Studying architecture in Japan has allowed much of my learning to happen outside the classroom. Traveling to different places and experiencing spaces firsthand has become an essential part of understanding how architecture works within culture and landscape. Two excursions from the program, Tokyo and Yoshino, offered completely different perspectives, yet together they helped deepen my understanding of what architecture truly means.
Our visit to Tokyo introduced us to the scale and intensity of architecture within one of the world’s largest cities. Throughout the trip, we visited several major architectural works, including buildings by architects such as Kengo Kuma and Rafael Viñoly, along with many other influential contemporary projects. Seeing these buildings in person was very different from studying them through drawings or photographs.
Walking through these spaces revealed how architecture in Tokyo constantly negotiates with the city around it. The dense urban environment forces architects to respond creatively to limited sites, heavy pedestrian activity, and complex surroundings. Each building we visited approached this challenge differently. Some projects used light materials and transparency to soften the edge between building and street, while others embraced strong forms that stand out within the urban landscape. Experiencing these works firsthand made it clear that architecture in Tokyo is shaped by movement, density, and the energy of the city itself.
After the intensity of Tokyo, traveling to Yoshino offered a completely different experience. Located in a mountainous region known for its forestry traditions, Yoshino slowed the pace of our learning and shifted our focus from observing architecture to understanding it through process and making.
During our time there, we participated in multiple workshops that helped us explore what architecture means at a more fundamental level. Instead of only studying finished buildings, we worked directly with materials, learned about the region’s forestry practices, and discussed the philosophy behind construction and craft. Yoshino is famous for its cedar forests, where trees are carefully cultivated over long periods of time to produce high-quality timber used throughout Japan.
Through these workshops, it became clear that architecture does not begin with a design drawing or a building site. It begins much earlier, with the land, the forest, the material, and the people who work with it. Learning about this process helped us understand the patience, care, and knowledge required to create meaningful architecture.
Experiencing both Tokyo and Yoshino within the same program created a powerful contrast. Tokyo represents the fast-paced world of contemporary architecture, where innovation and experimentation shape the built environment of a global city. Yoshino, on the other hand, reflects the deeper traditions of craft, material knowledge, and the relationship between architecture and nature.
Together, these excursions reminded me that architecture exists across many scales and systems. It can be found in iconic buildings that shape a skyline, but also in the forests, materials, and traditions that make those buildings possible. Seeing both sides of architecture during this program has helped me understand the discipline in a much broader and more meaningful way.
This experience reminded me that architecture is best understood through direct engagement with place, culture, and material. Studying abroad allowed me to see and experience these lessons firsthand. Visit Temple’s Architecture Program in Japan to learn more about studying architecture abroad.