Kenzo Tange and Kengo Kuma: The Architects of the Tokyo Olympics 1964 and 2020

This book takes the 1964 and 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games as pivotal historical moments to examine and compare the architectural visions, practices, and urban imaginaries of Kenzo Tange and Kengo Kuma across two very different eras. Through this comparison, it traces how Tokyo has repeatedly used Olympic architecture to articulate national identity and address global attention. From the Yoyogi National Gymnasium, a powerful symbol of postwar reconstruction and modernist ambition, to the New National Stadium, which reflects contemporary concerns for sustainability, nature, and human scale, architecture is revealed as a mirror of shifting social values in Japan.

Combining insightful essays by Kengo Kuma and architectural historian Saikaku Toyokawa with photographs by Yasuhiro Ishimoto and Mikiko Takimoto, the book approaches its subject from architectural, historical, and cultural perspectives. It also explores the broader international context, including Japan’s ongoing dialogue with Paris, positioning Japanese architecture within a global cultural network.

More than a comparative study of two architects, this volume reflects on the Olympic Games as a cultural and political stage and on architecture as a medium that connects history, society, and place. It offers a compelling and visually rich resource for readers interested in architecture, urban culture, and modern history.