As a profession, structural engineering in Japan dates from the first part of the 20th century. Following the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, Japan’s new Urban Building Law (1920) was revised to require earthquake safety calculations; the profession of structural engineer was born. Collaborations between architects and structural engineers in Japan is an even more recent phenomenon dating from the 1960s. This issue examines how it has translated into the nation’s contemporary building practices by looking at twelve exemplary practitioners and their recent projects. Also included is a conversation with Masato Araya and Yoshiharu Kanebako.

As a profession, structural engineering in Japan dates from the first part of the 20th century. Following the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, Japan’s new Urban Building Law (1920) was revised to require earthquake safety calculations; the profession of structural engineer was born. Collaborations between architects and structural engineers in Japan is an even more recent phenomenon dating from the 1960s. This issue examines how it has translated into the nation’s contemporary building practices by looking at twelve exemplary practitioners and their recent projects. Also included is a conversation with Masato Araya and Yoshiharu Kanebako.