Japanese Homes

Inspired by an arachnid, Christopher Flechtner and Junko Uchiyama turn a traditional machiya into a creative hub where “everything is...

For a couple and their young daughter, In Studio designs a serene hillside home with clever interiors.

A Japanese architect blurs the edges between shelter and site in a summer retreat enveloped by woodland.

On a corner lot in Tokyo, a contemporary refuge takes cues from traditional Japanese arts and garden design.

Infused with traditional materials and aesthetics, this open-plan home in Japan strengthens the bond a young family has to nature and to each other.

Maximizing a 280-square-foot plot, House Tokyo by UNEMORI ARCHITECTS makes clever use of ceiling heights and half levels.

Minutes from the capital city’s urban bustle, an architect blends steel, wood, and concrete into a harmonious retreat for a family of five.

Pastel arches, exposed beams, and an open plan turn a family home into an architecture firm’s radical live/work space.

Japanese architect Tono Mirai—a pioneer of “earth architecture”—works with master artisans to craft a holiday retreat for a family from Tokyo.

This radical home along Japan’s Tokaido road, the country’s historic eastern sea route, doubles as an art gallery and studio.

Architect and surfer Kenichiro Iwakiri renovates a beach house for himself in Shonan, a region of Japan known for its surf spots.

A ribbon of glass slices through this monolithic house, framing views of the surrounding landscape.

A surreal, larger-than-life staircase adds next-level functionality to a home in Minato, Tokyo.

Instead of dumping excavated soil, ADX used it to build a new home for a client recovering from the 2011 earthquake.

The design of this three-level structure was inspired by a single tree.

Designed by Takeru Shoji Architects, the Hara House opens up to the outside world.

Arbol Design creates a tiny house in Osaka with a cantilevered front facade that appears to float above a garden floor.

An indoor/outdoor courtyard allows tree branches to graze the ceiling of this narrow Osaka residence.

Horibe Associates carves out space for an expert-level climbing wall at the heart of this home in Tsukawaki.

Taken from the traditional engawa, the covered porch extends the living room toward the surrounding mandarin plantations.

A 400-year-old icon of Japanese design inspires generations of modern architects.

A one-of-a-kind house on a Japanese island blurs the indoor-outdoor divide.

Pastel hues, graphic patterns, and material contrasts in Adam Nathaniel Furman’s Nagatcho home make for an instant sugar high.

A distinctive wooden pattern lines the walls, floors, and ceilings of this compact home in Japan.

In Kishiwada in Southern Osaka, this serene abode directs views toward rice fields and the woods beyond.

The Pit House in Japan has smooth, rounded walls and a subterranean kitchen and living area.

Additional windows and open shelving help Suita House in Osaka feel airy and modern.

Putting a spin on the traditional Japanese doma, a dirt floor extends throughout this home, forging an ever-changing indoor/outdoor connection.

Inspired by the form of trees, an architect breaks the mold of typical, cuboid, multi-level structures.

In the city of Maebashi in Japan’s Gunma Prefecture, an extraordinary home features a solarium for the owner's plants.

Exposed wooden trusses and polycarbonate walls are just some of the features of this playful, Kobe residence.

On the shore of Japan's Lake Nojiri, interrelated levels are cleverly used to create a multi-story home.

Once tied to a rice plantation, the renovated Shimotoyama House in Japan becomes a bright family home thanks to ALTS Design Office.

In Osaka, Japan, a family's request for closeness is answered with this unique single-room design.

This retreat in Ehime in northwestern Shikoku belongs to an aging husband and wife who don't see eye-to-eye on air conditioning.

The beautiful charred look of shou sugi ban—or more accurately, yakisugi—gives these homes from around the world a striking presence.