Japanese Style

In another book I recently read of the importance of shadows in the domestic architecture of Japan. Openings aren't created simply to provide light, they are used t leave part of a room dim and private and to provide illumination only exactly where needed. The photography in Japanese Style (by Gilles de Chabaneix) captures this beautifully, even as the writers focus on other possible threads.Any discussion of the intimate side of Japanese architecture and space use will spend a lot of time on the vast dichotomy between modern Japan and the style most Americans are familiar with - the traditional housing that represents over a millennia of incremental design. This book follows the same theme, moving from rural manor to a tiny Tokyo apartment, from beautifully carved wood to the unique character of poured concrete.The more you look through this book, the more you realize that Japanese designers have managed to bridge the time gap rather than making an abrupt leap. Even though the change appears to be radical, the underlying sensitivity to arrangement and a knack for disciplined minimalism have been there all along. One glance at the photographs of a four level home build on a 320 square foot lot is all you need to realize that there is an unerring understanding of harmony and purpose. Style becomes a two way street - Tokyo has evolved as an expression of the Japanese esthetic, at the same time as the conditions of the city have shaped the artistic experience.Buy this book for the photographs. For the most part the writers contribute little, other than providing some context. But De Chabeneix has an intuitive sense of how to see what the Japanese resident is seeing. Often the shots are magical, different angles of the same room look so difference that it is only on the second or third glance that you realize you are looking at the same room serving multiple purposes. As a result, you capture what it takes to make the Japanese Style happen anywhere, with any materials.

Because we are in the process of designing and building a Zen Danish (as we call it) new home I purchased this wonderful book in order to get some specific ideas. Of special interest are the similarities between the Danish and Japanese styles that we love. What amazed me is this book was published in the 80's yet I swear this book looks like it is a 2003 or futuristic publication that is timeless and well worth the hefty price of the book. The section on Small Spaces is excellent and a chapter I would recommend for anyone who is looking to build either a small yet open home for one or two, or the second home in the mountains or sear the seashore.I love the section on lofts and how they can be made to be classy, and not cluttered. And the whole chapter on craftsmanship which is actually what makes a Zen style living area so wonderful to me. Beginning on page 100 I gained some excellent ideas for our new garden and wisdom on how to have just the right amount of plant life and a koi pond to make the outside a part of ones living environment, rather than the grass and other high maintenance yards the average American has.It is a book I find myself picking up every few days, reading a few pages and getting new ideas I can actually use.

This has got to be one of the best "Style" Books ever published. Excellent examples of architecture, beautiful interior design, and superb photography. Just the right juxtaposition of traditional and modern. Each of the major sections has both Japanese and Western Styles. Normally this would not mix, had it been contrived, but all of the examples in the book are real houses where people live and work. No Architectural Digest type of Houses that look artificial and posed are to be found in this book. My favorites are the tranditional Japanese houses of which there really great examples. This book can give you hundreds of ideas for decorating your house tastefully. The photography really does justice to these houses and the subtle aesthetics of the Japanese Style.I collect "Style Books", and this has long been one of my favorites. I have had this book for over ten years and still look at it from time to time.I would like to point out that the other review for this book below refers to a Miniature version of this book, and is probably a misunderstanding of some sort.