In many cases the modern Japanese architecture was inspired by the traditional one… but there are some cases where the inspiration comes even from non-architectural domains: that’s the case with the spectacular gate from Kanazawa and the elegant Kobe Port Tower from today’s photo.

Both these buildings are inspired by tsuzumi, a Japanese traditional drum shaped like a hourglass, with the heads connected by strings. And the Kobe Port Tower even reproduces the red color of the traditional strings…

Kobe Port Tower, Kobe

EXIF Info:

Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Zen garden patterns, the Dry Stream