Contemporary Japanese buildings architects, Tokyo Architecture Proposals, Projects Design News
Contemporary Japanese Buildings
Key Property + Architectural Developments in Japan. East Asia Built Environment designs.
post updated 14 January 2026
We’ve selected what we feel are the key examples of Contemporary Japanese Buildings. We aim to select top quality and interesting buildings in Japan. e-architect cover completed buildings, new building designs, architectural exhibitions and competitions across Japan. The focus is on contemporary Japanese buildings but information on traditional Japanese buildings is also welcome.
We have 8 pages of Japanese Architecture selections.
Contemporary Buildings in Japan
Japanese Architecture : news + key projects
Japanese Buildings : A-D
Japanese Architecture Designs : E-G
Japanese Building Developments : H-I
Japanese Architecture Developments : J-L
Japanese Building Designs : M-N
Japanese Architectural Designs : O-R
Contemporary Japanese Buildings : S-Z (this page)
+++
Contemporary Japanese Building Designs
Modern Japan Architecture Designs – recent property design additions to this page, arranged chronologically:
2 March 2024
VERTICAL RAINBOW, Tokyo
Design: SAKO Architects
photo : Koji Fujii
VERTICAL RAINBOW in Tokyo building
21 January 2024
See Sea Park, Fukui Prefecture
Architecture: Osamu Morishita Architect and Associates
photo : Tomoki Hahakura
See Sea Park, Fukui, Japan commercial buildings
+++
Contemporary Japanese Buildings Designs, in 2017 to 2023, chronological:
6 September 2023
TRUNK (Hotel) Yoyogi Park, Tomigaya, Shibuya-ku
Architecture: Keiji Ashizawa Design
photoi
TRUNK (Hotel) Yoyogi Park
6 July 2023
Sumu Yakushima, Kagoshima Prefecture
Design: tono Inc.
photo : Rui Nishi
7 June 2023
Yamaikarashi Nursery School, Niigata, Nishi-ku niigata-city
Design: Takeru Shoji Architects Co
photo © Koji Fujii（toreal)
2 June 2023
Y-House in Fukui
Architects: Baum
photo : Naoki Myo
24 April 2023
Tsuchinao Shikki in Fukui
Architects: Baum
photo : Naoki Myo
9 January 2023
Santo Shop, Numakuma-cho, Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture
Architecture: UID Architects
photo : Koji Fujii / TOREAL
Santo Shop, Hiroshima
+++
5 Oct 2022
Tamagawa Takashimaya Grand Patio, Tamagawa, Setagaya-ku
Design: Yuko Nagayama and Associates
photo : Daici Ano
Tamagawa Takashimaya Grand Patio
11 May 2022
Sakuragicho Residence, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
Design: Akira Koyama + Key Operation Inc. / Architects
photo : Noriyuki Yano
Sakuragicho Residence, Yokohama Apartments
4 Apr 2022
Tokyo Cross Park Vision, Uchisaiwaicho 1-Chome District
Master design and placemaking strategy: PLP Architecture
image courtesy of architects practice
Tokyo Cross Park Vision
22 Mar 2022
Timeless House, Bunkyo ward, Tokyo
Design: APOLLO Architects & Associates
photo : Masao Nishikawa
Timeless House, Central Tokyo
22 Mar 2022
Zenbo Seinei, Awaji Island
Architect: Shigeru Ban
image courtesy of architects practice
Zenbo Seinei, Awaji Island Retreat & Restaurant
+++
11 Oct 2021
Square Series #011 Apartment Project
Square Series #011 Apartment Project
30 Aug 2021
Sukagawa Community Center, Sukagawa City, Fukushima
Design: Unemori Architects
Sukagawa Community Center Fukushima
24 Mar 2021
W Hotel Osaka
Design: Concrete
photograph : marriott international
+++
26 Aug 2020
WORK x ation Site, Karuizawa
WORK x ation Site Karuizawa
8 Jan 2020
Toyota Woven City, Susono City, Shizuoka
Architect: BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group
image : Squint Opera
Toyota Woven City, Susono, Shizuoka
+++
27 Dec 2019
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Stadium – Rainforest Destruction
image courtesy of architects
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Stadium Building
9 Dec 2019
Shinjuku Miyabi Guest House, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Architects: Himematsu Architecture
photography: Kota Nakatake & Shinichiro Himematsu
Shinjuku Miyabi Guest House
2 Sep 2019
Salon Kusuda Restaurant, Ebisunishi, Shibuya-ku
Architects: Hiramoto Design Studio
photography : Koji Fujii (Nacása&Partners Inc.)
Salon Kusuda Restaurant
+++
12 Sep 2018
Tokyo Parking Tower Competition
+++
24 Oct 2017
WADA Sports Shop, Himeji-shi, Kansai region
Architect: KTX archiLAB
photo © Stirling Elmendorf
WADA Sports Shop in Himeji-shi
31 Jul 2017
Yoyogi National Gymnasium
Design: Architect Kenzo Tange
Photo courtesy Japan Sport Council
Yoyogi National Gymnasium
+++
2012
Ring Around a Tree, Fuji
Tezuka Architects
Ring Around a Tree
Uji House, Hironocho, Iwate Prefecture
Uji House in Hironocho
Turn House, Aichi Prefecture
New House in Aichi Prefecture
Sugamo Shinkin Bank Nakaaoki Branch
Sugamo Shinkin Bank Nakaaoki Branch
Toda House, Hiroshima
Toda House in Hiroshima
17 Aug 2012
Yurihonjo City Cultural Center, Akita Prefecture, Honshu, northwest Japan
Architects: chiaki arai urban and architectural design
photograph © 2012 Taisuke Ogawa
Yurihonjo City Cultural Center
This is a complex institution composed of Multipurpose Transforming Theater, Library and Community Center. Originally, this project had two sites sandwiching a road. We combined sites by placing an indoor “Gathering Steet” which gives access to each function.
added 8 Mar 2012
Small House in Meguro-ku, south of Tokyo
Design: Hiroyuki Unemori architects – added
photograph : Ken Sasajima
Small House in Meguro-ku
The small house which the married couple and their child live stands at the densely populated area in Tokyo. Though the neighboring houses is very close, I aimed to design the house which exceed the physical narrowness living at the city.
added 2 Mar 2012
Shima Kitchen, Teshima, Seto Inland Sea, Western Japan
Design: Atelier Ryo Abe
photo © Atelier Ryo Abe
Shima Kitchen
This building was a renovation project to create a venue for arts and dinning from an old vacant house in a village on Teshima, a rural island in the Seto Inland Sea of Western Japan. Around this old house were vacant lands where several other buildings had been demolished a long time ago.
+++
New Contemporary Japanese Building Designs
Major Contemporary Architecture in Japan, alphabetical:
Saint-Gobain Headquarters, Kojimachi
Design: albert abut architecture
photo from architect
Saint-Gobain Headquarters
Sarou Houmura, Sapporo, Hokkaido
Design: Nakayama Architects
photo from architect
Sapporo architecture
Seashore Shell House, Chiba
Design: Takeshi Hirobe Architects
photo : Koichi Torimura
Seashore Shell House
Sendai Mediatheque, Miyagi-Sendai
Design: Toyo Ito & Associates
photo : Nacasa & Partners Inc.
Sendai Mediatheque
SHELL building, Karuizawa, Nagano
Design: Kotaro Ide / ARTechnic architects
picture : Nacasa & Partners Inc
SHELL villa
Shin-Marunouchi Building, Tokyo
Design: Hopkins Architects
photograph : Miyagawa Inc
Tokyo architecture
Shinjuku Gardens, Tokyo
cheungvogl
image from architect
Shinjuku Gardens Building
Shounan House, Kanagawa
Jun Igarashi Architects
photograph : Iwan Baan
Shounan House
Silver Hut House, Nakano-ku, Tokyo
Toyo Ito
photo : Tomio Ohashi
Silver Hut House
Stadium600 building, Nagoya
K.Associates
picture © Hitoyuki Hitai
Japanese stadium architecture
Strata House, Hyogo Prefecture
Tadashi Suga Architect
photo: Yoshiharu Matsumura
Strata House
Suntory Museum of Art
Kengo Kuma & Associates
image : Mitsumasa Fujitsuka
Suntory Museum of Art
Tama Art University Library, Tokyo
Toyo Ito
photo : Ishiguro Photographic Institute
Art University Library
Tanigami Office + Gallery, Kobe-city
Design: Junya Toda Architect & Associates
image from architect
Kobe-city architecture
TBWAHakuhodo, Tokyo
Klein Dytham architecture
photograph : Kozo Takayama
TBWAHakuhodo Tokyo
Teshima Art Museum
Design: Ryue Nishizawa + Rei Naito
photograph : Noboru Morikawa
Teshima Art Museum
TOD, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Design: Toyo Ito & Associates
photo : Nacasa & Partners Inc.
TOD’S Omotesando Building
Tokiwa House, Sakai City
Kenji Tagashira
photograph : Kei Sugino
Japanese Home
Tokyo Matsuya Unity, Higashiueno
Design: Hugo Kohno Architects Associates
photo : Isao Imbe
Tokyo Matsuya Unity
Tower of Winds, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa
Design: Toyo Ito & Associates
photo : Tomio Ohashi
Tower of Winds
Toyo Ito Museum of Architecture, Ehime
Toyo Ito
photo : Daici Ano
Toyo Ito Museum of Architecture
United Bamboo Store, Daikanyama
Acconci Studio
picture from architects
Japanese retail architecture
Water/Glass Villa, Shizuoka Prefecture
Kengo Kuma & Associates
picture : Mitsumasa Fujitsuka
no building link
White Blue Black, Tokyo
Daigo Ishii + Future-scape Architects
photo : Future-scape Architecture
White Blue Black
Wind-dyed house, Yokohama
Design: Kazuhiko Kishimoto / acaa
photograph : Hiroshi Ueda
Wind-dyed house
Yokohama Port Terminal, Tokyo
Design: Foreign Office Architects
picture via RIAS in 2004
Yokohama Ferry Terminal
Yatsushiro Municipal Museum, Kumamoto
Toyo Ito
photo : Tomio Ohashi
Municipal Museum
Za-Koenji Public Theatre, Tokyo
Toyo Ito
photo from architect
Za-Koenji Public Theatre
Zen house, Hiroshima
Ryuichi Furumoto
picture from architects
Zen house
More Contemporary Japanese Buildings online soon.
+++
New Building Designs in Japan
Architecture Designs – S-Z, no images, alphabetical:
Saitama Prefectural Museum of Modern Art, Saitama
1978-82
Kisho Kurokawa
Sakurajosui – House
1997-2000
Toyo Ito & Associates
Sapporo Dome Stadium, Sapporo City, Hokkaido, northern Japan
2001
Hiroshi Hara
Sea Viewing Platform, Toyama
–
Tom Heneghan – The Architecture Factory
Schools Vacation Cabins, Hiroshima
–
Tom Heneghan – The Architecture Factory
Senkantei, Hyogo, Japan
1992-93
Kisho Kurokawa
Shiga Kogen Roman Art Museum, Yamanouchi
1994-97
Kisho Kurokawa
Shimane Museum of Ancient Izumo, Izumoshi, Shimne
2006
Maki And Associates
Shirasagi Bridge
1995
Atelier Hitoshi Abe
Showroom + store, Kyoto
–
David Chipperfield Architects
Silver Hut house, Tokyo
1984
Toyo Ito & Associates
Sin Den hair salon, Jingumae
–
Klein Dytham
Soft and Hairy House, Ibaraki Prefecture, Tsukuba-city, Ibaraki
1994
Ushida Findlay Architects
Softopia Japan, Gifu
1990-96
Kisho Kurokawa
Sony Tower, Osaka, Japan
1972-76
Kisho Kurokawa
Spiral Wall House, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture
1994
Ushida Findlay Architects
Swatch – Retail & Office Tower, Ginza, Tokyo
2007
Shigeru Ban
Takasugi-an : Too-High Teahouse
2004
Terunobu Fujimori
Tanpopo House – Dandelion House
1995
Terunobu Fujimori + Yoshio Uchida
Tateshina Planetarium, Hiroshima
1976
Kisho Kurokawa
T-House
2005
Sou Fujimoto Architects
Tokyo Apartments
–
Sou Fujimoto Architects
Tokyo City Hall, Tower I, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
1991
Tange Associates
243m high
Tokyo Club building, Tokyo
2005
Yoshio Taniguchi
Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo
1989-96
Design: Rafael Vinoly Architects
Tokyo Tower, Minato-ku, Tokyo
1958
Nikken Sekkei Ltd with Tachu Naito
333m high, based on Eiffel Tower, 30 higher
Tokyo University Library
2007
Shigeru Ban
Too Tall Teahouse, Nagano Prefecture
2004
Terunobu Fujimori
Toyoda Memorial Hall Renovation, Nagoya, Aichi
2007
Maki And Associates
Toyota Auto, Kyoto, Japan
1989-90/93
David Chipperfield Architects
Toyota City Stadium, Toyota City, Japan
1997-2001
Kisho Kurokawa
Truss Wall House, Machida-city, Tokyo
1993
Ushida Findlay Architects
The Whispering Bridge, Toyama
–
Tom Heneghan – The Architecture Factory
Uniqlo, Ginza, Tokyo, Japan
2007
Klein Dytham Architecture
Vertical Horizon, Tokyo
1991
Ushida Findlay Architects
Wacoal Kojimachi Building, Tokyo
1982-84
Kisho Kurokawa
Wakayama – The Museum of Modern Art, Wakayama
1990-94
Kisho Kurokawa
Water/Glass Villa, Shizuoka Prefecture
1997
Kengo Kuma & Associates
Wedding Chapel, Osaka
–
Jun Aoki & Associates
White U house
1976
Toyo Ito & Associates
Y House, Chita, Aichi, Nagoya City
2005
Power Unit Studio, Tokyo
Y House, Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture
2005
Atelier A5
YKK guest house, Kurabe
–
Fumihiko Maki
YKK Dormitory / Guest house, Kurobe
1991-98
Herman Hertzberger
photos © NN
Yokohama Landmark Tower, Minato Mirai 21, Yokohama
1993
Stubbins Associates
Yokohama Sportsman Club, Kanagawa Prefecture
1990
Ushida Findlay Architects
Yurakucho Canopy, Tokyo
–
Dewhurst Macfarlane Engineers with Rafael Vinoly Architects
One of the most considered + beautiful pieces of architecture in years – sublime!
Yusuhara Town Hall, Yusuhara, Kochi Prefecture
2007
Kengo Kuma & Associates
More Contemporary Japanese Buildings online soon
Location: Japan, East Asia.
+++
Tokyo Architectural Designs
Japanese Architects : Fumihiko Maki
Buildings / photos for the Contemporary Japanese Architecture page on e-architect welcome