Living in Japan

by Alex Kerr, Kathy Arlyn Sokol, Reto Guntli (Photographer)

Nippon nests: Today's most exceptional Japanese homes   So rich and unique is traditional Japanese architecture that it’s hard to improve upon. Yet contemporary Japanese designers and architects keep finding new ways to refurbish and take inspiration from the ways of old. Whether it’s a pristinely preserved traditional house or a cutting-edge apartment, the best Japanese homes share a love of cleverly designed spaces and warm materials such as wood, bricks, and bamboo. From a thatched roof farmhouse occupied by a Zen priest to Tadao Ando’s experimental 4x4 House, Shigeru Ban’s conceptual Shutter House, and a beautiful homage to bamboo in the form of a home, this book traverses the multifaceted landscape of Japanese living today. Also included is a list of addresses and a glossary of terms, such as tatami.   Text in English, French, and German

Genres: Japan, Architecture, Nonfiction, Art, Design, Travel, Photography

479 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Born in 1952, he's an American writer and Japanologist that has lived in Japan since 1977.


Librarian note: There are other authors with the same name. To see the English historian go to Alex Kerr.

Reviews

[Lyn Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stunning images. Simple, uncluttered internal spaces, strong lines, subtle colours. This book focuses on design, spaces and materials.

I love the connections between inside and outside in the recent houses. The old, renewed (renovated doesn't seem appropriate) farmhouses look inwards, and one in particular focuses around three fire pits along the large open living area. All the internal timbers are darkened with years of smoke, 'shining black'.

I'm a strong advocate of buildings being designed to fit climate, not just to look beautiful and I couldn't help wondering how the modern houses are warmed. No visible signs of heating, huge expanses of glass or bamboo and paper. All air conditioned?

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous book about Japanese homes/styles and I just loved it. However, I was not a fan of the modern buildings, man those were just ugly and devoid of personality. Some just looked liked some kid had fun with building blocks. But the old and classic homes, LOVE LOVE that. Those were just gorgeous and I wished many a time to just step inside the photograph and sit on those cushions, watch the garden, sit by the hearth, walk around the house and see all the little details. Loved seeing a ryoukan + hot springs. Loved that we also saw gardens. I guess I will just have to save tons of money so I can visit Japan. XD

[Hot Mess Sommelière ~ Caro · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a picture book for adults.

Do you enjoy looking at Japanese architecture an design? Would you like to find out some vocabulary and info about design elements from old and new Japan?

Then this book is for you.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pure eye candy with gorgeous illustrations.

[Antonella Montesanti · Rating 5 out of 5]

A volte mi imbatto in libri meravigliosi per quanto raccontano, a volte, come in questo caso, per quanto di bello mostrano.
Un libro ricchissimo di foto stupende, ben 170, di abitazioni giapponesi immerse nel verde o in riva al mare.
Il classico stile minimalista imperante in Giappone, in ogni sua città, o meglio prefettura, traspare da ogni foto.
I materiali usati, pietra, legno, vetro, arricchiscono ogni singolo spazio abitativo e lo rendono unico.
Bello davvero e consigliato a chi ama le cose belle, a chi sogna di poter un giorno vedere da vicino queste case e questo paese misterioso e ricco di fascino.

[Till Raether · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty but bordering on clichéd selection of mostly traditional representational residencies; the book has little room for more contemporary styles of Japanese interior design and modes of living.

[Arvid Johansson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It would have been nice with more essay like descriptions. The photography was spectacular.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book perfectly complements "Another Kyoto". It is a book of photography, showing the beauty of the details that Alex Kerr explained in his previous book. Perhaps that is why this is now even more enjoyable, because I have a much deeper appreciation of what I see and remember a lot of the notes from "Another Kyoto".

[Tassos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful book, targeted more at interior design than architecture

[Kacper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice photos

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want ALL the baths in this book.
Beautifully photographed.

[7jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s true that these houses – ancient and/or modern, sometimes with western influences here and there – are not what the most Japanese live in, but going in not expecting it to be so I still found it really enjoyable. The Nakamura House feels the most everyday and normal, and I wouldn’t mind living in that one. The rest are at least something you want to watch, here or where they are. The location map at the start of the book tells you kind of where each place is, and at the end is some glossary and addresses. All text are in English, German, or French, inside (which also means each text you prefer to read is not long).

There are 13 places in this book, some in the city, some not. Each place has at least one building; each place gets a small introduction telling about it, who built it, what’s its use, etc. You notice how calm, quiet, near-nature of some sort, clean and orderly, the use of lights and shadows, the objects, the outside view of it, and the variety of materials used (with some centred around a certain color or material – stone, bamboo, wood etc.). I love how so many place have garden views to contemplate if you’re there.

Places like: traditional inns and bathing houses, former princely estate now inn-restaurant, shrine home, shrines to modern art, artist’s house, garden museum, a thatched farmhouse moved to this location, 1950s Japanese Modernist home, a zen hermitage villa…
And things like: lanterns, stone paths, painted folding screens, all those beautiful bath tubs, flower arrangements, an ancient street well, seagrass slippers, old roof tiles, a Meiji-era postbox, tea ceremony things...

The places often feel like introvert dreams. Minimalists would also love many of these places. Some for sure feel bare, but sometimes that might be because they are being photographed for the book. How many photos each place gets vary, but all have enough. I do wonder about some windows that seem to have no curtains or other ways to keep part of what’s inside out of view if needed… But both those who want traditional and those who want modern stuff will get a fill here. I like both, and loved what I got here (so much to like). Truly satisfying.

[M Aghazarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 but worth rounding up. I think this is the first Taschen book I've read cover to cover, and probably the first architecture book I've ever read. The designs were really interesting, but the spaces were so spare and minimalist that I couldn't figure out if people actually existed in these spaces or not. Eventually one of the houses had cooking utensils in the kitchen, which was a relief, but even the books in that house were color coordinated same-ness. The last Tokyo house is an extreme example of this:
"The owners disposed of their books and most other possessions in order to live here."
"'People can rent books from a library,' says Endoh, adding mischievously, 'and although the house has a refrigerator, in the future we might not need even that, because we can buy food from a convenience store.'"

[Peter Thwaites · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very beautiful book. I do have some minor criticisms - it's a bit out of date (first published in 2003) and the photos of people's old clunky laptops and fax machines get in the way of the timeless feel of the rest of the book; and I'm not sure the title is really accurate, since it's basically a book of architectural photography rather than saying anything explicitly about living in Japan. I also wish there were more of a sense of progression in the book - there's no clear logic to the way it's organised. But the book is meant to be an essay or a novel - it's intended to be flicked through and a enjoyed on an aesthetic level. It's very easy to enjoy in that way.

[Manuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Como todos los libros de Taschen, una edición muy bien cuidada y con fotografías de calidad. En cuanto al contenido, ha sido muy agradable recorrer los espacios propuestos y disfrutar de lugares a los que, para qué engañarse, nunca tendré acceso; lugares que destacan por ser obras de arte muchas de ellas pero la mayoría sin que parezcan construidas para que las disfruten las personas. Ellos se lo pierden...

[Mike Reiff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of my new favorite books - wide ranging survey of traditional and modern approaches - but approaches to what? Not simply architectures and the living art it represents, but also approaches to living with nature, with history, with less. Breathtaking photography that both transports and also isn’t too didactic, often framing bits out that allow for a more complete and human whole.

[Kosta Dalageorgas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Featuring gorgeous photos and helpful text written by Japanologist Alex Kerr, this volume published by Taschen is a must for any lover or devotee of Japan, art, or architecture. Really highlights the exquisite emphasis on space and design evident in Japanese society. I hope to stay in one of the these houses one day.

[Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collection of architectural photos from houses in Japan. Nicely done.

[ZZ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing and inspiring homes are featured in this book.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some amazing and beautiful houses here! My favourite ones are Chizanso Villa in Kamakura and Hoshi Onsen Chojukan in Niiharu, Gunma.

[Avi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful photos. If you love spending time in Japan it will also have added nostalgic.

[Marcella · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun to look through in a very inaccessible way. It gave me an overall sense of being cold. The author owns a lot of houses in Japan.

[Ella Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning images and photography and interesting information. A beautiful coffee table book

[Ewa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful photos, but it’s a pity the texts by Alex Kerr were so short.

[Ronald Schoedel III · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful art book. Gorgeous photography. I need to go live in one of these minimalist, very naturalistic homes. The architects whose work is featured are truly artists of the highest order.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

The photography was unsatisfying and disappointing, and the description and captions were uninspired and lacking and interesting detail.

[Stefan Videnov · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Pictures are beautiful
-Choice of buildings is mediocre/good
-Texts sometimes are not giving any useful information, but are there describing a door as a 'door'
-There are no drawings and sometimes a floor plan is necessary to understand what exactly the architect wanted, what the photographer wanted to capture, and what the text writer wanted to describe.

3/5 because the book itself is relatively cheap and high quality.

[Meg]

Beaucoup de les mêmes photographe que "Japan style" mais à plus grande échelle. J'aime que il y a plus des renseignements sûr chaque endroit que dans l'autre livre aussi. Tellement beaux édifices. Pour l'inspiration (même que j'ai toujours des questions au rapport des gens qui vivre réellement dans ces endroits???)

[Lilah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous. About 2/3 of it is beautiful old houses in the forest, but the last third is all modern, utterly fascinating for clever design, especially since it has to address the issue of small spaces. This could have gone on for twice the length and been just as easily devourable.

[Iulia Podoprigor · Rating 5 out of 5]

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