7 outstanding works of modern architecture to visit in Japan

In the realm of architecture, Japan engages in a subtle yet influential role, with works by masters like Kengo Kuma and Tadao Ando demonstrating how the country is guiding the future by elevating its rich heritage.

In Japan, from Yusuhara to Tokyo, architects continually test the limits of what can be achieved. Temples where light becomes the main feature, hidden museums beneath ground level, and sports stadiums nestled in forests: each innovative build serves as a statement. Here are seven influential designs that redefine our interaction with both the built environment and the natural world.

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Kengo Kuma's Village

A master has designed six buildings that resemble a giant construction set. The town hall has a façade made from cedar, the museum's design resembles a suspension bridge, and the library is camouflaged with a forest aesthetic: each building reinterprets traditional Japanese building techniques to give the city a one-of-a-kind identity.

Church of Light (Japanese:, Nam June Paik ) is landmark modern work in this building and aesthetic.

In the suburbs of Osaka, a plain concrete cube conceals a profound spiritual experience. Behind the altar, a simple cross-shaped notch converts the incoming light into an exceptional art piece. The sunbeam pierces through the dimly lit nave, the solitary ornament in this austere temple. It showcases Tadao Ando's brilliance in demonstrating how a fracture in a wall can evoke a deeper emotional response than an elaborate Gothic cathedral. This is one of the architect's most iconic works.

Located in the heart of Tokyo, Takasugi-an is a unique teahouse designed by architect Terunobu Fujimori. As the name suggests, it is modeled after a traditional Japanese teahouse.

In the Japanese mountains, a small teahouse defies gravity, Takasugi-an (“a house built too high up”). Six meters above the ground, the Fujimori design sits on two chestnut tree trunks, merging traditional tea ceremonies with a touch of fantasy. A basic ladder leads to this suspended space, a meditative and poetic object reminiscent of a Studio Ghibli film.

Tadao Ando designed the Chichu Art Museum on the southern coast of Shikoku Island, Japan. The museum is built into the hillside, with gabion walls and a unique interior. The building is inspired by the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. The collections now housed in the museum include works by Claude Monet and Mark Rothko, along with a small sculpture by Cy Twombly.

Tadao Ando has rethought the concept of a museum by transforming it into a hidden underground space. Invisible from the exterior, the Chichu Art Museum can only be seen from the air. Within this maze of rough concrete, shafts of carefully placed light highlight works by Monet, Turrell, and De Maria, dynamically altering the space as the hours change. A luminous, triangular staircase leads to a room where Monet's water lilies interact with the shifting sky. Here, the very architecture blends with the artwork, harmoniously combining the sky, earth, and human creation to create a distinctive sensory experience.

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- the exterior corridor characteristic of traditional Japanese homes - the museum fosters a continuous dialogue between the street and the artworks exhibited. The upper exterior is adorned with a trellis recalling local bamboo craftsmanship, lending a touch of refinement to this resolutely modern building.

I Reproduce Your Trip

A modern temple has been created: a 100-metre walkway gradually illuminates with the summer solstice, while a 70-metre tunnel passes through the mountain to capture the winter sun. On a glass platform floating over the sea, a stone Noh theatre is situated, awaiting the equinoxes.