A sliver of glass separates the two volumes of this bottom-heavy residence in Japan's Shizuoka Prefecture, which is made up of a bulky rectilinear base with a house-shaped block on top (+ slideshow). More
Bands of timber alternate with slices of glazing across the facade of this Tokyo house by Swedish studio Elding Oscarson, offering a degree of privacy while also exploiting views of the garden (+ slideshow). More
The faceted volume of this concrete mixed-use block in Tokyo is punctured by a series of holes that form windows, balconies and open-air stairwells (+ slideshow). More
This two-bedroom family home in Japan is small but tall, so that residents can look out and see the foliage of neighbouring Japanese elm trees (+ slideshow). More
The wooden framework of this Japanese house by Akasaka Shinichiro Atelier will allow the owners to adapt the lower floor into a photography studio or children's room (+ slideshow). More
These four house-shaped volumes may look like individual homes but they actually define different areas of the same residence, designed by Shuhei Goto Architects in Japan's Shizuoka Prefecture. More
An indoor basketball court forms the atrium of this family home in eastern Japan by local firm Koizumi Sekkei (+ slideshow). More
Corrugated plastic surrounds a sunroom at one end of this timber-framed residence by Japanese architect Yoshichika Takagi, which also features a pair of house-shaped bedrooms (+ slideshow). More
A patio-like corridor surrounds the ground-floor rooms of this house by Takeru Shoji Architects, replicating a traditional space in Japanese farmhouses known as a doma (+ slideshow). More
A large white box is raised on stilts to create the upper floor of this house in Japan, sheltering a smaller ground floor and entrance from the heavy snowfalls that Hokkaido Prefecture experiences in winter (+ slideshow). More
Stripy metal panels wrap the exterior of this Japanese house apart from a section at the front, creating a visual effect that prompted architect Takeru Shoji to name the building after a cardigan (+ slideshow). More
Tokyo studio Naf Architect & Design designed this house in Niigata to fit around a narrow driveway, which doubles as a space for outdoor get-togethers during the neighbourhood's annual lantern festival (+ slideshow). More
Six slabs of wafer-thin concrete form the floors and walls of this house by Kubota Architect Atelier, which cuts into the side of a mountain in Japan's Hyogo Prefecture (+ slideshow). More
This family house in Shiga, Japan, is made up of two structures – a simple two-storey block set on a patio, and a small timber pavilion that opens out to a landscaped garden (+ slideshow). More
Japanese studios Sandwich and Team Low-Energy used three truckloads of timber to create the sculptural facade of this Tokyo house that also boasts a two-storey-high library and an indoor swing (+ slideshow). More
Apollo Architects & Associates named this Tokyo house after Noah's Ark because it features a symmetrical floor plan and a pointed wooden roof. More
The roof of this house in Japan is tilted above a band of glazing, allowing light to permeate the interior while also making the structure look like a box with a lifted lid (+ slideshow). More
Behind a simple concrete exterior, this house by Japanese architect Tsubasa Iwahashi contains a complex arrangement of rooms connected by three different kinds of staircase (+ slideshow). More
An elevated terrace stretches along one side of this narrow house in Nara, Japan, providing the residents with glimpses into the neighbourhood (+ slideshow). More
Volcanic ash is mixed into the concrete shell of this angular house in central Tokyo, which was designed by Atelier Tekuto for a pair of chemists (+ slideshow). More