Japanese Country Style - Other Books

Minka: Traditional houses of rural Japan	Chuji Kawashima	“Minka have been bypassed by time; the age of self-sufficiency, when all articles of daily life were made by hand from locally available natural materials has given way to the age of industrialization: anything and everything can be bought readymade. I cannot help wondering which way of life gives people more peace of mind. In return for convenience we have lost much of our rich heritage.” Contains hundreds of black&white photographs and drawings of minka from all over Japan.	ISBN 4-7700-1221-7	¥10000 (out of print, but available used, in multiple editions, $70 - $250)
The Japanese House—a tradition for contemporary architecture	Heinrich Engel	The English-language book on Japanese houses, with numerous black&white photographs and detailed architectural drawings. If you own one other book on Japanese houses, this should be it. There is also an abridged edition, but if you're serious about Japanse architecture, you should get the original from a used book shop, such as Amazon or Abebooks.	ISBN 0-8048-0304-8	$57.50 in 1981 (out of print, but available used for $60 - $300) $15 - $22 for the abridged paperback
The Japanese House—architecture and interiors	Noboru Murata and Alexandra Black	Text and lovely photographs of traditional-style Japanese houses, inns, and villas, including a few minka and Takishita's own house. Less text and architectural detail than Takishita's or Engel's book but still a very nice book.	ISBN 0-8048-3262-5	$26 - $40
Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings	Edward Morse	Written over a hundred years ago and republished by Dover, this gives wonderful background detail about traditional Japanese architecture. There are also many excellent line drawings.	ISBN 0-4862-0746-3	$10 - $15
What is Japanese Architecture?	Kazuo Nishi and Kazuo Hozumi	A survey of traditional Japanese architecture, with a list of sites and a map. A good survey with nice drawings, including a fold-out diagram of a “tea ceremony” house.	ISBN 4-7700-1211-x (Japan), 0-87011-711-4; paperback and hardcover available	$22 - $32
A Pattern Language: towns, buldings, construction	Christopher Alexander et al	Commentary on traditional forms of architecture and why they resonate with us. Includes some pictures and commentary on traditional Japanese houses, especially minka.	ISBN 0-1950-1919-9	$40 - $65
Greene & Greene: Masterworks	Bruce Smith and Alexander Vertikoff	“Between 1900 and 1920, the architecture firm of Green and Greene designed many of the finest residences to emerge from the Arts and Crafs era. Featuring twenty-five of the brothers’ consummate houses, Greene & Greene: Masterworks is a breathtaking tour of some of the most exquisite homes found in America.” The Japanese influence of exposed wood-work is very evident in the houses in this book.	ISBN 4-7700-1221-7	$26 - $40