Which buildings should i not miss in japan?

Question

I am an architecture student and will spend 7 weeks in japan. I will stay in Kyoto but I plan to travel throughout the country. I want to know which buildings i should go see.
if anyone have adresses would be alwesome.
thanks
fulvio

Answer 1

I didn't look at the links that the others provided, and don't know if they were only talking about modern buildings or old ones as well, but one building that you absolutely should not miss is Kiyomizudera. It's a temple in central Kyoto, and is famous for having a wooden balcony. The amazing thing about the balcony is that there are no nails in it.

Another interesting buliding in Kyoto is Nijo Castle; it has a nightengale floor, which was put in as a burglar alarm.

Two interesting ~old~ buildings to see while you're there.

Answer 2

The Umeda Sky Building in Osaka is a stunning example of modern architecture. You can take tours up between to two towers- haven't actually done it myself, but it looks neat.

If you're interested in old-school architecture, there's tons of it in Kyoto. Also check out Nara, particularly the Todai-ji complex. It's the world's lagest wooden building. Be sure to check out the wooden Nio sculptures in the outer gate- STUNNING!

As for castles, Nijo-jo is great, but the coolest castle in Japan hands down is Himeiji-jo. It's one of the few original castles in Japan that wasn't torn down when the country became more centrally organized or burned in bombing raids during WWII. Osaka's castle is cool, but it's a replica, meaning that it's all concrete inside.

You'll find cool stuff wherever you go, so don't sweat it if you can't hit all the stuff people list. Enjoy your trip!

Answer 3

For modern buildings I like the TBS Building in Odaiba and the Tocho building in Shinjuku (hard to miss!). The Tocho building really is impressive in terms of sheer size and scale.

Answer 4

Historical or traditional architectures.
http://www.csuohio.edu/history/japan/japan16.html
http://www.kippo.or.jp/culture_e/build/beauty/naka.htm
http://www.jcastle.info/
http://welcome.kankomie.or.jp/english/search/spot.php?act=dtl&id=11
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/indepth/featuredarticles/worldheritage/index.html

Minkaens (There are many Minkaens in japan)
a Minkaen is a kind of a park or a museum where Japanese folk houses are relocated, restored, and etc.
http://www.jref.com/practical/nihon_minka-en.shtml
http://www.brycetanner.com/nihon-minkaen.php

Modern buildings in Japan
(English)
http://arch.cside.com/e-tatesya.html
http://www.bento.com/arch/archcont.html
http://tokyoarchitecture.info/
(Japanese)
http://uratti.web.fc2.com/architecture/index.htm
(web translator)
http://babelfish.yahoo.com/

Answer 5

Look at these sites they should help.

http://web-japan.org/atlas/architecture/archit_fr.html
http://www.greatbuildings.com/places/japan.html
http://www.csuohio.edu/history/japan/japan16.html
http://www.sg.emb-japan.go.jp/JapanAccess/kenchiku.htm

Hope you like!