Top 4 Famous Japanese Architects—Modernism and Its Successors

Considered the Nobel Prize of architecture, the Pritzker Prize is awarded to the most outstanding architects. With eight winners to date (as of 2023), Japan is tied with the United States for the most Pritzker awards in the world. Indeed, Japan is a leading nation in producing world-class architects.
This trend began with Japan's encounter with modernism. Architects who studied under masters of modern architecture such as Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright left many architectural works across the country. The modernist principles they introduced, characterized by a rejection of ornament in favor of simplicity, resonated well with Japan's minimalist sensibility, as exemplified by Zen esthetics. Influenced either through mentorship or indirect association, Japanese architects passed this resonance on to the next generation and the one after that, creating a lineage that evolved and continued. As a result, Japan’s architects now consistently produce diverse work at the forefront of global architecture.
Walking around Japan, you can find their unique and beautiful creations everywhere. In this article, we would like to introduce 4 famous Japanese architects and their works in chronological order.

▶1. Kunio Maekawa
▶2. Kisho Kurokawa
▶3. Tadao Ando
▶4. Shigeru Ban

1. Kunio Maekawa

Maekawa, who studied in Le Corbusier's Paris atelier, brought the winds of modernism to Japan.
His design for the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, a concert hall completed in 1961, is a masterpiece of Japanese modernist architecture. With its large, upturned concrete eaves, an open square blending into the surrounding city, slanted lines, and geometric patterns, the building strongly reflects the influence of Maekawa’s mentor, Le Corbusier.
Directly across from Tokyo Bunka Kaikan is The National Museum of Western Art, Le Corbusier's only project in Japan. Three of the French master’s disciples (Kunio Maekawa, Junzo Sakakura and Takamasa Yoshizaka) participated in its design.

2. Kisho Kurokawa

The National Art Center, Tokyo　@ The National Art Center, Tokyo

Kisho Kurokawa, Fumihiko Maki, Arata Isozaki, and Yoshio Taniguchi studied under Japanese architectural titan Kenzo Tange. Riding the tailwind of the changing times, they played a major role in the internationalization of Japanese architecture.
Like his mentor Kenzo Tange, Kurokawa excelled in large-scale projects, working as a global architect on international airports and urban planning. He also designed numerous museums and theaters in Japan, including The National Art Center, Tokyo and the National Bunraku Theatre.
A disciple of Kunio Maekawa, Kenzo Tange infused modernism with the essence of Japanese traditional architecture, while working on numerous national projects such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. He was one of the earliest Japanese architects to operate at a global level and the first Japanese recipient of the Pritzker Prize.

3. Tadao Ando

Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art
Photo by Shigeo Ogawa

Tadao Ando is a Japanese star architect who is still active worldwide. His architecture is characterized by the sublime beauty of exposed concrete, contrast of light and shadow, and the dynamic composition of space.
His uniquely personal works can be as small as houses, yet they convey his worldview so powerfully that visiting the buildings he designed becomes a destination in itself. Architecture enthusiasts should make it a point to visit at least one.
The Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, with its labyrinth-like structure, a spiral staircase, dramatic plays of light and shadow, and the way it frames the sea and mountains, allows you to fully enjoy the charm of Ando's architecture. Many of his museums exist in Naoshima island of Seto inland sea and all over Japan.

Related article: A Voyage Through a Sea of Art and Architecture

4. Shigeru Ban

Mt. Fuji World Heritage Centre, Shizuoka

Oita Prefectural Art Museum (OPAM) ©Hiroyuki Hirai

Pioneering new forms of architecture by incorporating new materials and methods, such as paper architecture, Shigeru Ban is internationally recognized for his innovative solutions to crises, including refugee shelters and temporary housing for disaster relief. His creative thinking effortlessly transcends the conventional boundaries of architecture.
With design offices in Japan, Paris and New York, his projects can be found around the world, including the Centre Pompidou-Metz as well as several temporary structures. Among his works in Japan are the Mt. Fuji World Heritage Centre, Shizuoka and the Oita Prefectural Art Museum (OPAM).

Related article: Discovering the Architectural Wonders of Shizuoka

In conclusion

Since ancient times, Japan has adopted and digested diverse cultural elements from other nations, transforming them into uniquely Japanese forms. A comprehensive art that combines beauty and technique, architecture requires delicacy and precision. Perhaps the meticulousness and seriousness inherent in the Japanese character have played a significant role in the achievements of modern and contemporary Japanese architects.