ABSTRACT
The unique situation of Japanese society and the unique practices of Japanese architects make it possible to envision a richer common ground between social architecture and the discourse of architectural theory. The situation has started to change after 3.11 among Japanese architects, and there emerged a small possibility for them to envision more interdisciplinary approaches, similarly to other countries. In 2006, the Japanese architect Kengo Kuma wrote an essay titled "From Paddock to Karaoke". Kuma suggested that the opportunity for young architects to participate in competitions for public project dramatically decreased because of the increasing criticism of public buildings as Hako-mono and the resulting stagnant economy. The emergence of neoliberalism, which is often regarded in relation to small government, privatization and globalization, had a very different trajectory in Japan. In the age of rapid globalization, the close tie between government and large corporate firms thrives and prevents the empowerment of local governance.
