Required Reading: The Japanese House Since 1945 - Remodelista
Our fascination with and admiration for Japanese culture and design is no secret. So when we saw the title of Thames and Hudson’s latest release, The Japanese House Since 1945, we spotted a glaring gap in our knowledge. JOH House, by Makoto Suzuki, Tokyo, 1966. Photograph by Chuji Hirayama, copyright Jiro Hirayama. The book opens with a rousing introduction by Tadao Ando, Japan’s 82-year-old autodidact architect. The home is the building most intimately connect to the lives of human beings he writes and as such it is the origins of architecture and the most effective means of capturing its essence... ...Consequently tracing the residential buildings regarded as masterpieces of their time gives a sense of the social climate at that moment and allows one to listen in on the true feelings of the community Photograph courtesy Fukui/Japan Stock Photography/Alamy. Shoji sliding screens in tatami mat rooms give a sunny view of the Japanese garden at this historic Matsudaira family Yokokan Villa. Distinguished by pale blue pages and vintage snapshots of family life, these case studies are written by architects and/or their family members and bring to life the experience of living in these unique homes. Sky House by Kiyonori Kikutake, Tokyo, 1958. The Japanese House Since 1945 by Naomi Pollock (Thames & Hudson) is £60.