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[ONLINE] JSNC & NAJAS Friends Present: Japanese Houses: Stories of Remarkable Homes and the People Who Made Them

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Image courtesy of JSNC

Since the end of World War II, Japanese architects have been creating some of the world’s most exceptional dwellings. Admired by architects and homeowners on both sides of the Pacific, these innovative mini-buildings are the subject of Naomi Pollock’s new book, The Japanese House Since 1945.

Naomi Pollock is a world-renowned expert on contemporary Japanese architecture and design. Her recently published book highlights some of Japan’s most inspiring homes which illustrate the country’s design ingenuity and experimental construction capability. Join JASH, Japan Society of Boston (JSB), Japan Society of Northern California (JSNC) and Japan America Society of Minnesota for an educational online lecture with the author, who will share stories about the making of these residences and the people who made them their homes. 

Following the presentation, she will discuss her work with Yoko Kawai, an expert in Japanese design, Lecturer at the Yale School of Architecture, and the principal of Penguin Environmental Design.

Come hear this fascinating take on groundbreaking residential design in Japan – and change the way you think about space.

This program is FREE with registration. Click the button below to register:

About the Speakers:

Naomi Pollock is an American architect and author who lived in Tokyo for 30 years. She writes about design and architecture in Japan. Her articles have appeared in numerous publications, including Dwell, Kinfolk, Nikkei Asian Review, Wallpaper* and Architectural Record, for which she is a Contributing Editor. In addition to Japanese Houses Since 1945, Pollock has written Modern Japanese House, Jutaku: Japanese Houses, Sou Fujimoto and Japanese Design Since 1945: A Complete Sourcebook. She was also the editor of NUNO: Visionary Japanese Textiles. She holds Masters degrees in architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Engineering. In recognition of her contributions as a journalist and critic, Pollock was invited into the College of Fellows of The American Institute of Architects in 2018.


Yoko Kawai, Ph.D., is Lecturer at Yale School of Architecture and principal of Penguin Environmental Design, where the focus is on “Designing places from the outside in”. Its works include a residential project that received CTC&G Award in 2015 and a Japanese garden at Frost Valley YMCA in 2014. Yoko researches, educates and designs architecture to promote and develop “space for well-being” by applying Japanese spatial concepts. She co-founded Mirai Work Space to bring this idea into the contemporary workplace.


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Images and biographies courtesy of Japan Society of Northern California.