In the 1980s, my office was located near the Daikanyama DÅjunkai Apartments, and I often lunched at the restaurant on the ground floor of one of the buildings in the complex. The restaurant served Japanese home-style dishes such as tofu, fermented soybeans (nattÅ), and grilled fish at reasonable prices. There was also a public bathhouse. Most of the buildings in this small garden-city-like residential complex were in original condition. In addition to the elderly residents, there were young people who had their offices and ateliers in the old buildings. The trees in the courtyard were majestic in size and protected the residents from the summer sun.
An aspect of the DÅjunkai Apartments that has always interested me is the role of the âcommunalâ in their organizational structure. These residential complexes were celebrated for their courtyards and ample corridors and galleries connecting the units, which were used both as extensions of the dwellings and as areas where one could socialize. Despite intense opposition from neighborhood residents, sadly, the Daikanyama DÅjunkai Apartments were demolished in 1996 and replaced by a high-rise condominium building constructed by a private developer. One after another, all of the DÅjunkai Apartments were eventually torn down. I deeply regret that such unique examples of Tokyoâs modern housing are now lost.
Public Housing in Japan. The DÅjunkai Apartments One Hundred Years On, an anticipated work tracing the evolution of modern housing in Japan, once again brings the DÅjunkai Apartments to life. The preparation of this much needed volume overlapped with the centennial of the establishment of the DÅjunkai Foundation (Zaidan HÅjin DÅjunkai) in 1924. Volume editor Marco Pompili has drawn together some of the most influential experts in the fields of modern Japanese architecture, as well as the history of Japanese housing and planning. Essential to realization of this publication is Dr. Pompiliâs long-standing affiliation with Japan and his in-depth knowledge of and commitment to the subject matter. On a personal note, a large part of my own work has comprised the design of housing for local communities, which has made me fully aware of the importance of devising concepts that both foster and improve peopleâs lives. Housing design must always respect the collective needs while at the same time meet the challenges arising from private needs. Learning from history is therefore essential in the creation of new knowledge and in the promotion of innovative approaches to housing architecture, and this volume offers us great insight into that history. It is hoped that in its exploration of the DÅjunkai Apartmentsâa paradigm of interwar housing in Japan that also influenced later generationsâthis work will stimulate us to imagine new housing forms that are in tune with ever-changing social demands.
Yamamoto Riken
Yamamoto Riken & FIELDSHOP, Yokohama, June 2025