Modern Japanese Architecture: From Meiji Restoration to Today

Online Course

edX
Modern Japanese Architecture: From Meiji Restoration to Today

What is the course about?

Modern Japanese Architecture: From Meiji Restoration to Today
The course Modern Japanese Architecture: From Meiji Restoration to Today is an online class provided by Tokyo Institute of Technology through edX. The skill level of the course is Intermediate. It may be possible to receive a verified certification or use the course to prepare for a degree.

Explore traditional Japanese architecture and related political influences starting with the introduction of Western building styles in the 19th century to the influence of Le Corbusier in the mid-20th century.

Course description

Examine how architecture reflects Japan’s history, starting with its emergence as a new nation in the 19th century and the building of the Western-style capital city of Tokyo on the foundations of Edo. New building materials and construction methods reflected changing times, and the radical contrast between tradition and modernism in the nation was clearly visible in Japan’s architecture and politics. While experiencing intense Westernization pressures, Japan developed rapidly to rival the world’s great powers, we will look at how Japanese architects developed their own version of Modernism. Initially, Japanese wanted to pursue the discoveries of the Franco-Swiss Le Corbusier and of Walter Gropius at the German Bauhaus. But soon, Japan also began to produce its own 20th-century architects and develop its own style. Following World War II, Kenzo Tange became the first Japanese architect in history to achieve international fame. In the last section of the course, we will present an interview-based case study titled “Exploring Tokyo Tech’s Twenty-First Century O-okayama Campus.” Tokyo Institute of Technology (aka Tokyo Tech) possesses its own unique and unbroken succession of practicing architects/professors, who design campus buildings. We will learn about Professor Kazuo Shinohara, one of the most prominent Japanese designers of the second half of the 20th century, and several of his renowned disciples from Tokyo Tech. This course aims to illustrate the present state of Japanese Modernist and postmodern building, as well as the distance covered over the past 150 years, including the 130-year history of Tokyo Tech itself. Join us on this journey through time as we examine and admire Japan’s architecture to better understand Japanese history and politics.

Prerequisites & Facts

Modern Japanese Architecture: From Meiji Restoration to Today

Course Topic

Art and Culture, Engineering, History

University, College, Institution

Tokyo Institute of Technology

Course Skill Level

Intermediate

Course Language

English

Place of class

Online, self-paced (see curriculum for more information)

Degree

Certificate

Degree & Cost

Modern Japanese Architecture: From Meiji Restoration to Today

To obtain a verified certificate from edX / Tokyo Institute of Technology you have to finish this course or the latest version of it, if there is a new edition. The class may be free of charge, but there could be some cost to receive a verified certificate (69.00 USD) or to access the learning materials. The specifics of the course may have been changed, please consult the provider to get the latest quotes and news.
Tokyo Institute of Technology
Modern Japanese Architecture: From Meiji Restoration to Today
provided by edX

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School: Tokyo Institute of Technology
Topic: Art and Culture, Engineering, History