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Architecture

    Wood has long served as the basis of Japanese architecture. Though a relatively small country, Japan is blessed with abundant forest resources, and wood is most suitable for Japan's hot and humid climate. Stone is unsuitable for construction in Japan for reasons of both supply and economy and has been used for little more than castle escarpments.

    A notable feature of Japanese architecture is the coexistence of everything from traditional styles that have been handed down from generation to generation to modern structures employing the most advanced engineering techniques.

Traditional architectural styles

The temple Horyuji in Nara Prefecture, completed in 607.

Togudo, a building on the Ginkakuji temple compounds in Kyoto, built during the Muromachi period.

Himeji Castle, built in the seventeenth century.

The Ministry of Justice building is one of the few brick edifices standing in Tokyo today. Originally completed in 1895, it was rebuilt in 1948 after being destroyed in World War II.

The skyscrapers of Shinjuku are symbols of Japan's economic maturity.

    Shrine architecture: One of the oldest architectural forms extant in Japan today is shrine architecture. The Ise Jingu Shrine at Ise in Mie Prefecture, the origins of which are unknown, is an especially important architectural monument that is reconstructed every 20 years using the original building techniques; the latest rebuilding took place in 1993. The simple construction of unpainted Japanese cypress reflects the appearance and spirit of ancient Japanese architecture, which is designed to blend harmoniously with the surrounding environment.
    The influence of Buddhism: Buddhism, which reached Japan from China in the sixth century, exerted a major influence on Japanese architecture. Buddhist temple architecture, with its grand construction materials and architectural scale, conveyed a magnificent image of the continent. The hall housing the Daibutsu (Great Buddha) statue at Todaiji Temple in Nara, completed in the eighth century, is the world's largest wooden structure.
    Both Nara and Kyoto, Japan's ancient capitals built in the eighth century, were designed according to the Chinese method of urban planning, which arranged streets in a checkerboard pattern. Modern Kyoto retains the form it had at that time.
    The development of indigenous Japanese styles: In the Heian period (794-1192) Buddhism underwent a gradual Japanization. Shinden-zukuri, the architectural style employed in the mansions and homes of the nobility, is representative of the residential architecture of this period. A roof thatched with Japanese cypress tree bark rested on wooden pillars and beams; the interior had wooden floors without fixed room dividers; and the use of single-leaf and folding screens, tatami, and other light materials made it possible to define the living space freely. The Kyoto Gosho (Imperial Palace), home to generations of Emperors, still exemplifies this arrangement well. Some features of the external appearance, such as the construction materials, the steeply pitched roof, and the wide eaves, can be seen in some Japanese housing today. Another characteristic of the Heian period was the appearance of gardens with ponds and fishing pavilions.
    The influence of Zen: In the Kamakura period (1192-1338) the samurai came to the fore, displacing the nobility as the dominant class in society. The arrival of Zen Buddhism from China in this era gave rise to Tang-style architecture in the temples and monasteries of Kyoto and Kamakura. Eventually this developed into the multistoried architecture of temples like Kinkakuji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion) and Ginkakuji (Temple of the Silver Pavilion) in Kyoto. Dry landscape gardens, in which sand, stones, and shrubbery are used to symbolize mountains and water, became popular. While all of these were highly extravagant means for samurai and nobility to display their power, they also resulted in the flowering of a uniquely Japanese artistic culture.

    The influence of tea ceremony: Tea, which was transmitted to Japan from China, became popular among the upper classes in the Muromachi era (1338 -1573). The spirit of the tea house, which was built especially for the tea ceremony, eventually influenced residential architecture, and an architectural style called sukiya zukuri, or the tea-ceremony cottage style, developed. Kyoto's Katsura Rikyu, formerly an imperial villa, is the prime example of this style. Built in the early part of the Edo period (1603-1868), the structure is famous for its superb harmony and rare simplicity. The garden is considered one of the finest examples of Japanese landscape gardening.
    The construction of castles: Many castles were built in Japan in the sixteenth century, when the warrior spirit dominated Japanese society. Though they were constructed as military bases, castles also fulfilled an important peacetime role as the symbol of a lord's prestige and the center of administration. For this reason, they were designed not only for military purposes but also with aesthetics in mind. A number of castles survive in cities around the country today. Perhaps the most outstanding of them is Himeji Castle, which is often likened to a white heron because of its balanced beauty.

The development of modern architecture
    With the Meiji Restoration in 1868 Japan entered a period of modernization and Westernization, and construction techniques using stone and brick were introduced. The new style spread throughout the country and was adopted for many government-run factories and government offices.Office buildings and residences incorporating Western designs became increasingly common. Stone and brick structures built by conventional methods, however, failed to stand up to the great earthquake of 1923, which reduced Tokyo to rubble. Subsequently progress was made in research on earthquake-proof construction methods, and reinforced-concrete architecture came to the fore at about the same time as it did in Western Europe.
    Overcoming the heavy blow of World War II, Japan entered a period of rapid economic growth in which architectural engineering using steel and concrete attained one of the highest levels in the world. A number of buildings have been designed that have made a significant contribution to architecture internationally. Recently there has been a trend toward expressing traditional Japanese forms using modern technology and materials.
    The Yoyogi National Stadium, constructed for the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, and the various types of architecture seen at the World Exposition in Osaka in 1970 exemplify one result of Japan's postwar economic growth that it can be proud of. Recently original architectural forms and postmodern trends created by young architects who are active overseas as well as in Japan have been attracting attention.
    A number of large-scale housing projects, such as Osaka's Senri New Town, have sprung up to meet the demand for housing brought on by increases in the country's population, and in major cities, where land is scarce, ultra- high-rise architectural engineering has made notable progress to meet the great demand for office space. A block of skyscrapers, including the Tokyo Metropolitan Government buildings, in Shinjuku in western central Tokyo, dubbed the capital's subcenter, stands as a symbol of Japan's economic status.
    A recent spectacular trend has been urban redevelopment in central Tokyo, focusing on smart buildings like the Ark Hills and Yebisu Garden Place complexes, to meet the needs of an internationalized and information- intensive city. Smart buildings are connected to the world's most advanced telecommunications networks and are managed automatically.