The Urbanism of Metabolism

"Rising from the ashes of the Pacific War, a new generation of Japanese architects sought radical new ways to solve the challenges of social change and material destitution in their devastated cities. In fusing native tradition and radical modernity, they created a movement which was to influence the architecture of the twentieth century. Through a compilation of scholarly essays and personal narratives this valuable English language collection provides a cohesive evaluation of the Metabolist movement in both its domestic and international contexts. It is a comprehensive reference for both the professional and the general reader." Peter Armstrong(University of Sydney) studied under Yosizaka Takamasa and worked for Kiyonori Kikutake from 1969 to 1973

"What can we learn today from the radical visions and thinking of Japanese Metabolism of the 1960s? In this indispensable book, the best international scholars critically interpret Metabolism as an avant-garde movement, at the same time deeply anchored in the Japanese reality and a transnational phenomenon with great critical success, but also as a symptom of a condition of environmental and urban crisis to which architects must respond as a priority commitment: today as yesterday." Pierre Alain Croset, Department of Architecture and Urban Studies (DAStU), Politecnico di Milano, Italy

"Among the merits of this publication, there is the effort to present a fresh and broader new look at Metabolism by means of a series of contributions by high-calibre experts in disciplines which do not belong only to architecture. For everyone interested in Japan, this book is full of useful insights to understand modern Japanese history from the point of view of urbanism and architectural forms." Masaki Koiwa, Department of Architecture, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan

"This book, edited by Dr. Raffaele Pernice, has as obvious feature in that the authors are all independent writers, and someone experienced the Metabolist movement in Japan in the 1960s. The scholars explore pioneering issues related to climate change and social identity worldwide which were affected by Metabolism. Besides, this book is also an engaging incipient index of Japanese modern architectural masters and their practices." Xiaoming Zhu, College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, Shanghai, China

"A much-needed rediscovery of a significant cultural and design movement that still influences the development of global cities. The book sheds light from multiple perspectives on what Manfredo Tafuri defined as an ‘academy of the utopian’: a group of visionaries that, with their bold proposals, introduced in the global debate ideas that are still relevant today, tracing clear paths for the further developments of design disciplines." Benno Albrecht, Rector Università IUAV di Venezia, Italy