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Architecture
When most people think about Japanese architecture, it's samuri castles, nightingale floors and paper doors that come to mind. But there are subtle resonances between the use of space (ma), water, material and air that can tell as much about Japanese culture as a story or a song. These books, about Japanese structures/spaces and the architects who created them, are a good place to start developing an eye (and ear) for Japanese architecture.
Architectural Guide Japan-20th Century by Francesco Montagnana Hardcover
Architecture in Japan by Philip Jodidio Hardcover
192 pages
Architecture and Authority in Japan (Nissan Institute/Routledge Japanese Studies Series) by William H. Coaldrake Hardcover
(Also available in Paperback)
The Architecture of Fumihiko Maki by Jennifer Taylor Hardcover
192 pages
A comprehensive critical history of Maki's work..
The Art and Architecture of Japan (Pelican History of Art Series) by Robert T. Paine Hardcover
Also available in paperback.
Art of Japanese Architecture by David Young Hardcover
176 pages
Beginning with a discussion of prehistoric pit dwellings and concluding with a description of significant modern buildings, this book analyzes 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.
Contemporary Japanese Architects (Big Series: Architecture and Design) Vol 1 by Dirk Meyhofer Paperback
The Contemporary Tea House: Japan's Top Architects Redefine a Tradition by Arata Isozaki Hardcover
136 pages
In chapters written by three of the worlds most renowned architects -- Arata Isozaki, Tadao Ando, Terunobu Fujimori as well as a fourth with text by Hiroshi Hara and Kengo Kuma -- the book looks at twenty modern tea houses in Japan. Photographs, detailed drawings, specifications of each building, a glossary and profiles of the architects.
Frank Lloyd Wright and the Art of Japan: The Architect's Other Passion by Julia Meech-Pekarik Hardcover
304 pages
Wright was an avid and important collector and dealer of Asian art. His personal collection included thousands of Japanese color woodblock prints. This book accompanied an exhibition at Japan Society Gallery in New York.
Frank Lloyd Wright and Japan: The Role of Traditional Japanese Art and Architecture in the Work of Frank Lloyd Wright by Kevin Nute Paperback
256 pages
This account of Frank Lloyd Wright's relationship with Japan focuses on eight primary channels of influence.
Hiroshi Hara: The Floating World of Architecture by Botond Bognar Hardcover
272 pages
Hiroshi Hara was responsible for the designs of many of the most significant and largest projects in Japan, including major urban complexes such as the Iida City Museum, the Umeda Sky Building in Osaka, the Miyagi Prefectural Library in Sendai, the Kyoto Station Complex, and the Sapporo Dome. In-depth critical analysis, seven short theoretical essays by Hiroshi Hara, and a selection of 29 individual projects.
Itsuko Hasegawa (Architectural Monograph) by Itsuko Hasegawa Hardcover
Also available in paperback.
Japan: The Art of Living by Amy Sylvester Katoh Paperback
192 pages
Interior designs that blend East and West, traditional and modern. 300+ color photographs of Tokyo homes: table settings, screens and furnishings, and flower arrangements.
Japan Houses by Marcia Iwatate Hardcover
240 pages
Twenty-eight contemporary houses captured through breathtaking photographs, showcasing the creativity of Japan's leading architects and designers and their innovative use of building materials, spatial concepts, and aesthetic surprise.
Japan Style: Architecture+Interiors+Design by Geeta Mehta Hardcover
224 pages
Twenty residences, more than 200 color photographs.
The Japanese Bath by Bruce Smith, Yoshiko Yamamoto Hardcover
96 pages
Sixty full-color illustrations.
Japanese Detail: Architecture by Sadao Hibi Paperback
Japan-ness in Architecture by Arata Isozaki Hardcover
371 pages
Combining historical survey, critical analysis, theoretical reflection, and autobiographical account, these essays, written over a period of twenty years, demonstrate Isozaki's standing as one of the world's leading architects and preeminent architectural thinkers.
The Making of a Modern Japanese Architecture: 1868 to the Present by David B. Stewart Hardcover
304 pages
With its hundreds of plates and its reliance on primary sources, this sophisticated study defines what is essentially Japanese about modern Japanese architecture.
The Museum of Modern Art, Gunma: Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, Japan, 1971-Arata Isozaki (Architecture in Detail Series) by Philip Drew, Arata Isozaki Paperback
Place, Time and Being in Japanese Architecture by Kevin Nute Hardcover
192 pages
Togo Murano: Master Architect of Japan by Togo Murano, Botond Bognar Hardcover
Tokyo Architecture and Design by Martin Nicholas Kunz Paperback 191 pages
This guide highlights several of Tokyo's most interesting buildings (by architects such as Renzo Piano and Tadao Ando) and also showcases outstanding interior design.
What Is Japanese Architecture? by Kazuo Hozumi, Kazuo Nishi Hardcover
