The Japanese house is well known for its reputation of being a house with simplicity, minimalism and smart with a spaces. A densely populated residential and tricky planning regulation, produce a unique, creative and innovative residential design. Some Japanese houses incorporate a brutal and minimalist design style as the image of the building, and some others uses natural materials such as wood or other factory materials such as steel, polycarbonate and many others, but by sticking to minimalism concept where the combination of materials in one building is generally not much. Solving complex building problems and land problems is the architect starting point in producing ingenious and innovative designs. Here are some inspirational of modern japanese house.

House Tokyo / Unemori Architects

A small house located in a densely populated neighborhood in the Japanese capital. A house that was formed of several stacked boxes, with corrugated steel as the envelope, and was build on a 26m2 land. Although it was built in a dense area, the house is still paying attention to the natural daylight and wind passage. This house has a direct connection with the outside view from the huge window designed. The house is separated into 2 stories, with a total floor area of 51m2.

Iwakura House / ALTS Design Office

A reconstruction building with a 3-storey structure, surrounded by low-rise buildings. The first floor of the house functions as an open space connected to the outside. While the living room is located on the third floor, where the concept of this living room is to take advantage of the surrounding scenery. The whole building material is a combination of concrete and wood, providing the best minimalist value.

House in Goshikiyama / Tomohiro Hata Architect and Associates

A house built for five family members in a very small location along the railroad tracks. With an open plan concept, where there are very few barriers (walls). The materials used in the entire building are exposed concrete as the floor, white walls and white steel as the spiral staircase. This spiral staircase has a concept as an approach to connect the inside and outside, connecting spaces and places. With lots of windows along the way from the ground floor to the top for natural light.

Melt house / SAI Architecture design studios

The house with minimalist exterior, uses corrugated wall as the main (the only) material, and white as the main color of the entire exterior. With a curved walls shape and a folding doors that can seperate and or connect different spaced in the house. It is a compact house designed with a double-heigh courtyard with dry garden. The dry garden is the heeart of the home, placed between the kitchen and living room.

Slender house / FORM Kouichi Kimura Architects

A house that carries a minimalist concept with a bold touch, located in one of the busiest neighborhoods in Japan, Shiga. The architect in this house made the most use of a narrow and dense plot of land. This modern house has a box-shaped volume with a dynamic layout. With a dark color palette used on the exterior, and the use of concrete and metal as the main materials. The faade seals off privacy, while carefully placed windows to frame the view.