Robert Day Architects Blog

Bookings are now open for the April 2012 Japan Architecture Tour.

Japan is a country of great contrast with architecture that is an eclectic mix of ancient and modern, east and west.

Tokyo is a dynamic metropolis where you will find some of the worlds most unique and fascinating architecture. Kyoto is a city steeped in tradition with an abundance of ancient temples, shrines and gardens scattered throughout a bustling modern city.

This is not just the typical sight seeing tour, but a definitive display of Japanese architectural expression that also affords the opportunity to meet with local Japanese architects and to visit some of Tokyo’s newest contemporary masterpieces, famous classic buildings, art and architecture exhibitions, famous temples and gardens of Kyoto and other interesting tourist spots during the Spring Cherry Blossom season.

A truly unique architectural experience, this fully guided 9 Day tour will be conducted and guided by Architect, former Tokyo resident, Licensed Travel Agent and Japan expert, Robert Day. The tour will visit fascinating buildings in Tokyo, famous temples in Kyoto and the three remaining Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in Japan.

Architectural highlights include buildings by Tadao Ando, Kisho Kurokawa, Le Corbusier and Kenzo Tange such as 21-21 Design Site, Prada Boutique, National Art Center Tokyo,  Mikimoto 2, Omotesando Hills, National Museum of Western Art, Olympic Gymnasium & Nakagin Capsule Building.

To book your place on the tour or to find out more details, contact Robert on robert@rdayarch.com.au or leave a comment for Robert in the Comments box above.

Recently Robert Day Architects hosted 20 Japanese Architects from the Saitama Architects Association.

Mr Tanaka & Mr Takeuchi in Sydney

The group was only here for several days however they managed to pack a lot into a very short time. My former boss, Mr Kondo, and the Saitama Architects Association always spend a day with with us when we travel to Japan for our Architecture Tours so we were very happy to reciprocate. Mr Kondo and I met up the tour party in Sydney where we visited the new Surry Hills Library, Cadman’s Cottage and the Museum of Sydney to name a few places. The highlight was certainly the harbour lunch cruise. The next day we were shown around by two Sydney Architects, Steve Anders and Barbara Tarnawski, both of whom had met the Saitama Architects on a previous Japan Architecture Tour. We visited and number of new multi-residential housing projects and ended our day at Watson’s Bay. The following day we visited the Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre, Darling Harbour and the Sydney Opera House. Later that day we flew to Brisbane where we went the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) and then had dinner at the famous Breakfast Creek Hotel. On the way we stopped to view Brisbane City from Kangaroo Pt. For the last day, we went to Lone Pine and then had lunch at a great riverside seafood restaurant. We then walked along the river and through the Botanic Gardens before we boarded the bus to take them to the airport to fly back to Japan. Even though it was a very busy tour all the members of the Saitama Architects group enjoyed themselves. We look forward to seeing them again on our next Japan Architecture Tour in April 2011. Here are a few photographic highlights.

Saitama Architects Group at Mrs Macquarie's Chair

Surry Hills Library

Mr Kondo outside the Surry Hills Library

Jorn Utzon display at Museum of Sydney

Mr Kondo & Mr Takaoka on Sydney Harbour cruise

The Sydney Opera House

Mr Tanaka & Mr Kondo on Sydney Harbour

Group Members at Cadman's Cottage

Mr Takeuchi at The Rocks

Mr Takeuchi & Mr Tanaka at Bondi Beach

Dinner at Sydney Tower

Having a Beer at an Aussie Pub

Community Housing in Redfern

Apartment Complex in Victoria Park

A Breezy Afternoon at The Gap near South Head

Mr Takeuchi, Mr Kondo, Mr Kigawa and Mr Kudo at Shipwreck Memorial at The Gap

Sydney Town Hall under Christmas Lighting

Hero of Waterloo Hotel, The Rocks

Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre

ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre

Darling Harbour

The Sydney Opera House

Shell Detail, Sydney Opera House

Sydney Opera House Interior

Mr Morita, Mr Kudo, Mr Takaoka & Ms Sato outside the Opera House

GOMA Brisbane

GOMA Brisbane

Saitama Architects Group at GOMA

Saitama Architects Group at Kangaroo Pt

The Breakfast Creek Hotel

Koalas at Lone Pine

Saitama Architects Group with Kangaroos at Lone Pine

Saitama Architects Group President, Mr Kuwako and Ms Sato with Kangaroo

Saitama Architects Group on Brisbane River Walk

Mr Shimizu, Mr Morita, Mr Tanaka, Mr Kanda & Mr Kudo next to the Brisbane River

Saitama Architects Group in Brisbane Botanic Gardens

Robert Day & Mr Takeuchi at Brisbane Airport

Farewell Dinner for Mr Kondo

Check out http://japanarchitecturetours.wordpress.com/ for all of the latest news, past tour highlights and other useful information about:

• Japan Architecture Tours
• Frank Lloyd Wright Buildings in Japan
• Traditional Japanese Architecture
• Contemporary Japanese Architecture
• Architecture of Tokyo
• and Much More

The past four Japan Architecture Tours have visited some of the few remaining Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in Japan. This was done in April 2009 when the Tokyo Architecture Tours were expanded to include Kyoto and other parts of west Japan to become the Japan Architecture Tours.

Frank Lloyd Wright designed a number of buildings in Japan during the early part of the 20^th Century. Of these, 6 of them were built and today only the Yamamura House, the Jiyu Gakuen School, The Imperial Hotel and the Hayashi House remain.

The Yamamura House was completed in 1918 and is located in Ashiya near Kobe. We visit the Yodoko Geihinkan, as it is know in Japanese, as a side trip from our base in Kyoto.

It has been restored and is now open to the public.

It was designated by the Japanese Government as an Important Cultural Asset in 1974. It is always a great place to visit.

If you want to know more about Frank Lloyd Wright’s Yamamura House, then visit the website. http://www.yodoko.co.jp/geihinkan/index_e.html

Another Frank Lloyd Wright building we visit from our Kyoto base is The Imperial Hotel. It is now located at Meiji Mura, a large open-air architectural museum at Inuyama, near Nagoya.

The Imperial Hotel was originally built in Tokyo near the Imperial Palace. It was completed in 1923, and the day of it’s official opening coincided with the Great Kanto Earthquake and to Frank Lloyd Wright’s delight, did not suffer any major structural damage.

Eventually, it was demolished 1968 during the rapid post-war economic expansion of Japan.

Fortunately, the front entrance, foyer and lobby areas of The Imperial Hotel were salvaged, dismantled and

eventually rebuilt at Museum Meiji Mura in 1985.

Whilst it may take a long time to get to Meiji Mura, the chance to experience Frank Lloyd Wright’s Imperial Hotel make the trip worth it. Despite being only a fraction of the original building, it is still a thrill to be inside this space.

If you want to know more about Frank Lloyd Wright’s Imperial Hotel and Meiji Mura, then visit the website. http://www.meijimura.com/english/index.html

Another of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Japanese projects the Jiyu Gakuen School in Tokyo. It was built in 1921 and is also an Important Cultural Asset.

Over the years the school has been restored and now open to the public.

As part of the October 2010 Japan Architecture Tour, we will visit this building for the first time. We are looking forward to it very much and it also too might become a regular feature of Robert Day’s Japan Architecture Tours.

If you want to know more about Frank Lloyd Wright’s Jiyu Gakuen School, then visit the website. http://www.jiyu.jp/tatemono/index-e.html

We have not visited the Hayashi House and it is my understanding that it is not open to the public. It is also my understanding that only one room of the Hayashi House remains in it’s original state.

The October 2010 Japan Architecture Tour will include a visit to historic Kawagoe as part of the tour itinerary. Once again, we will be escorted by Mr Kondo and the Saitama Architects Association. Kawagoe was a “post town” during the Edo Period and the town is famous for the preservation of it’s historic Kurazukuri storehouses.

We are able to confirm that as part of the October 2010 Japan Architecture Tour, we will be visiting Frank Lloyd Wright’s Jiyu Gakuen School and Tadao Ando’s Church of Light

Japan is a country of great contrast with architecture that is an eclectic mix of ancient and modern, east and west. Tokyo is a dynamic metropolis where you will find some of the world’s most unique and fascinating architecture. Kyoto is a city steeped in tradition with an abundance of ancient temples, shrines and gardens scattered throughout a bustling modern city. This tour will provide an excellent snapshot of the remarkable architecture of amazing Tokyo and historic Kyoto.

This is not just the typical sight seeing tour, but a definitive display of Japanese architectural expression that also affords the opportunity to meet with local Japanese architects and to visit some of the few remaining Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in Japan such as The Imperial Hotel at Meiji-Mura and Yamamura House in Hyogo.

A truly unique architectural experience, the tour will visit some of Tokyo’s newest contemporary masterpieces, famous classic buildings, art and architecture exhibitions, famous temples and gardens of Kyoto and other interesting tourist spots.

Architectural highlights include buildings such as Prada Boutique (Herzog and de Meuron), National Art Center Tokyo (Kurokawa),  Mikimoto 2 (Toyo Ito), Omotesando Hills (Ando), 21-21 Design Site (Ando), Nezu Museum (Kengo Kuma), National Museum of Western Art (Le Corbusier), Olympic Gymnasium (Kenzo Tange) & Nakagin Capsule Building (Kurokawa)

This 10 day Japan Architecture Tour is conducted and guided by Architect, former Tokyo resident and Japan expert, Robert Day. For more information contact robert@rdayarch.com.au

Japan Architecture Tours Blog

Robert Day is organising another Japan Architecture Tour in October 2010. Visit www.rdayarch.com.au/blog for more information. Visit http://www.rdayarch.com.au/tours.html for diaries of previous Robert Day Architects Japan Architecture Tours.