The ancient (Shinto) shrines and (Buddhist) temples that abound in Kyoto are glorious examples of Japanese architecture. And modern Japanese architecture is among the best in the world, which has been borne out by the fact that Japanese architects are tied with Americans for the most annual Pritzker Prize winners (with eight each). (I address Japan’s greatest modern architects in a chapter in my book Japan From Anime to Zen.
Still, what tends to grab my eye over and over are the more quotidian, but no less beautiful, façades of Japanese homes. They are jammed into every street in town, especially in the largely-residential area in which I find myself staying. Some are older, and very much in the traditional Japanese/Kyoto style.
But many are much more modern, streamlined and with that very particularly Japanese blend of modern and ancient, modern materials employed with a fine contemporary aesthetic, with nods (or bows) to the latter.
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