[Various Western-Style Buildings in Japan]

The history of Western-style buildings scattered throughout Japan began in 1853 (Kaei 6) with the arrival of Commodore Matthew C. Perry, which led to the opening of Japan and the rapid influx of foreign culture and technology.

Matthew C. Perry, the American envoy, arrived with his fleet at Uraga Bay near Edo, bringing an end to Japan's 200-year-long isolationist policy. In 1859 (Ansei 6), Yokohama was opened as a port, and foreign settlements were established. Western-style buildings were constructed, and Japanese carpenters began to replicate them by imitation, giving rise to the “pseudo-Western style” architecture that gained widespread popularity and was built across the country. While the exterior resembles Western architecture, the structure uses traditional Japanese timber framing, and the materials are wood, plaster, and tiles, giving it a distinctly Japanese feel. Completed in 1876 (Meiji 9) during the height of the Meiji Restoration, the “Old Kaichi School” in Matsumoto City is renowned as a masterpiece of pseudo-Western architecture. It was designated as a National Treasure in 2019.

During the Meiji era, pseudo-Western architecture played a significant role as a bridge until Western knowledge took root in Japan. However, as Western architectural experts were invited to Japan and formal education in Western architecture began, this style gradually declined. British architect Josiah Conder, a professor at the Imperial University of Engineering in Tokyo, and his students left behind many representative examples of Western architecture. Josiah Conder designed the Rokumeikan and the former Iwasaki Residence Garden, while his student Kingo Tatsuono designed Tokyo Station (Marunouchi Station Building) and the Bank of Japan Headquarters (former main building), and Tokuma Katayama designed the Kyoto National Museum.

Architecture of the Taisho era skillfully blended Japanese and Western styles while incorporating modern elements such as reinforced concrete, which is resistant to earthquakes and fire. For example, the “Akita Shokai Building” in Shimonoseki City, built in 1915 (Taisho 4), features Western-style architecture on the first floor, Japanese-style architecture on the second and third floors, and a reinforced concrete structure, making it a pioneering example of “Taisho Modern” architecture. The design of all-brick buildings was gradually replaced by steel frame and reinforced concrete structures, and this change accelerated after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 (Taisho 12) demonstrated the vulnerability of brick buildings to earthquakes. Additionally, in 1920 (Taisho 9), the “Separationist Architecture Society,” Japan's first modern architecture movement, emerged, marking a shift from faithfully reproducing Western architectural styles to pursuing a uniquely Japanese “modern architecture.” This spirit was later inherited by “Modernist Architecture.”

In the early Showa period (1926–1989), the influence of Western art movements such as Art Deco began to appear in architecture, as seen in buildings like the Moji Yusen Building in Kitakyushu City and the Old Dalian Shipping Company Warehouse. This trend evolved into more original and artistically sophisticated architecture, as exemplified by the Kanmon Building and Moji Ward Office in Shimonoseki City. By the time of World War II, there was a return to traditionalism in the architectural world, and the “Imperial Crown Style” was adopted primarily in government buildings. This was an eclectic style that combined modern structures such as reinforced concrete with traditional Japanese designs such as gabled roofs. Representative examples include the National Diet Building, the Tokyo Imperial Museum (now the Tokyo National Museum), and the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art (now the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art).

In the post-war reconstruction period, there was a growing demand for buildings that prioritized seismic resistance, fire resistance, and short construction periods. In response to these demands, “Modernist architecture,” represented by Le Corbusier, was introduced in Japan, and functional, rational buildings without ornamentation began to spread throughout the cities. Architects such as Kunio Maekawa and Kenzo Tange played central roles in this movement, and Japanese Western architecture thus transitioned from an era of “imitation” to one of “creation.”

The new technologies and aesthetic sensibilities brought by Western architecture fused with Japan's traditional culture, evolving with the times to create a unique architectural style. While many buildings have disappeared, Western-style architecture of various styles built across different eras still thrives nationwide. Taking a moment to reflect on the Western architecture that blends into the everyday landscape may be a step toward passing it on to the next generation.

Showroom Information
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/

References
https://www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db/en/R5-00690.html
https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZZO47438790Z11C12A0000000/
https://www.go-nagano.net/tradition-and-culture/id17659
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%B8%9D%E5%86%A0%E6%A7%98%E5%BC%8F