Japan: Nation Building Nature

Download or read book Japan: Nation Building Nature written by Joachim Nijs and published by . This book was released on 2021-08-10 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A new history of modern Japanese architecture, from an environmental perspective Joachim Nijs' Japan: Nation Building Natureis the first book to map out the views of nature that have shaped the widely acclaimed but often misunderstood modern architecture of Japan. By connecting the dots between philosophy, design, geopolitics and an earnest quest for a greener tomorrow, this book explains how Japanese culture can shed new light on our understanding of ecology, and vice versa. Using a distinctive blend of academic research and personal experience, Nijs draws on architectural history to navigate Japan's complex and unique ecological ethic through the lens of four typological phenomena: earthquakes, monsoon climates, nuclear erasure of life and insularity. This imaginative and refreshing book offers key insights and references for anyone wishing to deepen their knowledge of Japan and its architecture.