All-Wright Site - Frank Lloyd Wright Building Guide - JAPAN

New! Video of the Ken Burns PBS Frank Lloyd Wright miniseries now available. Click here (or click on the picture of the video) to order

The video contains a section on the building of the Imperial Hotel, with earthquake film footage as well.

Summary: Listings and information about Frank Lloyd Wright's buildings in Japan.
All-Wright Site Links: [Building Guide - top of page] [Building Guide - Map] [All-Wright Site Main Page] [E-mail] [Books]
The links on this page were all last updated and verified November 10, 1998. Please let me know if you encounter any bad links, or have new ones to suggest

Frank Lloyd Wright designed 12 buildings for Japan. Of these, 6 were built, and of these 2 remain whole and 1 is found in parts. (the Aisaku Hayashi house was demolished just a few years ago). These three existing buildings are listed with Web resources.

From the time of the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893 with the Japanese "Ho-o-Den" display, the famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright was influenced in some ways by Japanese art. Wright reported that he found Japanese art "nearer to the earth . . . than any European civilization alive or dead." He was an astute and avid collector of Japanese art prints as well. A preliminary sketch of one house design, the Thomas Hardy House in Wisconsin, was done in a Japanese style. Mr. Wright's work has had some influence in Japan, as well: the building known as the Japanese "White House" is inspired by his design.

General interest sites pertaining to Frank Lloyd Wright's work in Japan:

  • NBM: American Spirit Alive in Japan (Three Buildings by FLLW)

    Individual building listings:

    Imperial Hotel (S.194, S.195), Tokyo, Japan, 1915.
    One of Mr. Wright's grandest, largest, and most detailed designs, this one was demolished in 1968, but the entrance lobby survives at the Meiji Village. Mr. Wright spent much time in Japan overseeing its construction. The hotel was built on a special floating foundation, and as a result, rode out the Kanto earthquake of 1923 with little damage. The building was used by the American army during the occupation following World War II.

    This project is one of several large and significant non-residential Wright projects (along with the Larkin Building and Midway Gardens) built in the first "golden age" of his career which have long since been demolished.

    American Embassy in Japan, 1914, unbuilt.

    Odawara Hotel, 1917, unbuilt.

    Aisaku Hayashi House (S.206), Tokyo, Japan, 1917.
    This one-story house had a pond in the yard. The client was the manager of the Imperial Hotel. It was demolished recently.

    Arinobo Fukuhara House (S.207), Hakone, Japan, 1918.
    This home was destroyed by earthquake in 1923.

    Mihara Housel, 1918, unbuilt.

    Eiga Motion Picture Theatre, 1918, unbuilt.

    Tazaemon Yamamura House (S.212), Ashiya, Japan, 1918
    This, the only surviving Wright residence in Japan, is located on a hillside which faces south to Osaka Bay. It is constructed of a soft lava called "Oya stone" and of mahogany. In order of construction of Wright buildings, it was built between two significant California designs: the Hollyhock House and the first of the concrete block houses

    Baron Shinpei Goto House, 1921, unbuilt.

    Jiyu-Gakuen Girls' School (S.213) , Toyko, Japan, 1921.

    Other No other buildings or pages of interest at this time. Please send e-mail if you have any to suggest.

    Books

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