The black facade of the Yatabes’ house may turn a darkly futuristic face to its suburban block, but behind it the house is full of light. In Saitama, a tightly packed neighborhood near Tokyo, the black metal screen affords the family privacy without sacrificing outdoor space. Photo by Dean Kaufman.
Thanks to a fleet of wildly creative architects producing out-of-the-box houses for brave, non-conformist clients, Japan's architecture scene is one of the most exciting in the world. Here are five of the coolest and most surprising Japanese houses we've spotted recently.
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