In recent years commercial buildings have begun to,look the same all around the world. Japan's are no exception. Made of glass, steel, and concrete, office towers,shopping complexes, and hotels in Tokyo bear a striking resemblance to their counterparts in Houston, Shanghai, and London. Houses, however, remain particular to place. Unique microcosms molded by local customs and social mores, the houses of one country are still distinct from those of another. They are stubborny rooted in their own indigenous context.

In Japan, the very idea of "house" is not the same as in other countries. Many Japanese houses, and especially those designed by avant-garde architects, do not look, feel, or function like American or European homes. Some are oddly shaped or capped by steeply slanting roofs. Other houses feature rooms'in unexpected places: A third-floor kitchen is practically inconceivable in the West, yet in Japan it happens all the time. No matter where they are located, all houses must provide shelter for sleeping and eating. Beyond those basic requirements, Japanese houses part ways with those from other points on the globe.

 What makes the Japanese house distinctly Japanese are deeply ingrained usage patterns, social relationships, and a host of other contextual factors. Today's houses reflect both historical traditions and contemporary realities. More than worldwide trends, local conditions guide design decisions. In Japan, where land is limited and sites are small, building codes determine house shapes, and furniture dimensions fix room sizes. Architects put rooms where they fit, even if the location is not the most practical. Boundaries between home and business are often blurry, and residences housing dentist's offices, dry cleaners, and other commercial ventures are common. Construction materials are also unconventional. In this relatively forgiving climate, any raw material, even plastic or paper, is a potential building block.

Introduction

Chapter One The Tiny House

ChapterTwo The Indoor Outdoor House

ChapterThree The Multigeneration House

Chapter Four The Work and Play House

Chapter Five The Vacation House

Notes