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

The photographer:
Swiss photographer Reto Guntli, based in Zurich, regularly travels the world shooting for international magazines. He has published numerous books and contributed to TASCHEN publications such as Inside Asia, Living in Japan, Living in Bali, Great Escapes Asia and Great Escapes Europe.

The authors:
Author, art collector, calligrapher, and director of programs in traditional Asian arts, Alex Kerr has lived in Japan and Thailand since 1964. As a writer, he is known for Lost Japan (1996) and Dogs and Demons (2001).

Kathy Arlyn Sokol is a Kyoto-based media professional with a background in print and broadcast journalism. An Emmy award-winning narrator and contributing editor at Kyoto Journal, she has lived in Japan for twenty-seven years.

The editor:
Angelika Taschen studied art history and German literature in Heidelberg, gaining her doctorate in 1986. Working for TASCHEN from 1987 to 2010, she has published numerous titles on art, architecture, photography, design, travel, and lifestyle.