At Home in Japan - Beyond the Minimal House

In the West the Japanese house has reached iconic status in its architecture, decoration and style. However, is this neat, carefully constructed version of Japanese life in fact a myth? This exhibition goes behind the doors of contemporary urban homes to find out how private lives are lived in Japan today. It will re-evaluate contemporary Japanese life through an ethnographic lens, examining a variety of aspects of the home – from decoration, display, furniture and the tatami mat, to eating, sleeping, ‘gifting’, cleaning and hygiene and worship. Through a range of photographs and objects, visitors will be able to explore narratives about contemporary Japanese homes and the practices enacted within.

The exhibition is based on original ethnographical research by Dr Inge Daniels (University of Oxford), and includes project-specific photography by Susan Andrews (London Metropolitan University).

Photo:

View from a living room onto a domestic garden in Nara, Japan - Susan Andrews