Japan is renowned for its rich tradition of craftsmanship and architecture, where age-old carpentry techniques coexist alongside striking contemporary designs. While the recent visit to the Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum offered an insightful look at traditional timber construction, it was equally exciting to explore some of Japan’s modern architecture. Awaji Island, just a short trip from Osaka, is home to some of Tadao Ando’s most celebrated works, including the Honpuku Water Temple.
The temple itself is as much about the journey as the destination. After catching a bus from Kobe to Ura-ko, the path to the temple leads through serene rice fields and gently rolling hills dotted with homes, offering a quiet transition from urban bustle to tranquil retreat. Upon arrival, there is no obvious signage, just a subtle suggestion of entrance via a pebbled path lined with bamboo. The path winds through a narrow opening in a concrete wall and curves along another wall before revealing the temple’s reflective pond which also acts as its roof.
Descending through the centre of the pond, you gradually move beneath the water’s surface into the temple itself. Visiting in the afternoon, sunlight filters through the windows into the subterranean spaces, casting the vermillion glow of the temple chamber onto the surrounding concrete walls, creating a serene interplay of light and shadow. The experience continues with more steps down, a removal of shoes, and a circumnavigation of the temple chamber’s exterior before pausing at its core.
Honpuku Water Temple highlights the deliberate attention to journey and spatial experience, where movement through and around the structure is carefully orchestrated. Each step frames a connection to nature, whether through views of the surrounding landscape, immersion beneath water, or the dance of light and shade. It is an elegant reminder of how contemporary architecture can engage deeply with the natural world, an ethos that continues to inspire the work at The Sociable Weaver.
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