“Clouds, Bubbles, and Waves” of Japanese architecture
What are “clouds, bubbles, and waves”? They suggest impermanence of Japanese architecture, but also resiliency of it. At the symposium on this very curious subject at Yale School of Architecture, Yoko Kawai of PED had a pleasure to moderate one of the sessions. Japanese architecture is known for its respect to the impermanence of life […]
Designing Mindfulness: Spatial Concepts in Traditional Japanese Architecture
On May 31st, Yoko Kawai is going to talk “Designing Mindfulness: Spatial Concepts in Traditional Japanese Architecture”, at TALKS+ of New York Japan Society. Please join this event!
Design and Posture – Secrets of Being a Little Happier
You are in the middle of the beautiful landscape. But instead of looking up, you look down to your phone and slouch. Sounds familiar? When you slouch, you not only look bad but also feel powerless and hopeless. The repetitive strain on the neck and cervical spine can develop the neuromuscular syndrome that involves depression […]
Cat’s Eye View of Japanese Architecture vol. 5 – Perishable Landscape
Do you know what colored maple leaves and cherry blossoms have in common? The answer is that both are perishable. Their colors, red of maple and pink of cherry, last only for a few days. Japanese people cherish them because of their short lives. Yes, I said “because of”, not “in spite of”. The logical […]
Modern Japanese Architecture – Exposed Geometric Pattern
Did you know that modern Japanese architecture was contemporary with, or even was going ahead of, American and European counterparts? There was much both-way communication and architectural developments between West and East in early 21st century, about which I will write in this blog sometime soon. Yet here I would like to start introducing some examples […]
