New in paperback. Hardcover was published in 2006. One of Japan's leading architects examines notions of Japan-ness as exemplified by key events in Japanese architectural history from the seventh to the twentieth century; essays on buildings and their cultural context. "These texts have a timelessness that extends beyond the daily struggle of architectural production, as they transcend theoretical trends and offer a discourse about essential issues in architecture." -from the foreword by Toshiko Mori, Chair of the Department of Architecture, Harvard University Graduate School of Design.