The Expressions of Regionality in Contemporary Okinawan Architecture in the 1970s: Case Studies of Four Architectural Groups
The reversion of Okinawa to the Japanese mainland in 1972 marked a crucial turning point in contemporary Okinawan architecture. Following 27 years of U.S. military administration, the Japanese architectural community‘s discussions on identity and regionality intensified. The Okinawa International Ocean Exposition (1975) rapidly expanded public development and tourism while promoting Japanese architects' entry, reinforcing Okinawa’s external dependence. This study examines how regionality was expressed through four distinct approaches in 1970s Okinawa. First, Kikutake Kiyonori's internationally oriented technological idealism utilized the Okinawan ocean as an experimental site detached from local contexts. Second, Kinjo Nobuyoshi explored Okinawa's inherent uniqueness by applying traditional elements to modern architecture, yet showed limitations in visual symbolization of tradition. Third, Kokuba Yukifusa brought mainland-acquired modernism back to Okinawa, translating regionality into spatial form through personal vernacular experience. Fourth, Atelier Zo advocated the 'heuristic method,' rediscovering local communities, engaging residents, and advancing the 'Reverse Disparity Theory', an alternative regionalism routed through Okinawa. By contrasting these approaches, this study reveals that expressions of regionality diverged according to architects' origins, education, networks, and perceptions of Okinawa.