Tokyo Houses

by Kyoko Asakura

Published 27 June 2002
Simplicity isn't just a matter of taste in Japan - it's part of the culture. But within that aesthetic there is much diversity. This photographic sampling of Tokyo's apartments attempts to display that diversity. The clutter-free rooms in this collection are filled with muted colours and natural objects; traditional materials such as rice paper, tatami, wood, ceramics and stone are made use of. These are combined with objects such as - a whimsical chair, a rock garden set into the floor, an Art Deco flourish or a rustic bamboo ladder propped against a wall. In this visual exploration of 40 of Tokyo's apartments, gleaming high-tech lives alongside the old and traditional.