333. Architecture and Identity in Modern Japan
Development of modern architecture in Japan from the Meiji Period (1868-1912) through recent decades. Chronological coverage of major stylistic, structural and spatial changes, supplemented by attention to thematic concerns such as the relationship between cultural identity, architectural form, and modernity; the influence of discourses of "traditional" Japanese architecture upon modern movements in Japan and the West; the dialectic between "native" and "foreign" forms and design philosophies; the influence of social status, gender and colonialism upon architectural design and consumption; competing pressures of urbanization and preservation; issues of cultural "authenticity" in the context of global, transnational cultures.
(Sean McPherson)