| Title |
Tradition and Modernity in the Shin-Kenchiku Movement Period |
| Authors |
김선우(Kim, Sunwoo) ; 김선형(Kim, Sunhyung) |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5659/JAIK.2026.42.1.175 |
| Keywords |
Shin-Kenchiku Undo; adaptive modernism; modern Japanese architecture; Tsurumi House; Kikkawa House; Mamoru Yamada; Sutemi Haiguchi |
| Abstract |
This study examines how the Shin-Kenchiku Undo or the New Architecture Movement of early 1930s Japan took form through two
significant residential works: Yamada Mamoru’s Tarumi House (1931) and Horiguchi Sutemi’s Kikkawa House (1930). As founding members
of the Bunriha Kenchiku Kai, both architects sought to merge traditional Japanese spatial logic with modern materials and construction
methods, though their approaches differed. Yamada combined reinforced concrete with traditional wooden modularity, creating flexible layouts
and environmental responsiveness through features such as pivoting windows, prism glass, and a sunroom. Horiguchi, by contrast, preserved
tatami-based planning while abstractly expressing tradition within a reinforced concrete frame, reflecting a more aesthetic and representational
stance. A comparative analysis across four categories such as structural system, spatial composition, expression of traditional elements, and
contemporary design strategy shows that the Shin-Kenchiku Undo was not a simple imitation of Western modernism but a culturally specific
reinterpretation. These cases highlight an adaptive modernization in which tradition and innovation functioned as complementary rather than
opposing forces. Through different yet convergent strategies, Yamada and Horiguchi helped shape a distinct Japanese modern architectural
identity rooted in historical continuity and technological transformation. |