The Inner Harmony of the Japanese House (Paperback)

~ (Author) "The history of European architecture is the history of the struggle with the window," commented Le Corbusier (1887-1965), a leading architect of our century..." (more)
Key Phrases: shoin style, pit dwellings, flat rooftops, World War, Nara Prefecture, Horyuji Temple (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

With the possible exception of the woodblock print, no other aspect of Japanese culture has been so widely embraced outside Japan as the traditional Japanese home. Interior decorators, architects, and homeowners from the West have been borrowing from Japanese architecture since Frank Lloyd Wright, yet the fundamentals of the Japanese abode remain something of a mystery. What is the age-old sensibility behind it? Why do luminaries in the field hold it up as one of mankind's most successful blends of function, tradition, and nature?

Atsushi Ueda ably answers these questions in Inner Harmony, which became a bestseller in his native Japan and continues to be used in high schools and colleges throughout the country. Breaking down the living space into its primary elements--shoji, partitions, pillars, garden, and so on--Ueda reveals the underlying patterns and hidden harmony that took centuries to evolve: he discusses the ways in which shoji exploit the natural light to create a subdued radiance; the way decorated sliding doors and moveable partitions define one's sense of living space; and the function of a miniature garden as viewed from inside the house as well as out.

In the manner of John McPhee and Tracy Kidder, Professor Ueda unravels the concealed concepts at work in the Japanese living space, and brings compelling insights and a long-needed clarity to the subject--all in the best tradition of contemporary literary nonfiction.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Japanese --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha International (October 20, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 4770023537
• ISBN-13: 978-4770023537
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #640,390 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An unexpected delight, November 24, 2001

By	Cynthia L. Weston "MmeCyn" (Dubai United Arab Emirates) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am not an architect, nor am I Japanese, but I have lived in Japan and love Japanese-style rooms. I picked this book up merely because I was interested in the topic, and thought I'd get just a dry description and maybe some floor plans. Was I wrong! This book is a delight, not merely for the content-- which is a thorough introduction to the pieces of the Japanese house and the 'why' behind them-- but also for the social comment the author makes about various facets of the lives of the people who live in these houses. Ueda's opinion comes through clearly, but that's what makes this book such a good read (his solution to the unslightly-futons-on-the-balcony problem had us in stitches, and his bad attitude toward flat roofs is a riot). He starts with the base of the house (the pillars) and works all the way out to the locks on the door. He's got a nice sense of history, and you can tell he himself is very fond of the traditional house. A delightful read!

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Good, the Bad and the Very Ugly of Japanese Architecture, March 14, 2005

By	Miguel Lescano Cornejo (Guayaquil, Ecuador) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

The original title in japanese was "The Japanese and the house" and that should have been the English title. Don't expect a sales-advertisement trying to sell you japanese architecture as the world's most perfect, showing you only the most perfect examples, like most books on the subject do; this book was written by a Japanese for the Japanese, so it's not trying to fool anyone. Instead, it addresses the good, the bad and the (very) ugly of Japanese architecture in the 1970s, and gives a lot of recommendations for future development. In this sense, this book feels a lot like "A Pattern Language", from Christopher Alexander.

I finished this book in a weekend. Unlike many other translated books on Japanese architecture, it is written in clear English and talks about daily life issues anyone can understand, and does it with a good (sometimes hilarious) sense of humor. It does not go high on insipid philosophical discussions, but goes deep into the roots of current day virtues and vices of Japanese architecture.

Don't expect color photographs, floor plans or sections; this books was not illustrated by the author, but by the editor. The original work is text-only. Even if it were to be stripped from the b/w photos it has, it is still a very entertaining book, that reads almost like a novel, and will make you learn a lot of things about the realities and problems of Japan while having some good laughs. It's really refreshing to find a book on architecture that talks about real life needs instead of difficult-to-understand philosophical concepts.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is great!, April 8, 2004

By	Amber (Georgia) - See all my reviews

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I am writing my own book, set in the traditional Japan. This books is a marvelous help in getting the feel of the place and period with which I am working. I don't know how I could get along without this book!

It presents its information in a clear, concise manner that is easy for me to understand, and the pictures really give you a feel not just for the house, but for the mindset of the people who live there. I recommend this book to anyone studying the Japanese culture.