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Japan is famous for its radical residential architecture. But as Tokyo architect Alastair Townsend explains, its penchant for avant garde housing may be driven by the country’s bizarre real estate economics, as much as its designers’ creativity.

Here on ArchDaily, we see a steady stream of radical Japanese houses. These homes, mostly designed by young architects, often elicit readers’ bewilderment. It can seem that in Japan, anything is permissible: stairs and balconies without handrails, rooms flagrantly cast open to their surroundings, or homes with no windows at all.

These whimsical, ironic, or otherwise extreme living propositions arrest readers’ attention, baiting us to ask: WTF Japan? The photos travel the blogosphere and social networks under their own momentum, garnering global exposure and international validation for Japan’s outwardly shy, yet media-savvy architects. Afterall, in Japan – the country with the most registered architects per capita – standing out from the crowd is the key to getting ahead for young designers. But what motivates their clients, who opt for such eccentric expressions of lifestyle?

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To become an architect is to learn to fall in love with clean lines, pure functionality, and minimal simplicity. Which is why it’s so hard for us to understand why the majority of clients remain so tied to their “traditional” homes. You must understand that, for the typical home-buyer, a modern home seems “cold” and “austere” - even “clinical.” 

But nothing could be further from the truth. The Modern floor plan - which architects have faithfully incorporated ever since Frank Lloyd Wright first introduced it in the early 20th century - frees rooms from doorways, allowing the life of the house to merge into one, airy, vibrant space. Modern homes bring people together - what’s cold about that?

Still not sold? Here’s 5 reasons why architects love Modern design - and, if you’re thinking of starting fresh and buying a new home, why you’ll love it too.  

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