The Japanese House: Architecture and Interiors (Hardcover)

~ Alexandra Black (Author), Noboru Murata (Author) "The ancient Taoist scholar Laotse espoused that the true beauty of a room lay in the vacant space enclosed by the roof and walls, rather..." (more)
Key Phrases: shoji doors, tokonoma alcove, tatami room, Art Deco, Yuko Saito, Mushakoji Senke (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A photographic tour of 15 homes ranging from the very old to the ultramodern." -- Publishers Weekly

"Fifteen Japanese homes, complete with shoji screens and tatami mats, in 224 color photos." -- Associated Press

"Fifteen Japanese homes, complete with shoji screens and tatami mats, in 224 color photos."—Associated Press

Product Description

The simple beauty of Japanese architecture and design has inspired many of the world's top architects and designers, such as Bruno Taut, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Terence Conran, to name just a few. The grace and elegance of the Japanese sensibility is reflected in both modern and traditional Japanese homes, from their fluid floor plans to their use of natural materials. In The Japanese House, renowned Japanese photographer Noboru Murata has captured this Eastern spirit with hundreds of vivid color photographs of 15 Japanese homes. As we step behind the lens with Murata, we're witness to the unique Japanese aesthetic, to the simple proportions modeled after the square of the tatami mat; to refined, rustic decor; to earthy materials like wood, paper, straw, ceramics, and textiles. This is a glorious house-tour readers can return to again and again, for ideas, inspiration, or simply admiration.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing (November 30, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804832625
• ISBN-13: 978-0804832625
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 9.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #78,159 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #4 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Architecture > International > Asian
  #42 in	Books > Home & Garden > Interior Design > Decoration & Ornament

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

89 of 90 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure Eye Candy!, April 14, 2001

By	Ralf Hoenes (Essen) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book shows 13 houses ranging from "the teahouse" over "the traditional inn" and a "samurai residence" to "Japanese modern". It is mainly a photo book, the text is sparse. Each house gets two pages of introductory text, the rest is comments to the pictures. These are of the highest quality in terms of resolution, lighting, layout and print quality. It's easy to understand that "Noboru Murata is one of Japan's most accomplished interior photographers" (quote from the back flap). The main layout of this book is that there is one big picture covering one page (or more) completely, while the opposing page has up to three smaller pictures and the describing text.

If you are looking to get detailed information about the what, where and why of Japanese architecture with drawings, footprints and descriptions of styles or historical context you might have to look somewhere else. But if you want to immerse into the beauty deriving from the simple aesthetics of Japanese houses, than this book is for you.

139 of 148 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars should cherish the style as Japanese too, March 1, 2005

By	taka(Japanese (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews

I am a man that lives in Tokyo, the metropolitan of Japan. Recently in about thirty years, Japanese living styles have changed extremely, that is, the styles are getting to be foreign styles, the windows: not Syouji, tables: not Tyabudai, floorings: not tatami and so on. Especially in big city like Tokyo, Oosaka and Nagoya the tendency is plain. Though there will be the many reasons that recent Japan have gotten to be such situations, recent Japanese especially young men may wish such cool design like European style, for instance, a data was reported a few years ago, the length of foots per over-all body height of Japanese students have gotten to be long, some specialists of the genre say that the cause will be that young men use chairs of styles that stretch their legs, not the Seiza style that have existed from long ago. Off course the cause may be by other aspects like abundant foods. But I approve about the opinion of specialists too.

Certainly though the old Japanese living styles are disappearing in big cities, if we go to local towns or villages, there will be many traditional style house. Now, some people (especially the adults over 40 years old) who are living in big cities like Tokyo lived and sent in such traditional house style of local towns for their boys or girls age. After all when they got to be about 20 years old, they went out from the towns and went to Tokyo etc because they yearned for the fashions or convenience of Tokyo.

They become businessmen, when they take long vacations of summer or new-year some of them go back to their towns or villages of their home countries. And they say then "the most comfortable place is my hometown and house after all". Off course the their saying may be because they are released from daily stress like hard working, but I think that another reason exists, that is, Japanese traditional house styles may give the influences to such feeling.
For instance, when they see garden (Teien) they will be calm, that is not always the scenery, though foreigners do not know about that, Tatami generates slight natural smell because Tatami is made from grass (Igusa). So when they sleep by Futon style on Tatami directly (not bed style in many cases of local town), they feel the slight smell from Tatami, and feel nostalgia as if they go back to their child age.

Since I have been in Tokyo from my birth, unfortunately I have not the local hometown like them. But I feel the smell of Tatami, am very calm down.

I felt that should cherish the old styles as Japanese too.

Thank you for reading poor English.

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ten stars And has proven very valuable to us..., June 6, 2003

By	MotherLodeBeth "MotherLodeBeth" (Sierras of California) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

Awesome book that is proving to be very helpful as we design and get ready to build a very "Zen Danish" style home that isn't at all the cluttered American styled home. And I love the photos that demonstrate how to have things..and have them out of site. And I simply love the clean open style of the homes which is also what we are looking for.

This is a book for those who are sincerely interested in authentic Japanese home design, and not for someone who want a bit of Japanese in their American home!