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Japanese Architecture : Buildings

Key Contemporary Architectural Developments in Japan, Asia

post updated 12 August 2021

Japan Architecture Links

Architecture in Japan

e-architect select interesting design-led Japanese Architecture. We cover completed buildings plus new building designs across Japan. Our focus is on contemporary Japanese buildings.

We have 8 pages of Japanese Architecture selections.

Japanese Architecture : news + key projects (this page)

Japanese Buildings : A-D

Japanese Architecture Designs : E-G

Japanese Building Developments : H-I

Japanese Architecture Developments : J-L

Japanese Building Designs : M-N

Japanese Architectural Designs : O-R

Contemporary Japanese Buildings : S-Z

Japanese Building News

Contemporary Architecture in Japan, chronological:

Updated 24 Mar 2021
W Hotel Osaka, 4-1-3 Minami Senba, Chuo-ku, 542-0081 Osaka
Design: Concrete
W Hotel Osaka Japan
photograph : marriott international
W Hotel Osaka
Situated on Midosuji Boulevard, a new 27-story landmark high-rise, designed by Nikken Sekkei and with a Tadao Ando supervised facade, is the home of Japan’s first W Hotel. Don’t be deceived by its simple black monolith design – inside hides a world of extravagance! Its interior is inspired by the many facets of the city, welcoming guests to experience Osaka, through the eyes of concrete.

29 Aug 2013
Hakko Kyoto
Design: Osamu Morishita Architect & Associates
Hakko Kyoto Showroom in Japan
photo from architect
These transparent layers will be like a strong screen which consciously divides one side from another. On the other hand the semi-transparent layers will be like a filter which connects inside and outside. Because people can feel only the atmosphere of the other side, they will need to imagine the opposite world. That kind of behavior will create a sensitive connection between the opposing sides. By mixing these transparent and semitransparent layers we can make people feel the deepness of the space where people feel more desire for their favorite cars. Among the layers we tried to create spaces.

21 Aug 2013
Step Tower Osaka, Osaka
Architects: EASTERN design office
Step tower Osaka Building - Japanese Architecture
photograph : Koichi Torimura
A stark white ship that sails in the middle of the bustling sea of colors.
The ship floating on the ocean suddenly appears in a shopping center. It evokes a feeling not of a resort area, but of an exotic corner of a town in some southern country. A feeling of a ship that comes across this area by chance. It makes you imagine the wave splashes that occur when the bow heads-on through the sea.

16 May 2013
Le Comptoir de Fruit et Légumes, Higashiku, Nagoya, Aichi
Design: Kotaro HORIUCHI / KHA – Kotaro Horiuchi Architecture INC
Yatsushiro Municipal Museum Japan
photo from architects
Le Comptoir de Fruit et Légumes in Higashiku
Mini architecture – organic forms built using stacked free-flowing plates to maximise function in a tight space. The counter slides through the wall, while the spiral runs along a smooth curved surface reaching to the ceiling. The form of the curved surface was changed and it computed so that the needed function might be absorbed, always having in mind the ease of use. The new design follows variations generated using parametric design.

2 Apr 2013
House in Muko, Kyoto, central-southern Japan
Design: Fujiwara Architects
Muko Building Japanese Architecture
photo : Yano Toshiyuki
House in Muko
A mezzanine-floored residence consisting of a single-roomed space, located on a fan-shaped site. The movements of the sun can be felt inside the house all throughout the year. Light coming from the east strikes the louvered boards before entering the house and reaching deep into its interior.

29 Jan 2013
House in Abiko, Chiba Prefecture, south east Japan
Design: Shigeru Fuse Architects
House in Abiko - Japanese Architecture
photo from architect
House in Abiko
This project is a home for a couple in their thirties. The client required a gallery-like space where their designer furniture could stans out.

Japanese Building – Recent Designs

23 Oct 2012
House in Asamayama, Nagano, central Japan
Design: Kidosaki Architects Studio
House in Asamayama Japan
photograph : 45g Photography
House in Asamayama
This is a striking new Japanese house that juts out over a steep slope.

12 Mar 2012
Light stage house, Hiroshima, south west Japan
Bunzo Ogawa
Hiroshima House - Japanese Architecture
photograph : Toshiyuki Yano
Light stage house
The concept of this house, “sunlight stage” is a proposal of the way of taking sunlight on the site where the condition of sunlight is severe.

29 Sep 2011
Ring Around a Tree, Fuji
Tezuka Architects
Fuji Kindergarten Building
photograph : Katsuhisa Kida
Ring Around a Tree

Japanese Architecture – Major Buildings

Major Architecture in Japan, alphabetical:

Armani/Ginza Tower, Tokyo
Massimiliano Fuksas Architects
Armani/Ginza Tower
photo : Ramon Prat
Armani/Ginza Tower

Chichu Art Museum, Naoshima, Kagawa
Architect: Tadao Ando
Chichu Art Museum Japanese Architecture
photo : FUJITSUKA Mitsumasa
Chichu Art Museum

Fragile Shelter, Sapporo, north Japan
Hidemi Nishida
Fragile Shelter Japanese Architecture
photo : Anna Nagai
Fragile Shelter Hokkaido

Fuji Kindergarten, Tachikawa, Tokyo
Tezuka Architects
Japanese Kindergarten Building
photo : Katsuhisa Kida
Fuji Kindergarten

Hoki Museum, Chiba, central Japan
Nikken Sekkei
Hoki Museum Building
picture : Harunori Noda
Hoki Museum

Kure City Ondo Civic Center, Hiroshima
Kengo Kuma & Associates
Japanese Civic Center
photo from architects
Japanese Civic Center

Leaf Chapel, Yamanashi
klein dytham architecture
Leaf Chapel Japan
picture from architect
Leaf Chapel Yamanashi

Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower, Tokyo
Tange Associates Architects
Cocoon Tower Tokyo
photo : Koji Horiuchi
Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower

Mountains & Opening House
EASTERN design office
Mountains & Opening House Japan
photograph : Koichi Torimrua
Mountains & Opening House

Musashino Art University Building
Sou Fujimoto Architects
Musashino Art University Building
photograph from architect
Musashino Art University Building

Nebuta-no-ie Warasse, north Japan
molo + d/dt Arch + Frank la Rivière Arch.
Nebuta-no-ie Warasse Japanese Architecture
photo : Shigeo Ogawa
Nebuta-no-ie Warasse

Prada Store
Herzog and de Meuron
Prada Store Tokyo
picture © James Whitaker 2009
Prada Store Tokyo

SHELL building, Karuizawa, Nagano
Kotaro Ide / ARTechnic architects
SHELL villa Japanese Architecture
picture : Nacasa & Partners Inc
SHELL villa

TBWAHakuhodo, Tokyo
Klein Dytham architecture
TBWAHakuhodo Japanese Architecture
photograph : Kozo Takayama
TBWAHakuhodo Tokyo

Teshima Art Museum
Ryue Nishizawa + Rei Naito
Teshima Art Museum Building
photo : Noboru Morikawa
Teshima Art Museum

Yokohama Port Terminal, Tokyo
Design: Foreign Office Architects
Yokohama Ferry Terminal Japanese Architecture
picture via RIAS in 2004
Yokohama Ferry Terminal

More Japanese Architecture online soon

Location: Japan, Eastern Asia

Japanese Architects

21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa
Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA
Museum of Contemporary Art Kanazawa
photograph © 2008 Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA

Modern Japanese Building

National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo – 1959 by Le Corbusier

Japanese architect : Tadao Ando

Japan Architecture Tour

Japanese architect : Fumihiko Maki

Comments / photos for the Japan Buildings page welcome

Architecture