© Yoshiro Matsuda
Contemporary Japanese architecture is often associated with filigree shells and delicately defined spaces. But the image of an architecture rising above its context with poetic gestures has been wavering in the country for some years. Young Japanese architects are increasingly turning their attention to the issues of the day, responding in their designs to dwindling resources, climatic threats, and new living needs. The primary catalyst for this development was a national shock: the great earthquake in eastern Japan in 2011 and its aftermath.