ABSTRACT
The search for the essence of 'natural' building has led many commentators to go both back in time and across international and cultural borders. Typical has been a pilgrimage to Japan where, it is often claimed, a different relationship to nature than that which underpins Western industrialization (and industrialized architecture) exists. This chapter offers some critical reflections on this search for essences of sustainable architecture, through both visits and critical readings about Japanese urbanism. By contrasting the search for an exotic essence, the 'other' of Western rational planning, with an exploration of more situated, pragmatic strategies of Japanese urban design, one might usefully identify some transferable tactics in the search for sustainable urban futures. There is a long tradition of searching for nature in Japanese architecture and design. Certainly, traveling around Tokyo and Japan more widely there is plenty of evidence of environmental destruction.
