Japanese Homes

From the cities of Tokyo and Kyoto to the rural countryside, Japanese modernism, architecture and design embraces small spaces (and hot tubs, too).

In Tokyo, Four Volumes Form a Miniature “Village” Where a Family Writes, Draws, and Plays Music

In Tokyo, Four Volumes Form a Miniature “Village” Where a Family Writes, Draws, and Plays Music

A Family’s Home in Kyoto Balances Light and Darkness With a Diagonal Wall

A Family’s Home in Kyoto Balances Light and Darkness With a Diagonal Wall

In Japan, a Straight-Ahead Gable Home Takes an Unexpected Turn

In Japan, a Straight-Ahead Gable Home Takes an Unexpected Turn

A Mostly Wood Home in Japan Lets One Family Lead a Simple, Sustainable Life

A Mostly Wood Home in Japan Lets One Family Lead a Simple, Sustainable Life

From the Archive: Ryue Nishizawa’s Groundbreaking Tokyo Apartment Complex

From the Archive: Ryue Nishizawa’s Groundbreaking Tokyo Apartment Complex

He Came Back to Japan With His Sights Set on One Thing—a Remarkable Home to Host His Art Collection

He Came Back to Japan With His Sights Set on One Thing—a Remarkable Home to Host His Art Collection

The Lawn Is Part of the Living Room at This Bunkerlike Home in Japan

The Lawn Is Part of the Living Room at This Bunkerlike Home in Japan

Half-Moon Cutouts Cast Dramatic Light Across This Concrete Home in Tokyo

Half-Moon Cutouts Cast Dramatic Light Across This Concrete Home in Tokyo

They Turned a Traditional Kyoto Townhouse Into a Hub for Creatives

They Turned a Traditional Kyoto Townhouse Into a Hub for Creatives

This Glassy Getaway in the Mountains of Japan Is Not Your Typical Cabin

This Glassy Getaway in the Mountains of Japan Is Not Your Typical Cabin

This Extremely Narrow Tokyo Home Was Supposed to Be Even Narrower

This Extremely Narrow Tokyo Home Was Supposed to Be Even Narrower

A Concrete Tiny House in Tokyo Opens to the Sky—and the Street

A Concrete Tiny House in Tokyo Opens to the Sky—and the Street

A Pint-Sized Japanese Tiny Home Is Shaped Like a Milk Carton

A Pint-Sized Japanese Tiny Home Is Shaped Like a Milk Carton

This Shape-Shifting Tokyo Apartment Lets an Architect Work From Home

This Shape-Shifting Tokyo Apartment Lets an Architect Work From Home

When It Rains, This Japanese Home’s Concrete Deck Becomes a Reflecting Pool

When It Rains, This Japanese Home’s Concrete Deck Becomes a Reflecting Pool

This $120K Tiny Home Is a Tea House on Wheels

This $120K Tiny Home Is a Tea House on Wheels

From the Archive: An Experimental Firm Brought the Avant-Garde to Japan’s Factory-Made Houses

From the Archive: An Experimental Firm Brought the Avant-Garde to Japan’s Factory-Made Houses

A Centuries-Old Japanese Design Concept Inspired This Under-Stair Storage

A Centuries-Old Japanese Design Concept Inspired This Under-Stair Storage

A Tokyo Home With a Shape-Shifting Staircase Presents a Smart Solution to Small-Space Living

A Tokyo Home With a Shape-Shifting Staircase Presents a Smart Solution to Small-Space Living

Here’s What We Can Learn From Japanese Prefab Homes

Here’s What We Can Learn From Japanese Prefab Homes

The Unfulfilled Promise of the Nagakin Capsule Tower

The Unfulfilled Promise of the Nagakin Capsule Tower

Low-Tech Utopia: Inside a Japanese Greenhouse Commune

Low-Tech Utopia: Inside a Japanese Greenhouse Commune

When Life Gave Them an Oddly Shaped Lot, a Young Family Made a Superbly Skinny 868-Square-Foot Home

When Life Gave Them an Oddly Shaped Lot, a Young Family Made a Superbly Skinny 868-Square-Foot Home

Private Nooks Unfold at Every Turn in This Origami-Inspired Japanese Home

Private Nooks Unfold at Every Turn in This Origami-Inspired Japanese Home

In This Tokyo Home, a Dramatic Design Feature Takes Center Stage

In This Tokyo Home, a Dramatic Design Feature Takes Center Stage

In This Tokyo Home, a Secret Garden Thrives Behind a Cascade of Glass

In This Tokyo Home, a Secret Garden Thrives Behind a Cascade of Glass

Japan’s Dwindling “Signboard” Buildings

Japan’s Dwindling “Signboard” Buildings

This Family Home in Japan Breaks the Stereotype of a Modern Farmhouse

This Family Home in Japan Breaks the Stereotype of a Modern Farmhouse

The Evolution of Japan’s Modern Houses Tells the Story of Its Postwar Comeback

The Evolution of Japan’s Modern Houses Tells the Story of Its Postwar Comeback

A Designer Couple Weave Fresh Elements Into a 107-Year-Old Kyoto Townhouse

A Designer Couple Weave Fresh Elements Into a 107-Year-Old Kyoto Townhouse

A Family in Japan Makes the Most of a Tight Space on an Even Tighter Budget

A Family in Japan Makes the Most of a Tight Space on an Even Tighter Budget

A Holiday Home in Hokkaido Echoes the Textures and Topography of Nature

A Holiday Home in Hokkaido Echoes the Textures and Topography of Nature

A Garden Hill Reflects Light Into This Modern Tokyo Home

A Garden Hill Reflects Light Into This Modern Tokyo Home

A Ficus Tree Grows Through This Sun-Soaked House in Kyoto

A Ficus Tree Grows Through This Sun-Soaked House in Kyoto

Corrugated Steel Boxes Stack Up to Create a Tiny Home in Tokyo

Corrugated Steel Boxes Stack Up to Create a Tiny Home in Tokyo

A Tree Grows in the Center of This Restrained Tokyo Home

A Tree Grows in the Center of This Restrained Tokyo Home

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