Lecture | Towards a Nude Architecture with Yuval Zohar

Presented by the Japan Information & Culture Center, Embassy of Japan.

A deep dive into the hidden world of Japanese hot springs, from fabled origins to modern manifestations, chronicling centuries of soaking through the eyes of an architect.

As one of the most volcanically active geographies in the world, the islands of Japan gush with nearly 30,000 naturally occurring hot springs, or onsen (温泉), of varying temperatures, colors, and mineral compositions. When superimposed over the country’s history, their timeline winds its way through ancient religions, warring empires, medical marvels, and contemporary pop culture, forming a vital part of the national identity.

Combining photos, drawings, collages, and diagrams from over a decade of travel across the country, Towards a Nude Architecture explores this narrative through an architectural lens, presenting a visual journey of water and steam spanning centuries and geographies. In three chapters examining past, present, and future, the book looks at the spiritual roots of bathing, the diverse structures built around the tradition, and the lasting influence of this poetic mingling between architecture, nature, and the naked body. Facing declining visitors and increased privatization, compounded by recent global crises, the need to promote and preserve these bastions of public space is more crucial than ever.

The speaker will be signing and stamping copies of his book, Towards a Nude Architecture: A Visual Compendium of Japanese Hot Springs, after the talk. Copies can be found online at Amazon or at the local bookstore Politics and Prose.

©Noriko Hayashi

is an architect and designer working internationally. Born in Israel, raised in the United States, and having spent the majority of his career in Asia, he is currently based in Japan. He is the author of Towards a Nude Architecture: A Visual Compendium of Japanese Hot Springs, which was featured in a New York Times profile about his life in a quaint Japanese countryside hot spring town.

Prior to his current role at EXP, designing physical spaces activated through AR travel games, he was a senior architect at Diller, Scofidio + Renfro in New York, a project leader at OMA New York and Hong Kong, and directing JDS architects' activities in China. He spent 8 years in Shanghai contributing to the design of high-profile constructed projects including the New Jindai sustainable school, the Hangzhou Gateway, exhibitions at the Shanghai World Expo and the BMW Guggenheim Lab in Mumbai, and several awarded competitions that have been featured online and in print.

Yuval has been featured on television shows, architecture magazines, publications, and as an invited guest lecturer and panelist in academic and professional architecture events.

He resides and works between Yugawara and Tokyo, Japan.

This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required for security purposes. Program begins at 6:30PM. Doors open 30 minutes prior. No admittance after 7:00 PM or once seating is full. Registered guests will be seated on a first come, first served basis. Please note that seating is limited and registration does not guarantee guests a seat

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Host or Publisher Japan Information & Culture Center, Embassy of Japan