and architects in the background of contemporary China. Through the process of development and construction in Zhengdong New District, the authors analyze the reasons behind the support and success of this unique planning phenomenon with strong Chinese characteristics.

Japanese 'Occidentalism' and the Emergence of Postmodern Architecture

The Japanese architects of the Metabolist group (Kisho Kurokawa, Kiyonori Kikutake, Fumihiko Maki, and others) rose to international fame in the 1960s and 1970s. I argue that certain conceptions of postmodern architecture that emerged at the time were influenced significantly by the Metabolists. In articles and presentations that were directed to a foreign audience, the Metabolists defined “the Japanese” as a cultural opposite to “the Western” and employed a particular rhetoric that bridged the contradictions between modernity and tradition, development and ecology, complex technology and noble simplicity. My argument is based on texts and presentations that Japanese architects wrote in English for an international audience, as well as analyses and reviews by European and North American critics.

Learning from Tokyo urbanism: The urban sanctuaries

This article takes up the challenge of demonstrating that ‘we’ can learn from Tokyo about the intrinsic importance of in-between realms to a cosmopolitan culture: the urban sanctuaries. It has four sections. The first section encircles a location from where to learn from Tokyo as well as an angle from where to start. This leads into the leading concept of the article: the urban sanctuary. The second section goes back in history to the early modern era and, with point of departure in traveller’s reports, localises an experience of strangeness and familiarity when it comes to a distinct ritual choreography for meeting at eye level. At the centre of the third section is a second generation of Japanese architects who came to maturity after World War II. Here, the work of Arata Isozaki is of specific interest, because it is precisely a formula for the construction of an urban sanctuary that sets up an in-between realm for an international culture that he returns to in work and life: the traditional concept of ‘interval’ or ma’. The final section relates Tokyo as a command centre for the global economy to its urban sanctuaries. It calls for a broadening of the research agenda by addressing a new set of questions concerning a formula for an in-between – a distinct ritual choreography for meeting the stranger with (universal) hospitality.

Architektoniczny eksperyment u podnóża Chińskiego Muru

Architektoniczny eksperyment u podnóża Chińskiego Muru

The Structural Core as Totem

The architectural group known as the Metabolists was established in 1960 to represent Japan at the Tokyo World Design Conference held in May of that year.1 Then a group of young architects, supported by the architect Kenzo Tange (1913–2005) and led by the journalist and architectural critic Noboru Kawazoe (b. 1926), the Metabolists produced visions that captured the spirit of this period of transformative change in Japan’s cultural history. In 1960, some fifteen years following the end of the Second World War, based on its “economic miracle” Japan appeared to be moving quickly towards a future filled with the promise of what was referred to in Japanese as the akarui-seikatsu, literally, “the bright life”. At the same time, the country was experiencing the internal upheaval and controversy following the government decision to ratify the Japan-US Treaty of Cooperation and Security (also known as Anpo) in January 1960, which was seen by many as a renewed form of Japan’s dependence on Western powers. This development reopened the debate, most notably in the more liberal sectors of Japanese society, over the questions of cultural identity and political self-assertion. The “city”— gaining a size and complexity of unprecedented magnitude as a result of “the era of the high speed growth” — was also the stage for intense discussion and for violent protest against the government. This was the backdrop to the World Design Conference, which occurred just a few months following the massive demonstrations against the Diet’s passing of the Anpo. The theme of the conference, “The Future of our Cities”, occasioned a peculiar moment of reflection for the members of the Metabolist group, who themselves professing Marxist leanings, pondered their identity and what they could contribute as Japanese architects in the global arena. The Structural Core as Totem Reflections on Form and Symbol in the Architecture of Metabolism

El bosque y la colmena abstractos. Convergencias conceptuales entre el Serpentine Gallery pavilion por Sou Fujimoto y el UK pavilion por Wolfgang Buttress

In order to reflect about the concomitance between architecture and art, their convergences and possibilities in contemporary times, materialized in conceptual manifest-projects, two examples will be analysed in this paper, the pavilion for the Serpentine Gallery by the Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto and the pavilion of the United Kingdom for the Universal Exposition Milan by the British artist Wolfgang Buttress. The two pavilions are projects that, searching for new understandings of our relationship with the world / the natural surroundings, fade away the line between architecture and conceptual art. This study will explore the ideas that gave origin and form to the pavilions in consequence of concepts that have been extracted from nature; in order (to pretend) to find the correlation points that are going to be discussed in the section of conceptual convergences. The discussion is going to be concluded with the syntheses of the study that are directed to reveal a projectual practice originated in the concomitance between the disciplines.

Planning for Sustainable Asian Cities: The 11th APSA International Congress, Tokyo, 2011

The 11th International Congress of the Asian Planning Schools Association (APSA) held in Tokyo, Japan from 19 to 21 September 2011 brought together over 200 scholars and practitioners from Asian countries and beyond. During the Congress, 177 papers were presented in several dozens of sessions and 16 posters were exhibited. In addition to the participants from Asian countries, delegates also came from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Italy, Turkey, the US, Israel, and Sweden. The Congress tackled the question of how to plan sustainable Asian cities through five different but interrelated themes: 'Inclusion, contestation and empowerment'; 'Managing and planning metropolitan change'; 'Environmental sustainability and resilience'; 'Transport, infrastructure and mobility; and 'Culture, conservation and tourism'. The Congress also highlighted planning and design issues in Asian cities through the organisation of two workshops: 'Planning education in Asian planning schools' and 'Contemporary community design and governance in Asian cities'. Finally, in response to Japan's recent Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, the Congress organised a symposium on 'Disaster prevention and reconstruction after major natural and manmade disasters'. Opening ceremony and keynote speech In the opening ceremony, Professor Anthony Gar Oh Yeh (University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR China) introduced the Asian Planning Schools Association and gave an address reflecting on its twenty-year experience. The 1st International Congress (formerly named the International Congress of City and Regional Planning Schools and Departments of Asian Universities) was organised by the Department of Urban Engineering at the University of Tokyo in November 1991. The 2nd International Congress of Asian Planning Schools held at the University of Hong Kong in 1993, and witnessed the establishment of the Asian Planning Schools Association. In Hong Kong, the participants agreed that a formal network for exchange and collaboration needed to be established to enhance planning education and research among Asian countries. Since then, the biennial APSA Congress has provided a platform for idea exchange about planning challenges and opportunities in Asian cities for academics, researchers and practitioners not only among Asian countries but from all over the world. Tadao Ando, an internationally renowned Japanese architect and Pritzker Architecture Prize winner, gave an informed keynote lecture titled 'Architecture in City'. Despite the fact that Ando did not have formal training in architecture, he has been highly recognised in both practice and education. By using his project practices in Japan, such as those in Tokyo and Osaka, as examples, Ando emphasised that the important thing is to increase the use of natural resources such as green infrastructure in planning and design. For Ando, the city should be made of citizens with pride. The city is made by sustainability and passion. He also commented on current architectural education in Japan. Conference sessions In an age of globalisation, the 11th APSA International Congress took up the task of reconsidering traditional urban planning concepts and instruments in Asian cities for future sustainable urban planning. The Congress provided a forum for reporting on the investigation of urban planning and research and for sharing professional and academic expertise. To this end, five main themes with 25 sub-themes were presented and discussed (see Table 1). Technical tour The Congress offered delegates an interesting technical tour exploring major development models of Tokyo: the Otemachi-Marunouchi-Yurakucho (OMY) district; the Tokyo Station restoration project; Tokyo Midtown; and Roppongi Hills. Situated in the heart of metropolitan Tokyo, the 120 ha. OMY district is a center of international business in Japan. The development and reinforcement of this district has played an essential role in helping Tokyo and even Japan itself continue its growth as one of the leaders in the global economy. …

“Japanese Taste” in Modern Architecture

This essay by the Japanese architect Horiguchi Sutemi, first published in Japanese in 1932, is a critique of the architectural style known as “Japanese taste.” This style, also known as “Imperial Crown Style,” emerged in the late 1920s and ’30s in response to the growth of nationalism in Japan. It was characterized by modern technology and elements from traditional Japanese architecture. Horiguchi is critical of the imitation and recreation of past examples in the name of modern “Japanese taste” architecture, and argues that the style would have to evolve in response to changing functions and developing technology.

英米法の専門家（建築家）の責任から導かれるわが国の建築設計等に関する契約の法的性質の検討

There is a traditional dispute about the regal matter of the architect contracts between owner and architect in Japan. This dispute is whether the architect contracts should be applied to Ininkeiyaku or to Ukeoikeiyaku. The one is similar to the issue between the professional responsibilities and the recent tendency of the professional responsibilities. The professional responsibilities are inclined to meet the general principles of the contracts. The considering of this dispute defines the architect's responsibilities for remedying defective buildings. This paper tries to explicate the regal matter of Japanese architect contracts considering the architect's responsibilities in English law and American law.

A Eulogy to Michelangelo: A Preliminary Study of Le Corbusier

This essay, first written in Japanese and published in 1939 by the young Japanese architect Tange Kenzō, reflects on the work and creativity of two major figures in Western art. Drawing on the writings of nineteenth- and twentieth-century German philosophers, the author bridges the gaps between the historical time frames of Le Corbusier and Michelangelo and pays spirited tribute to the mission of artistic creation. Written at a time when Japan became increasingly isolated, Tange Kenzō’s eulogy to two of the most important Western architects seems to affirm his claim to the heritage of world architecture.

전후 한국현대건축에 미친 미국과 일본건축의 영향 -미국에서 연수한 김정수와 일본에서 유학한 김수근을 중심으로-

본 논문은 6.25전쟁이후 한국현대건축 형성에 미국과 일본건축이 미친 영향에 관한 연구다. 2차세계대전 종전과 함께 광복을 맞이한 후 미군정과 6.25전쟁을 거친 한국 건축계는 미국의 원조를 통해 미국식 건축교육시스템과 건축생산시스템의 영향권에 빠르게 편입되지만, 동시에 일제강점하에 형성된 인적 제도적 관성에 기초한 일본건축의 지속적인 영향 속에서 재편되었다. 본 연구의 목적은 미국과 일본에서 수학한 두 건축가(김정수와 김수근)의 작품을 분석하여 미국과 일본의 건축이 전후 한국의 현대건축 형성기에 어떠한 영향을 미쳤는지 밝히는데 있다. 전재 복구가 마무리된 후 경제개발 과정에서 낙후된 한국의 건축생산시스템의 한계를 극복해야 하는 당면과제를 김정수는 개인적 차원에서 새로운 재료와 구법 그리고 국제주의건축의 구현을 통해 실현시켰다면, 김수근은 한국종합기술개발공사를 통한 국가적 지원을 통해 극복하고자 했다. 두 건축가가 취한 해법의 차이는 국비와 개인부담이라는 유학자금, 미국 연수와 일본유학이라는 교육배경과 유학동기의 차이에 기인하고 있음을 밝혔다. This paper is a study to discover the influence of American and Japanese Architecture on Building the post-war Korean Contemporary Architecture by looking through the architectural works of KIM Jongsoo and KIM Swoo-Geun. To overcome the deteriorated Korean architectural production system, these two architects chose different solutions; KIM Jongsoo developed new materials and introduced industrialized production system based on his own research, and KIM Swoo-Geun tried to develope engineering capability via Korea Engineering Consultant Corp. supported by Korean government which led Korean economic development plan. The difference of their solutions was due to their different background; fund of studying abroad, architectural education system in USA & Japan respectively and preferred solutions of personal or national dimension.