The Mori Art Museum in Roppongi, Tokyo, opened the "Japan in Architecture: What Its Genes Bring" exhibition on April 25, 2018 (until September 17). Here's a report on the highlights of the exhibition from the preview held the day before. This exhibition, supervised by architect and architectural historian Terunobu Fujimoto, is organized into chapters based on nine characteristics that are considered to be key to understanding Japanese architecture: "Wood as Possibilities," "Transcendent Aesthetics," "Relaxing Roofs," "Crafts as Architecture," "Connected Spaces," "Open Eclecticism," "Forms of Living Together," "Discovered Japan," and "Symbiosis with Nature." It explores the genes of Japanese architecture that lie beneath the surface from ancient times to the present, often overlooked in modern, functionalist architecture. The sheer volume of the exhibits is particularly noteworthy in this report. With over 400 exhibits spanning 100 projects, the exhibition explores everything from Jomon period dwellings to contemporary architecture, including buildings currently in the works and future plans. Architects featured include Frank Lloyd Wright, Kenzo Tange, Kisho Kurokawa, Tadao Ando, Arata Isozaki, Kengo Kuma, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and SANAA. The architectural projects range from World Heritage sites like the Phoenix Hall of Byodoin Temple (1053) and Itsukushima Shrine (1241) to the ancient Izumo Taisha Shrine and Ise Jingu Shrine, the Tokyo Olympic National Indoor Stadium (1964), and the Nippon Budokan (1964), to modern buildings like the Teshima Art Museum (2010), Tokyo Skytree (2012), La Collina Omihachiman's Thatched Roof (2014), and the National Taichung Theater (2016). A must-see in the "Crafts as Architecture" section is the Tai'an teahouse, Japan's oldest surviving national treasure, said to have been designed by Sen no Rikyu. Many visitors have seen the original Tai'an in Kyoto, but here, visitors can not only see it up close but also step inside a full-scale replica created by the Institute of Design and Technology. As Fujimoto, the exhibition curator, put it, "Sen no Rikyu created a perfect, artistic space, impeccable in every respect, in just a two-tatami space—the position of the hearth, the alcove, the paper affixed to the lower wall, the shoji screens and the light filtering in through them." As this insight into the hidden beauty of Japanese architecture unfolds, it will awaken the usually unconscious Japanese essence within you. The Kenzo Tange House (1953), featured in the "Connected Spaces" section, is recreated in a massive 1/3-scale model. Kenzo Tange was an architect who led postwar national projects such as Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park (1954) and Osaka Expo Memorial Park (1970). Though only 1/3 scale, the models are crafted with the same high precision as the originals using the techniques of master carpenters. Visitors can also view them on a tablet PC, along with photographs of the original architecture. Rhizomatiks Architecture, a collaboration with digital technology, offers a space where visitors can experience Japanese architecture in 3D at its full scale. Titled "Power of Scale," this installation uses laser fiber and video to recreate the spatial concepts of Japanese architecture, such as Katsura Imperial Villa and the Nakagin Capsule Tower, in various sizes, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the spaces and experience their dynamism. While the exhibit is so impressive, we also recommend taking a break in the book lounge, located in the middle of the exhibition. This space features classic furniture by leading designers of the postwar modernist era. Chairs designed by Isamu Kenmochi, Daisaku Cho, and Hiroshi Oe surround a bench with a magazine rack designed by the Kenzo Tange Laboratory, allowing visitors to sit and browse books. Many of these masterpieces are now housed in art museums and are usually impossible to even touch, but this is a rare opportunity to gather rare pieces of furniture that are still in use today and use them in their original functions.

This unprecedented, large-scale architectural exhibition will shed light not only on Japan's past and present, but also on its future.



Last updated: May 2