Japanese Creativity: Contemplations on Japanese Architecture

What lies at the root of Japanese creativity and its architectural artefacts? In his new book, the Japanese architect Yuichiro Edagwa explores this question in detail. By analysing a wide variety of unique exemplary buildings from the sixth century to the present, he determines twelve distinctive characteristics of Japanese architectural creativity and composition, including: intimacy with nature, importance of materials, bipolarity and diversity, asymmetry, devotion to small space, and organic form. The key understanding which pervades all these characteristics is that ‘parts precede the whole’. The Japanese process of creation begins with designing parts and details and ends with combining them to one edifice, instead of starting with a whole structure and working out the components afterwards. With Japanese Creativity - Contemplations on Japanese Architecture Edagawa provides a personal and comprehensive understanding of Japanese creativity and the architectural process. The book gives us an inspiring insight into Japanese culture and identity, which in its essence is deeply traditional and modern at the same time. AUTHOR: Yuichiro Edagawa graduated from the University of Tokyo, Department of Architecture in 1974. He entered Mitsubishi Estate Design Division and worked for Mitsubishi as an architect, a chief architect, a principal and an executive architect for 35 years. Edagawa has designed many high-rise buildings and major projects, including Sankei Breeze Tower which was co-designed with German architect Christoph Ingenhoven. Granted Ph.D. Eng. in the field of architecture from the University of Tokyo in 2017. SELLING POINT:

An analysis of the origin and development of Japanese creativity in architecture

preface by Kengo Kuma 175 colour images