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A brief history of the introduction of Japanese architecture via design magazines and the future significance of the Japan Architectural Review

2018; Wiley; Volume: 1; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1002/2475-8876.12050

2475-8876

Kôichi Yasuda,

Urban and spatial planning

Japan Architectural Review was first issued in January 2018, under the chiefeditorship of Shin-ichi Tanabe.1 This journal, a peer-reviewed academic publication of the Architectural Institute of Japan (AIJ), covers virtually all branches of architectural design and building practice. Physical distances from Europe and America and the existence of “a wall called Japanese” has all too frequently colored cultural interchange between foreign countries at the easternmost end of Asia and their Western counterparts. I would like to discuss the importance of disseminating information on Japanese architecture to other countries by looking over the publication history of architectural magazines in Japan from the Meiji era (Table 1). Since the Meiji Restoration of 1868 architectural education in Japan was for the first time influenced by European and American design practice and its architects. It is well-known that the British architect Josiah Conder (1852-1920) was invited to join the Department of Residential Construction (formerly, the Department of Architecture) in 1877, and hands-on professional training came to be provided in earnest at what is today University of Tokyo. A number of prominent architects, such as Kingo TATSUNO (the first Japanese to open an architectural practice) and Tokuma KATAYAMA (architect to the Crown) graduated from the school. The first architectural magazine, “Kogakusosho (Engineering Book)” was released in 1881, followed by the “Journal of Architecture and Building Science” published by the predecessor of the AIJ from 1887; “Kentiku (Architecture)” was published in 1900, and “Kentiku-Sekai (Architectural World)” was published in 1907. The content, including international news, was published entirely in Japanese (Figure 1A-Z, Table 1). In 1925, 2 major architectural magazines, “Sinkentiku,” later “Shinkenchiku (Japan Architect)” and “Kokusaikentiku (International Architecture),” began publication. “Shinkenchiku,” in particular, has proven the most influential architectural magazine in the professional milieu over the long term, having covered all categories of architecture, including individual dwellings which are typical of Japanese architecture, of interest to broader Japanese architectural society. “Kokusaikentiku” was established by a group of Waseda University graduates, with a scrupulous recording of the modernist Japanese building world contained in articles written by Hideto KISHIDA, Kunio MAEKAWA, and numerous other first-class local architects. New Japanese buildings were described in addition to traditional ones, thus providing Japanese architects with exposure to new concepts. It is of interest that domestic buildings were introduced in all magazines, while overseas built works were placed only in “Kentiku” and in “Kokusaikentiku.” “Before World War II, ‘Kokusaikentiku’ introduced fifty percent more page coverage of overseas architecture, with seventy percent more following the cessation of hostilities. At the beginning German Expressionism was clearly front and center. But soon ‘Kokusaikentiku’ obtained materials dealing with new overseas projects of a similar scope to what was being shown in European and American magazines, for example, in Progressive Architecture, Arts & Architecture, Magazine of Building, The Architectural Review, Architectural Forum, Architectural Record, Interiors, DOMUS, and Engineering News Record, among others.”2 Figure displays a very early published work. Indeed, until 1950, all texts without exception were written in the Japanese language only. It has always been a principal aim to introduce superior overseas building works and topics to Japanese architects (Table 1). A monthly magazine “JA (The Japan Architect),” a monthly periodical, was founded in 1956 by the publisher, Shinkenchiku-sha Co., Ltd., launched as the only English-language medium promoting new Japanese building to outside the country. Those works it contained were all new buildings, selected carefully from amongst those which had attracted attention in the Japanese-language sister publication “Shinkenchiku.” As an English publication, “JA” served as an important medium for practicing Japanese architects who designed only independent/small houses as it offered them the opportunity promote their works in European countries and in the U.S. It also published relevant articles by Japanese architects, such as “A Dialogue between Kenzo TANGE and Kazuo SHINOHARA,” have been consistently introduced in “JA.”3 After 1991, “JA” became a quarterly contributed to by various domestic and foreign architects and researchers. In 1970, “GA (Global Architecture)” was founded by the architectural photographer Yukio Futagawa. The “GA” series focused on significant architecture of the master architects in the world, like, F. L. WRIGHT, LE CORBUSIER, Mies Van der ROHE, with a large size, 364 × 257 mm book format. With photographs and short text published in both Japanese and English, the idea was to target not only Japanese but also international readers. The strong impact of large-sized photographs in “GA” was an important communication tool as part of a common language. Its millions of pages showcase the works of then upcoming Japanese architects like Tadao ANDO, Toyo ITO, Kazuyo SEJIMA. The year 1971 marked the launch of, “a+u (Architecture and Urbanism),” a Japanese-English bilingual architecture monthly magazine that mainly publishes international architectural information outside of Japan basically. It was founded under the auspices of “Shinkenchiku.” Live trends to readers quickly by collecting data on the architects directly and editing it in each number original viewpoint. The network of this periodical “a+u” covers all in the whole world and more than extends to over 100 countries the world over. In addition, it publishes placed the newly written articles by architects, commentators, and the historians, and is very influential in the architectural fraternity among domestic and international architects alike. The aforementioned “GA” produced several magazines other including the flagship GA HOUSES in 1976, which featured Robert A. M. STERN, Paul RUDOLPH, Mario BOTTA, Richard MEIER, Arata ISOZAKI, Yoshio TANIGUCHI all in the first issue. From 1949 onwards, AIJ as the oldest academic organization in the architectural world in Japan, started recognizing qualified architects and their designs. The “Architectural Design Division,” is the most prestigious award in the Japanese architectural world and is awarded to the best buildings designs every year. A selection panel carefully chooses the 100 best designs annually. Selected Architectural Designs Young Architects Award, the rookie of the year title is the prize awarded to that an architect aged at 40 years or younger. JAR plans to announce around 10 projects every year and aims to promote prize-winning works on an international platform. The idea is to highlight the academic relevance of these works purely from a design perspective focusing on their possible role in aspects like city planning, urban planning, structural engineering, and environmental managements. This will increase opportunities for promoting the work of newer generation architects, and hope is that it will become an important platform for further international exchange and dialogue.