Sandwiched between a shrine entrance and a farm in Japan's Shiga Prefecture, this family residence by Japanese architect Kouichi Kimura comprises metal-clad blocks that frame a courtyard (+ slideshow). More
Rectangular panels of Japanese cedar and glass create a chequered effect on the facade of this Tokyo residence (+ slideshow). More
A long, horizontal block is hoisted above the ground on a collection of concrete pods, providing views of paddy fields and mountains for the home, gallery and studio of an embroidery artist in Japan's Shiga Prefecture (+ slideshow). More
This house in Tokyo was constructed using an industrially manufactured steel framework and cladding, making it look more like a factory than a residence (+ slideshow). More
Japanese architect Kouichi Kimura chose grey steel sheets for the exterior of this office and apartment building in Shiga, giving it an armoured appearance (+ slideshow). More
Tato Architects has replaced all of the walls inside a traditional Japanese house with curving plywood screens (+ slideshow). More
The faceted metal surfaces of this addition to a dairy farmer's house in the Japanese city of Sodegaura fold around a courtyard that connects it with the original building (+ slideshow). More
The four blocks that make up this house in Japan all feature different kinds of windows, designed by architect Kazuki Moroe to offer varying perspectives of a neighbouring Shinto shrine (+ slideshow). More
This Japanese family home by FORM/Kouichi Kimura Architects is arranged as a series of framed spaces, with the ground floor dominated by an art gallery and workspace (+ slideshow). More
Japanese studio Naf Architect & Design rounded one corner of this Tokyo home to broaden a footpath, then clad the walls in glossy midnight-blue tiles to offer reflections of the streetscape (+ slideshow). More
An arched tunnel is formed between these two houses located beside a Japanese tea garden near Tokyo (+ slideshow). More
This grey-rendered house was designed with strategically placed windows to create privacy for residents in a densely populated area of Japan (+ slideshow). More
A tall white wall wraps around the base of this house in Tsukuba City, Japan, screening it from the street and creating the illusion of a triple-level structure (+ slideshow). More
This addition to a house in Kudamatsu, Japan, features an oversized pitched roof and a covered courtyard surrounded by arched openings (+ slideshow). More
This top-heavy white house in Kanagawa, Japan, was designed by Apollo Architects & Associates for a keen surfer and his family (+ slideshow). More
Japanese architect Kazuteru Matumura has gutted the interior of an old townhouse in Osaka, creating a minimal two-storey home that can be partitioned with curtains (+ slideshow). More
A wooden spine extends beneath the diagonally pitched roof of this diamond-shaped house and artist's studio in Japan (+ slideshow). More
An old train carriage forms one half of this family home in Takasago, Japan, while the other half looks like it could be a railway station (+ slideshow). More
Each room of this woodland retreat in Japan is topped by a "pointy hat" that gives the timber structure the appearance of a group of pitched tents (+ slideshow). More
Architecture studio NAAD has gutted a 100-year-old house in Kyoto and re-skinned the interior in plywood to create a temporary dwelling that is designed to look incomplete (+ slideshow). More